THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly, creeping
Left its seeds while I was, sleeping
And the vision, that was planted in my brain... still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone

Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a streetlamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound, of silence
And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs, that voices never shared
No one dared
Disturb the sound, of silence
"Fools," said I, "You do not know

Silence like a cancer grows"
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed, in the wells, of silence
And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls,
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds, of silence"