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.
(
geocities.com/sunsetstrip/3224) (
geocities.com/sunsetstrip)