Something I forgot to mention in the video: even though Paul Simon wrote this song BEFORE many of the 60s counterculture events I discussed, this song captured the sentiment of the culture perfectly. (So it may not have been INSPIRED by these events… but it became the soundtrack to them!) Which song/artist should I break down next?
I’m 66 years old, and I grew up with the acoustic version of The Sound of Silence. To me, the song captures the generational divide in the years following World War II. It reflects the tension between parents, shaped by the war and its aftermath, and their children, who were pulling away from that legacy. The younger generation was weary of wars and conflicts, both on the global stage and within American society. This silence extended beyond families-it was symbolic of a broader inability to connect or understand one another. It echoed the struggles of a younger generation pushing for a world free from battles, not just abroad but at home, where systemic racial injustices and divisions ran deep. The song resonates as a commentary on the silence of those who were tired of hatred and inequality, and the silence of those who either couldn’t or wouldn’t listen. It speaks to the isolation felt on both sides and the urgent yet unspoken call for change during a time of unrest and awakening, not only in America but across the world.
This “silence” song of Paul Simon is the loudest sound is silence I ever heard and the most meaningful and I loved it ❤🩵💚 LONG LIVE PAUL SIMON 👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏
The song is about sharing a common space with total strangers, like on a New York City subway train. You’re sitting there in a room full of complete and total strangers in a big city. The most you ever do, is maybe give someone a quick glance or smile, nod hello is too much. No one tries to speak, even when the train suddenly stops and you lose power for a few seconds. You’re all experiencing it together, sitting in the dark for a minute, but you don’t dare try and actually speak to each other. The lights come back on and you start moving again…
You forgot to mention the version that Simon recorded solo in 1964 after he and Garfunkel briefly split when their first album didn’t do well. The majority of the songs that appeared on the album The Sounds Of Silence (recorded after the remix of The Sounds Of Silence had been released as a single) were remakes of songs that Simon had recorded for that UK-only album (The Paul Simon Song Book).
In the era of this song, young people listened to music mostly on tinny AM portable radios and tinny car radios. Mixing choices of that era were influenced by this.
You reveal your age! Those of us who grew up with Simon and Garfunkle were well aware of them long before The Graduate was released. The movie soundtrack undoubtedly expanded their audience, but they were hardly obscure before then. If anything, to those in my generation, their presence in the movie gave it an additional cachet. But the addition of electric was a plus, adding to the intensity of the song and, by extension, the film.
The mixing consoles used back in the 60s a lot of the time were repurposed broadcast condoles from radio. That is certainly the case with the EMI studio the Beatles recorded in. There was no pan knob. You either had hard ledt hard right, or center. This is why the mixes seemed weird by todays standards. The drums were either center, or one side. In the case of the Beatles, they balanced this by using a tamborine on the other side. It's the only reason they used one. They used to double track vocals so they could make them sound stereo. One track on either side.
@@SongwriterSanctuary You're welcome. If you can find it, Geoff Emerick, the engineer on a lot of Beatles recordings has a biography out, where he talks about the things they had to do with the limited technology of the times to achieve what they did. Even for their day, EMI was behind the times. They still only had four tracks when everyone else had eight for instance. It's a real interesting read if you're into how things were done back then.
Things were changing by 1968, when Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was recorded. The drum solo slowly pans back and forth a couple of times. So by the time, and in the studio, where that was recorded, a more sophisticated desk must have been available. (Not disagreeing with you, just filling in detail.)
@@davorzmaj753 There were more advanced desks coming out by 1968. Not all studios had them. I don't think EMI updated yet by then. In 67 when Sargeant Pepper was recorded they still had the old equipment. There were 8 channel tape recorders by then too, but EMI still had 4 tracks.
I was listening to your video where the drums are on the left and I then went and listened to a file I have of the same song and then three streaming services and all have the drums on the Right my file is ripped directly from the CD and it is the same on all streaming services including RUclips so what gives ?
Hi! I’m not sure what that’s all about… I just double checked both Spotify and the version on the official RUclips channel (ruclips.net/video/4fWyzwo1xg0/видео.htmlsi=-fY32hRKHw36boI3) as well as my copy of the CD, and the drums appear to be on the left in all of the above. I wasn’t able to find any versions where they’re on the right, but I could be missing something! Either way, thank you for the feedback and I hope the left/right panning issue didn’t ruin the rest of the video for you!
I've successfully avoided the metal version. love slipknot and tool and sabbath, do not like disturbed... I actually hadn't heard the full acoustic version until a live version... then a friend goes "hey- try this"...
Your headline is misleading. This change to the song was not a mistake. It was not a slip at the mixing desk or any sort of misunderstanding. It was done quite intentionally. And it worked! Lead to two more masterpiece albums in the same vein. And even though Simon would refer to his record company as the "whores on 7th Ave..." in the song The Boxer, he took the money.
Something I forgot to mention in the video: even though Paul Simon wrote this song BEFORE many of the 60s counterculture events I discussed, this song captured the sentiment of the culture perfectly. (So it may not have been INSPIRED by these events… but it became the soundtrack to them!)
Which song/artist should I break down next?
I’m 66 years old, and I grew up with the acoustic version of The Sound of Silence. To me, the song captures the generational divide in the years following World War II. It reflects the tension between parents, shaped by the war and its aftermath, and their children, who were pulling away from that legacy. The younger generation was weary of wars and conflicts, both on the global stage and within American society.
