寂靜之聲

Hello, darkness my old friend...

最近看 Watchmen 在 the Comedian 的葬禮配樂....

這裡是這首歌的背景...

這首歌是Paul Simon在1964年寫的，他 與Art Garfunkel所合唱。歌曲透過描寫一種關於大眾沈浸在沈默(盲目、壓制等象徵)之中的異象(Vision)，來批判社會只知道盲目崇拜物質偶像(Neon god they made)，不知道也不敢正視社會的真實面(例如地下鐵與廉價公寓中的窮人)。沈默變成一種聲音(sound of silence)讓大眾以為一切都還是正常。Paul Simon在美國社會正經歷如越戰、反種族歧視等社會動亂的年代寫這首歌，應該是希望社會能夠突破這些盲目與不合理的壓抑，而找到出路。

最後幾句, 蠻有意思的....

the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made：舊約聖經描寫摩西領猶太人出埃及要往上帝所應允的迦南美地，路中摩西上西乃山領取上帝的十誡與祝福時，他的兄弟亞倫與猶太人民因失去信心與耐心所以造了一個金牛犢偶像來代替上帝。這裡Paul Simon引用聖經典故，指責現代資本主義社會是追求眩目的物質享受（neon god）。

the sign flashed out its warning, in the words that it was forming：聖經中上帝在以洪水或大火等災難處罰其子民後往往就又發出慈悲心，與存活的猶太人立下約定只要人民順服祂將給予祝福。例如挪亞方舟的故事，彩虹變成立約的記號。這裡的記號（sign）也有超自然的神諭的含意（雖然不一定是猶太教或基督教的神）。大意是：記號透過其正在撰寫的文字閃出警訊。

The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls. ：先知的話語是寫在地鐵的牆上以及廉價公寓的大廳裡。表示社會真實的現狀（先知所見的事實）只有在地鐵牆上的塗鴉（graffiti）以及窮人在其所住的廉價公寓大廳中所發的怨言或哀求中。

Simon & Garfunkel / The Sound of Silence (live, 2003)

Simon & Garfunkel / The Sound of Silence (original)

Hello, darkness my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left it's seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains within the sound of silence

In restless dream

I walked alone the narrow street of cobble stone

Beneath 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 may be 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 it's warning

In the words that it was forming, and the signs said

"The words of the prophets

Are written on the subway walls and tenement halls

And whispered in the sound of silence"

Simon & Garfunkel

The Sound of Silence (1965)