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My Gen X Playlist: The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel

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Daily writing prompt
You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?
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Each morning doesn’t officially begin until my third cup of coffee…

Where I go from there, your guess is as good as mine. WordPress only asked for the first line, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’ll wait for the prompt that asks me for the rest and we’ll take it from there.

I was looking at lists of songs with the best opening lyrics. Many had Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence among the top selections, some even at number one.

Hello, darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again

The opening line, “Hello darkness, my old friend,” came from Simon’s time as a boy when he would sing in the bathroom with the lights out, enjoying the acoustics from the tiles that provided a doo-wop reverb sound.

– Songfacts

If opening lines to hit songs can be written in dark bathrooms, this gives me hope. Maybe there is a book waiting in me as I sit drinking coffee at the island in my kitchen, plucking away on this app on my phone. Well, maybe after my third cup, that is.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

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 streetlamp
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
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
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence."

28 thoughts on “My Gen X Playlist: The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel”

  2. Epic opening line and classic song! Funny story…when I taught 3rd grade, I had a student who would say, “Hello darkness, my old friend!” whenever something went wrong. He must have been an old soul, or had a parent who played Simon and Garfunkel.
    I absolutely think you should write a book! I believe everyone has a story to tell. From what I know about your life just reading your blog, I would buy your book!

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  4. I learn a lot from my children, more than anyone else. My daughter’s first words in the morning are always, “I want to be a princess today.”
    Through her, I have learned the importance of starting each day with a positive outlook and looking forward to a great day ahead…after two cups of coffee. 😅
    I’ll buy and read your book. Just do it.

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  11. I was a huge fan of Simon and Garfunkel back in the day. Loved loved loved all their stuff. Knew every song by heart. I mean, I still like them, but… I guess I grew out of it. ^_^

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  12. A powerful song, great choice. I heard a lot of Simon and Garfunkel as a youngster, but I did not know that backstory about the bathroom singing. Interesting!

    Decaffed here, a few years ago and feel great; mind you, I never drank more than one, maybe two coffees in a day. Plus there’s a local roaster whose beans taste like the hi octane version.

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