This silence extended beyond families-it was symbolic of a broader inability to connect or understand one another. It echoed the struggles of a younger generation pushing for a world free from battles, not just abroad but at home, where systemic racial injustices and divisions ran deep. The song resonates as a commentary on the silence of those who were tired of hatred and inequality, and the silence of those who either couldn’t or wouldn’t listen. It speaks to the isolation felt on both sides and the urgent yet unspoken call for change during a time of unrest and awakening, not only in America but across the world.
I love this analysis! Lots of deep shifting cultural elements to think about here. Thank you for sharing your perspective!
This “silence” song of Paul Simon is the loudest sound is silence I ever heard and the most meaningful and I loved it ❤🩵💚
LONG LIVE PAUL SIMON 👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏
The song is about sharing a common space with total strangers, like on a New York City subway train. You’re sitting there in a room full of complete and total strangers in a big city. The most you ever do, is maybe give someone a quick glance or smile, nod hello is too much. No one tries to speak, even when the train suddenly stops and you lose power for a few seconds. You’re all experiencing it together, sitting in the dark for a minute, but you don’t dare try and actually speak to each other. The lights come back on and you start moving again…
Love this interpretation! Very vivid…
Agree 100%!!!
This was very well done, Konner.
Thank you so much!!
You forgot to mention the version that Simon recorded solo in 1964 after he and Garfunkel briefly split when their first album didn’t do well. The majority of the songs that appeared on the album The Sounds Of Silence (recorded after the remix of The Sounds Of Silence had been released as a single) were remakes of songs that Simon had recorded for that UK-only album (The Paul Simon Song Book).
In the era of this song, young people listened to music mostly on tinny AM portable radios and tinny car radios. Mixing choices of that era were influenced by this.
Thanks for the heads up. I will be checking out Disturbed.
You reveal your age! Those of us who grew up with Simon and Garfunkle were well aware of them long before The Graduate was released. The movie soundtrack undoubtedly expanded their audience, but they were hardly obscure before then. If anything, to those in my generation, their presence in the movie gave it an additional cachet. But the addition of electric was a plus, adding to the intensity of the song and, by extension, the film.
GREAT VID - Press on !
Thank you so much!!
This song is very popular in South Africa due to load shedding (electricity shut down) lol
The Kransky Sisters’ is the best cover version of the song.
My mother saw this comment and sent me the video of it 😂😂 absolutely spectacular
Voice leading/linear structures also yyield sophisticated patterns
Absolutely, well said!
The mixing consoles used back in the 60s a lot of the time were repurposed broadcast condoles from radio. That is certainly the case with the EMI studio the Beatles recorded in. There was no pan knob. You either had hard ledt hard right, or center. This is why the mixes seemed weird by todays standards. The drums were either center, or one side. In the case of the Beatles, they balanced this by using a tamborine on the other side. It's the only reason they used one. They used to double track vocals so they could make them sound stereo. One track on either side.
That makes perfect sense and explains much of the sound of the time. This is super enlightening- thank you for sharing this!
@@SongwriterSanctuary You're welcome. If you can find it, Geoff Emerick, the engineer on a lot of Beatles recordings has a biography out, where he talks about the things they had to do with the limited technology of the times to achieve what they did. Even for their day, EMI was behind the times. They still only had four tracks when everyone else had eight for instance.
It's a real interesting read if you're into how things were done back then.
Things were changing by 1968, when Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" was recorded. The drum solo slowly pans back and forth a couple of times. So by the time, and in the studio, where that was recorded, a more sophisticated desk must have been available.
(Not disagreeing with you, just filling in detail.)
@@davorzmaj753 There were more advanced desks coming out by 1968. Not all studios had them. I don't think EMI updated yet by then. In 67 when Sargeant Pepper was recorded they still had the old equipment. There were 8 channel tape recorders by then too, but EMI still had 4 tracks.
Before being known as Simon and Garfunkel they were known as Tom and Jerry
Based on pseudonyms they created, I believe!
I was listening to your video where the drums are on the left and I then went and listened to a file I have of the same song and then three streaming services and all have the drums on the Right my file is ripped directly from the CD and it is the same on all streaming services including RUclips so what gives ?
Ok I pulled out the CD and the drums are on the right so how is yours inverted ? / Backwards = wrong
Where did you get that clip ?
Hi! I’m not sure what that’s all about… I just double checked both Spotify and the version on the official RUclips channel (ruclips.net/video/4fWyzwo1xg0/видео.htmlsi=-fY32hRKHw36boI3) as well as my copy of the CD, and the drums appear to be on the left in all of the above. I wasn’t able to find any versions where they’re on the right, but I could be missing something! Either way, thank you for the feedback and I hope the left/right panning issue didn’t ruin the rest of the video for you!
I've successfully avoided the metal version. love slipknot and tool and sabbath, do not like disturbed... I actually hadn't heard the full acoustic version until a live version... then a friend goes "hey- try this"...
Your headline is misleading. This change to the song was not a mistake. It was not a slip at the mixing desk or any sort of misunderstanding. It was done quite intentionally. And it worked! Lead to two more masterpiece albums in the same vein. And even though Simon would refer to his record company as the "whores on 7th Ave..." in the song The Boxer, he took the money.
I am not a fan of versions when they scream the word "silence", like Disturb do.
where was the mistake? Wilson did the remix quite deliberately. Click bait