The Sound of Silence ...........................
Copyright © 1964 Paul Simon
Transcribed by John McGann.
% indicates a repeat of the previous measure.
Capo 2nd fret (see tuning info on main page)
Am9 G
e:|---0---0---0---0-|-----------------|--(3)-----(3)----|-----------------|
B:|-----0-------0---|-----------------|-------0-------0-|-----------------|
G:|-2-------2-------|--------%--------|-----0-------0---|--------%--------|
D:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
Hello ... friend I've come to
Am C F C C
e:|---0-------0-----|---0-------0-----|---1-------0-----|---0-------0-----|
B:|-------1-------1-|---------------1-|-------1-------1-|-------1------(0)|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-0-----0---|-----2-------0---|-----0-------0---|
D:|-----------------|-2---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-0-------0-------|---------3-------|---------3-------|-3-------3-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-1---------------|-----------------|
again because .. softly creeping left it's ...
F C F
e:|-----1-----------|---0-------0-----|---1-------1-----|-----------------|
B:|-----------1-----|-------1-------1-|-------1-------1-|-----------------|
G:|--------2--------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|--------%--------|
D:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--1--------------|-----------------|-1-------1-------|-----------------|
sleeping and .. vision that was ... brain
C C Am C G
e:|----0-------0----|-----------------|-----------------|---3-------3-----|
B:|--------1--------|--(1)------1-----|-----1-------1---|-------0-------0-|
G:|------0----------|-----0-------2---|---------0-------|-----0-------0---|
D:|-0h2----------3-2|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|----------3------|-3-----2-0-----2-|--3--------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
still ... within the sound of
Am * G G
e:|---0-------0-----|-----------------|-----------3-----|-3-3-----3-------|
B:|-------1-------1-|-----------------|-----------0-----|-0-0-----0-------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----------------|-----------0-----|-0-0-----0-strum-|
D:|-----------------|-2---------------|-0-0-----0---0-0-|-----------------|
A:|-0-------0-------|-0---------------|-------0-2---2-3-|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-3---3-----------|-----3-0-3-------|
silence In restless . alone narrow ...
$ Am C F C
e:|---0-------0-----|---0-------------|-1---------------|-----------------|
B:|-1-1---0-1-1---0-|-1-1---0-1-------|-1-------1-------|-1-------1-------|
G:|-2-2-2-0-2-2-2-0-|-2-2-2-0-0-strum-|-2-strum-0-strum-|-0-strum-0-strum-|
D:|-2---2-0-2---2-0-|-2---2-0-2-----0-|-3-----0-2-----0-|-2-----0-2-----0-|
A:|-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-0---0-0-3-----0-|-3-----0-3-----0-|-3-----0-3-----0-|
E:|-----------------|---------3-----0-|-1-----0-3-----0-|-3-----0-3-----0-|
stone 'neath halo ... lamp I turned ...
F C F
e:|-1---------------|-----------------|---1-1-----1-1---|-----------------|
B:|-1-------1-------|---1-------------|---1-1-----1-1---|-----------------|
G:|-2-strum-0-strum-|---0--strum------|---2-2-----2-2---|--------%--------|
D:|-3-----0-2-----0-|---2------0------|-3-3-3-0-3-3-3-0-|-----------------|
A:|-3-----0-3-----0-|---3------0------|-3---3-0-3---3-0-|-----------------|
E:|-1-----0-3-----0-|---3------0------|-1---1-0-1---1-0-|-----------------|
cold & damp when my eyes stabbed .. flash of a neon ..
C Am @ C G
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-1-------1-1-----|-------------1---|---------1-------|-----------------|
G:|-0-strum-0-0-2-0-|-----0-------2---|---------0-------|-0-0-0---0-0-0---|
D:|-2-----0-2-2-3-2-|-2-2-------2-2---|-----2-----------|-0-0-0---0-0-0---|
A:|-3-----0-3-3-----|-3-3---2-0-----2-|--3----------2---|-2-2-2---2-2-2---|
E:|-3-----0-3-3-----|-----------------|-----------------|-3-3-3-0-3-3-3-0-|
light ... split night and touched the sound of
# Am C #
e:|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-1-1-1---1-1-1---|-1-------1-------|
G:|-2-2-2-0-2-2-2-0-|-2-str-0-0-str-0-|
D:|-2-2-2-0-2-2-2-0-|-2-----0-2-----0-|
A:|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0-----0-3-----0-|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|
silence And in .. naked land I ...
For "saw ... ten thousand people maybe more" jump back to *. At $, replace
one measure with the following Am variation:
Am
e:|-------------0-------|
B:|---1---------1-------|
G:|---2-----------------|
D:|-2---2-0-0h2---2p0---|
A:|-0---0-------------3-|
E:|---------------------|
Also, from # to #, replace two measures with the following Am, variation:
Am
e:|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|---strum--strum--|--------%--------|
D:|-2---------------|-----------------|
A:|-0---------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|
... Fools said I you do not ...
For "know ... silence like a cancer grows" jump back to *. Use the Am
variation above again at $. At @, jump to the following:
C G Am
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-------1---1---1-|---0-----0-------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|-0-strum-0---0---|-------0---0---0-|-2-str-0-2-str-0-|--------%--------|
D:|-2-------2---2---|-----0-------0---|-2-----0-2-----0-|-----------------|
A:|-3---------------|-------------2---|-0-----0-0-----0-|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-3-------3---3---|-----------------|-----------------|
echoed in the ... of silence And the people ..
For "prayed ... to the neon" jump back to *. At @, jump to the following:
C G Am9 Am7
e:|-----------------|-----------------|---0---0---0---0-|----0---0--------|
B:|-----------------|--------0--------|-----0-------0---|------0----------|
G:|---0---0---0---0-|----0------0-----|-2-------2-------|--2----------0---|
D:|-----2-------2---|------0----------|-----------------|-------------2---|
A:|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------0---|
E:|-----------------|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
whispered in sounds of silence
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 land 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'd 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 sound of silence.
