Analysis of "The Sound Of Silence" By Simon and Garfunkel
The Sound of Silence was originally written by Simon and Garfunkel in 1964. When it was released, it was a commercial failure, leading to the disbandment of the group with Simon returning to England. The Sound of Silence was Simon’s way of expressing his angst towards his, and other’s, feelings of alienation in a post-modern world. This song is about the loss of communication between people. It perfectly encapsulates our diminishing ability to empathize with each other and love each other. Look around, things have only gotten worse since this was written. The song has since been remixed many times, most popularly by the heavy metal band, Disturbed.
This is a song about so many people in society, all of whom possess a voice to speak out and the potential to fulfill themselves. Sadly, abandoning their voice and, for lack of a better term, have become zombies in society. Indeed, the “Silence” in the title and body of the song refers to the lack of thought, individuality, and living among the previously mentioned “Ten thousand people.” The song goes hand in hand with the idiom, “Their silence is deafening,” for society’s silence indeed is a deafening force, allowing abuse and deprivation of human liveliness and disallowing the sharing of songs, opinions, thoughts, philosophies, etc. The signs warning furthers this, saying that the words of the “prophets,” meaning words that are profound, words that truly mean something, are not spoken or shared, but rather written on subway walls and in poor, crowded, and enervated tenement housing. The sign’s warning put simply is that innovative and profound ideas are not being shared due to the apathy of society. David Draiman, the lead singer of Disturbed, uses many different rhetorical strategies to reach out to his audience, those who have hidden woe. He’s is trying to pursue the listeners to actually listen to what others are saying, and to care for others. One of the first examples of rhetorical strategies used is Pathos.
David has a particular way of singing this song that removes any semblance to the original. Throughout the whole song, David constantly adds more depth and feeling to the song; therefore, upping the ante. The entire song is based on dynamics. It starts off slow and dark, steadily crescendoing and becoming brighter. He picks up the tempo and is able to create a deep sensation within the listener. Once the climax has been reached, he is into the main chorus of the song, about the actual silence. People are talking without speaking, people and hearing without listening, and no one dares to speak up. The song was written in the first person and it manages to put whoever listens to it in the story, almost like the song is about you.
David’s dark tone is another great example of rhetorical strategies used. Originally, Disturbed was going to sing The Sound of Silence like the rest of their songs, more upbeat, rhythmic, and in your face. However, Dan Donegan had a vibe to go in the opposite direction. He thought the song should be ambient and alone, more acoustic, and have the vocals be more vulnerable. This was the perfect combination for the song. The darkness is the key to the song, it’s one of the reasons you get a deep feeling inside you. He was able to portray the song in a way Simon and Garfunkel were unable to, with more passion and feeling. Their version was more upbeat, cheerful, and it didn’t portray the message in the same way.
Simon and Garfunkel, the original artists, used a few different types of metaphors and similes to create illustrations with their lyrics. “Silence, like a cancer, grows” (Disturbed) is an analogy between cancer and silence. Both grow in the dark without anyone taking cognizance, both hard to treat once they’re formed. Once someone has gone silent and feels as they’re unable to speak out, they will have a hard time coming out and saying what’s wrong.
Works Cited
- Disturbed. “Sound of Silence” Reprise, 2015. Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/1Cj2vqUwlJVG27gJrun92y?si=ar-e7NocRCKJPIz5OjPk-Q
- Disturbed. “Sound of Silence” Reprise, 2015. Azlyrics, azlyrics.com/lyrics/disturbed/thesoundofsilence.html. Accessed 7 October 2019
