The Sound of Silence

The Sound of Silence

Simon & Garfunkel 

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 street lamp
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
And 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
Then the sign said, “The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls
In tenement halls”
And whispered in the sound of silence

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEppFUWLfc

 

Throughout my summer project with Right to the City, I worked on case studies focusing on land struggle and the influence of people of color on policy change. The story of struggle against the establishment and massive urbanization in a city has always reminded me of the threat that looms when a community ceases to fight: silence. Total silence that would result in an empty city made of cobblestones, those who simply agree with this capitalist way of running a city. The silence is not necessarily a lack of voice, but rather silence in the face of injustice. Therefore, this song continually reminds me of the significance of the work produced by organizations such as Right to the City.