The sound of silence

S O P R A N O

A L T O

B A R I T O N E / A L T O (optional)

P I A N O

1 J =56

Words and music by Paul Simon

H e l - lo dark-nessmy old fr iend.

H e l - l o dark-nessmy old fr iend. ^ • p m «_

J = 56 H e l - l o , _ old

p legato

I've come to talk w i t h y o u a - gain. be-caiise a v i - s i o n s o f t - l y _

I've come to talk w i t h y o u a - gain. be-cause a v i - s i o n s o f t - l y .

f r iend. I've come to talk w i t h

poco cresc.

creep-mg,_ left its seeds whi le I was sleep-ing, poco cresc.

creep-mg,_ left its seeds whi le I was s l e e p - i n g , _ poco cresc.

y o u a - gam. talk w i t h you a - g a m —

1 poco cresc.

Copyright © 1964 (renewed) Paul Simon (BMI) This arrangement © 1996 Paul Simon (BMI) International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.

10 •

T U f and the v i - s ion. that was plant-ed i n m y bra in .

and the v i - sion- that was plant-ed

-= (9

m m y

-s

bra in .

The v i - sion m m y

i bra in .

13

sti l l re-mains. w i t h - i n the sound. P pp

sti l l re-mains. w i t h - i n the sound. of si-lence.-

st i l l re - mains. the sound

TP*-PP

Fed..

SOLO (or a few voices)

f j ' 3 i . J J j J J ^ J (1.) I n rest-less dreams I walked a - lone

(2.) saw through nar-row streets of cob -bled

ten thou-sandpeo-pie , may-be

5 (1.) a- lone, (2.) I saw. P

X T

(1.) a- lone,. (2.) I saw.

m r r ' r

X T

10 20 cresc. i

stone.-more.-

'Neath the ha - lo of a street Peo - pie talk - ing w i t h - out speak

lamp, i n g , —

m of stone,-

much more,- 00 .

of stone,, m u c h more,-

00 .

J J : ^ J i J T

23

i 1 F U L L » > /

I turned m y col -p e o - p i e hear

lar to the cold and damp, - i n g w i t h - o u t list - 'ning.

w h e n m y eyes Peo - pie w r i t

were stabbed, • ing songs

> J J P 00 w h e n m y eyes

Peo - pie w r i t were stabbed •ing songs

00 . when m y eyes Peo-pie w r i t

were stabbed • ing songs

26

i i the f lash— of a l ight that split the

that v o i - ces ne - ver share, and no - one

by the flash that v o i

of a ne - on ces_ ne-ver

l i g h t -share,-

that split the night-and no - one dare_

— by the flash that voi

of a ne - on ces— ne-ver

l i g h t -share,.

sfz

J J 4 JU

11 29 SOLO SOLO (or a few voices)

night, and touched the sound-dare dis - t u r b the sound-

2. A n d i n the na -ked l ight I

PP

of si-lence.-

PP

Ped.-

33 n

Tools ! " said \ "You do not know si - lence like a can-cer

"Fools! You do not know-

JK m. (2. ^ ^ r r r I "Fools! You do not k n o w . si-lence like a can-cer

I I € J —7 • • m

— 3 j

36

i grows. Hear m y words that I may teach

mp y o u . -

si - lence like a can- cer grows. I ' l l teach you.

0 1 • 9 f ^

-*^l--b 1

grows.. I ' l l teach you.

m m

mp

12

39

— /

1 J> - J "1: \—' e 1 — • , 'i. , B ^ J 0 j = — = J

• 9;

I ' l l reach you! '

-Iv— 5

42

I 1 SOLO

- o -

— like s i - lent rain-drops felL and

like s i - lent rain-drops fel l , - they fell

they fell

— f : — ^ •

Fed. 47 FULL molto

e-choed i n the wells molto PP

A n d the peo- pie bowed and

J-J J J J in the wells of si-lence.- A n d the peo- pie bowed and

A n d the peo - pie h

X T

51

i prayed to the ne - on god they made.

13

prayed Q

to the ne - on god they made. - © -

prayed to the god they made.

i>b p.

54

m cresc.

A n d the sign flashed out its-cresc.

w a r n - m g _

i i n the words that it was

A n d the sign flashed out its-cresc.

w a r n - m g _ i n the words that i t w a s .

•

>i: 1 \)—> 9- *^ • 9; 9- -,

\>\i ^ i 7 = 1

A n d the sign flashed its w a r n - ing.

!• r I ' i cresc.

i n the words it was

57

I EE — form- i n g — A n d the signs said, "The words of the pro-phets are

— f o r m - i n g — A n d the signs said, "The words of the pro-phets are

f o r m m g . _ A n d the signs said, "The words of the pro-phets are

P I f I f

14 */'

60

r r r r r, r w r i t - t e n on the sub-way walls,- and te-ne-ment halls,

mp and

w r i t - t e n on the sub-way walls,-

iS^•

and te- ne-ment halls.

mp

w r i t - t e n on the sub-way walls,- and te- ne-ment halls.

m p 19-

63

i rit. a tempo

PP

Fed.

19-^

of si - lence. whis-pered i n the sound PP

whis - pered- of si - lence,. PP

r ^ M r r whis-pered i n the sound si - lence.-

rit. a tempo

PP

66 rit.

si - lence.

si - lence..

1 1 ^^ -̂̂ 4^ 1 rit.

" T T " laisser vibrer

Fed..