【一天分享一首歌之第36天】〈The Sound of Silence〉/ Simon and Garfunkel
今天這首歌超過半世紀了。經典的價值在於傳唱，曲調從未老，歌詞讀來更是深深深邃，力道仍鋒。去年此時，我專訪影評人馬欣，她形容賽門與賈芬柯的這首〈The Sound of Silence〉像詩又像預言：「人們會對霓虹燈膜拜，聽不到對方在說什麼，以後的歌也不會被傳唱……這些都完全符合現在的光景。」
「哈囉黑暗，我的老朋友⋯⋯」歌詞開場於一種貼近，這是每個孤單的人都熟悉的心情。在無盡的夢裡獨行，掀起衣領擋住濕氣寒氣，五十年前的歌詞預見了現在的我們，被爆炸的資訊環繞，擁有無窮的「說」的慾望，卻沒有人聽。多麼想把手上的一字一句，傳遞到哪個人心裡。
應該也有許多人認識這首歌，是因為2009年的電影《守護者》。該片的標語：誰來監督監督者？（Who Watches the Watchmen?）其實也可以是：誰來照顧照顧者？在這眾聲喧嘩的嘈雜年代，聽見彼此竟然這麼難。
願夢裡的聲音不再無聲。晚安。
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLfCnGVeL4
P.S 在這首歌誕生45年後，賽門與賈芬柯在一場音樂會上重聚，新世紀版的〈The Sound of Silence〉溫柔依舊（聽那開頭的吉他！）但澎湃更多，請大家一定也要聽聽這個現場版：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-JQ1q-13Ek
#一天分享一首歌
—
"The Sound Of Silence"
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 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."
