Sounds of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel - Essay Example

The genre was known by the name of folk/rock. Tom Wilson, while listening to the song “Mr. Tambourine Man” flickered with the idea of making a folk/rock with Simon and Garfunkel with whom he had already worked successfully with their debutant album. Simon and Garfunkel the duo recorded the song for their first album “Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.” in the year 1964. Latter on it was overdubbed with the inclusion of the instruments like electric bass, drums and electric guitar. As a single, the song was released in the month of September 1965 and the song was written by Paul Simon of the duo in the month of February 1964.

The song “Sounds of Silence” is the most popular song released by the duo in the United States after their most well-liked hit” Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Simons 1-120). During 1960s and 70s, many genres of music like rock, alternative rock, folk rock and country rock evolved which sung the saga of the men and time during which these songs evolved, The ‘Numero Uno’ or the number one track of the chartbuster during the year 1966 by Simon and Garfunkel also reiterates the social and political turmoil of the time (Charlesworth 1-125).

THESIS STATEMENT The song, “Sounds of Silence” delineates many socio-cultural and socio-political issues within its melodious presentation. This essay intends to explore the subtle thematic paradigm imbibed behind the acoustic and electrified versions of this intense song. SOUNDS OF SILENCE: A REFLECTION Without getting much into the thin line of difference that separates the two genres of music during the sixties; the folk and the pop that strikingly evolves out through this song, it is quintessential to perceive the magic and enchantment the song delivers.

The tempo, the rhythm, orchestration and above all the melody of the song is just splendid to fall back upon and listen to with close eyes. However, the most powerful aspect of the song is its lyrics. Poetry is inherent within a totalitarian scheme of things operating and pervading the song. From its rhetoric to words and intonation there is poetry imbibed within every layer and every aspect of the song (Technorati, Inc, “Music Review: Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds Of Silence - Page 2”) “The Sounds of Silence”: In restless dreams I walk 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” (SongMeanings, “Simon and Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence”).

No one can undermine the powerful use of language in the song. As a matter of fact, since the release of the song with more vigor and overwhelming confidence Paul Simon started writing songs which were definitely taking him to a higher echelon of poets. A rare master of storytelling and craftsmanship of imagery that Simon was, started lurking large in the song and the conversant style of the song made it more popular and relative: “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” (SongMeanings, “Simon and Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence”).

As the song was so popular and close to everyone’s heart or to be precise it was deliberately made so much appealing because it tried to captivate the particular essence of socio-political catastrophe taking place at the political domain of America. The song “The Sounds of Silence” is particularly written after the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the social and political degradation of America as a nation and