The Sounds of Silence
Paul Simon

Simon & Garfunkel
Wednesday Morning, 3 AM
1964
This is one of my favorite S&G songs.  The picking in
the intro isn't right but it works, and the picking
during the verse is very close.  Have a lot of fun with
this, because it is a really great song.


Capo 7th This is the intro. It's not quite what you'll hear on the album, but it works. The full lyrics appear below. Hello... friend I've come... Am G + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:---0---0---0---0-|---0---0---0---0-|-----------------|-----------------| B:-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|---3---3---3---3-|---3---3---3---3-| G:-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-0---2---4---2---|-0---2---4---2---| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| again Because... softly creeping Left its... Am F C + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:---0---0---0---0-|---0---0---0---0-|---1---1---0---0-|-1p0---0---0---0-| B:-----0---1---0---|-----0---1---0---|-----1-------1---|-----1-------1---| G:-2---------------|-2---------------|-2-------0-------|---------0-------| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| was sleeping and the vision that was planted in my brain F C F + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:---1---1---0---0-|-1p0---0---1---1-|---1---1---1---1-|---1---1---------| B:-----1-------1---|-----1-------1---|-------------1---|-----1-----1---1-| G:-2-------0-------|---------2-------|-3---2-----------|-2-------0---0---| D:-----------------|-----------------|---------3-------|-----------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| still remains within the sound of silence C Am C G Am + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---0---0---0---0-| B:---1---1---1---1-|---1---1---1---1-|---3---3---3---3-|-----0---1---0---| G:-------------0---|-----2-------0---|-0---4---2---4---|-2---------------| D:-3---2-----------|-2-------2-------|-----------------|-----------------| A:---------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Here the verses continue. The last four verses are just like the one shown here, except the last one has a minor modification at the end. In restless... alone narrow..cobblestone Am G Am + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B:-1---------------|-0---------------|-------------0---|-1---1-0-1---1-0-| G:-2---------------|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0---|-2---2-2-2---2-2-| D:-2---------------|-----0-2-0---0-2-|-0---0-2-0-----0-|-----------------| A:-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0-0-------0-----| E:-----------------|-3-3-------3-----|---3-------3-----|-----------------| 'neath the... a street lamp I turned my... cold and damp C F C F C + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----1-----------|-----------------|-----1-----------| B:-1---1-0-1---0-1-|-1---1---1---1-0-|-1---1-0-1---1-0-|-1---1---1---1-0-| G:-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-2-----2-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-2-----2-0---0-0-| D:-----------------|---3-------------|-----------------|---3-------------| A:-3-3-------3-----|---------3-3-----|---3-------3-----|---------3-3-----| E:-----------------|-1---------------|-----------------|-1---------------| Thumb when my eyes were stabbed... neon light that split the F C + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-------------1---|---1-----1-----1-|-----1-----------|-----------------| B:-1---1-0-1---1---|---1-----1-----1-|-----1---1---1-0-|-1---1-0-1---1-0-| G:-0---0-0-2-----2-|-----2-----2-----|-2-----2-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-| D:-----------3-----|-3-----3-----3---|---3-------------|-----------------| A:-3-3-------------|-----------------|---------3-3-----|---3-------3-----| E:---------1-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| night ...sound of silence Am C G + + + + + + + + + + + + e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| B:-1---1-0-1---1-0-|-0---------------|-1---1-0-1---1-0-| G:-2---2-2-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-2---2-2-2---2-2-| D:-----------------|-----0-2-0---0-2-|-----------------| A:-0-0-----3-3-----|-----------------|-0-0-------0-----| E:-----------------|-3-3-------3-----|-----------------|
During the last verse, simply strum the last G and then play this: of silence Am + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + e:---0---0---0---0-|---0---0---0---0-|---0---0---0---0-|---0---0---0---0-|-0---------------| B:-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-1---------------| G:-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-2-------2-------|-2---------------| D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-2---------------| A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0---------------| E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
LYRICS: 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 share And no one dare 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 whisper'd in the sounds of silence.

Created on 4-5-97 by
Daniel E. Smith.