W          O          W

Paul Simon

wrote this song as a young 21 song writer

in 1963 running into 1964

He took 6 months to write it

which are about our lack of communication

with each other .          .          .

He averaged one line to day.           .          .

When he wrote the song

it was not about the Vietnam War

but when it became famous

most took it as a an anti-war song;

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 doc-wop reverb sound.          .          .

A               B               O               V               E

The Heavy Metal Band

D I S T U R B E D

surprised their fans by covering this for their 2015

IMMORTALIZED album

The lead guitarist, Dan Donegan said they didn’t want to cover up singer, David Draiman’s vocal with “loud, aggressive, and distorted guitars” on their version.  He added: “We wanted to showcase his vulnerability and take a left field approach.  The strings and violins really deepen it.  It’s something that might shock people because we went down a new path altogether.  We did what felt right and saw the vision through.”

Paul Simon took six months to write the lyrics which are about man’s lack of communication with his fellow man.       .       .

Nearly 65 years later.          .          .

I wonder how we’re doing with

T                    H                    A                    T

I heard this version of the song

at a funeral recently

for a young man who had died

suddenly

leaving behind a fiance,

a three week old son,

and a grieving family.          .          .

 I     T  

Communicated something quite different

than what a 21 year old songwriter

singing in his darkened bathroom back in 1964

ever intended

or even wildly imagined.          .          .

Shhhhhhhhhhh.        .          .

Now that’s a

 SONG        OF        SILENCE

WE      MAY      KNOW      WHAT      WE’RE      SAYING

but we never really know

W  H  A  T ‘ S      B  E  I  N  G      H  E  A  R  D

especially   when   it’s

S             I             L             E             N             C             E