Garfunkel葛芬柯曾親自澄清，這首歌核心討論的是"People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening..."，人們說著話卻毫無心意，聽著聲音卻從未用心傾聽，歌詞描繪了現代都市中，人們看似聚在一起，心靈卻無比冷漠與孤立．
1967年，這首歌被選為The Graduate畢業生主題曲，完美的搭配，一舉將這首歌推上文化神壇，深刻反映了當時青年世代對未來的迷惘與疏離感．
2015年，美國金屬樂團Disturbed以渾厚，充滿爆發力的聲線翻唱了此曲，將原本柔和的歌聲轉化為對冷漠世界的咆哮，甚至連原作者保羅·賽門都大力讚賞該版本．
The Sound of Silence Disturbed
The Sound of Silence Simon & Garfunkel
The Sound of Silence Simon & Garfunkel
Hello darkness, my old friend 你好，黑夜，我的老朋友
Ive come to talk with you again 我又來找你傾訴了
Because a vision softly creeping 因為有一個幻象正輕悄悄地蔓延
Left its seeds while I was sleeping 在我熟睡時悄悄播下了種子
And the vision that was planted in my brain 那個深植在我腦海中的幻象
Still remains 依然縈繞
Within the sound of silence 在寂靜的聲音裡
In restless dreams I walked alone 在不安的夢境中，我獨自前行
Narrow streets of cobblestone 漫步在狹窄的鵝卵石街道上
Neath the halo of a street lamp 在路燈的光暈之下
I turned my collar to the cold and damp 我拉高領口，抵擋著寒冷與潮濕
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
當我的雙眼被刺眼的霓虹燈光所穿透
That split the night 那燈光劃破了夜空
And touched the sound of silence 也觸動了寂靜之聲
And in the naked light I saw 在坦露無遺的光線下，我看見
Ten thousand people, maybe more 成千上萬的人們，或許更多
People talking without speaking 人們說著話，卻毫無心意
People hearing without listening 人們聽著聲音，卻從未用心傾聽
People writing songs that voices never share 人們寫著從未被傾訴唱出的歌
And no one dared 卻沒有人敢去打破
Disturb the sound of silence 這寂靜之聲
"Fools," said I, "You do not know" 「愚蠢的人們啊，」我說，「你們並不知道」
"Silence like a cancer grows" 「寂靜就像癌症般蔓延」
"Hear my words that I might teach you" 「聽聽我的話，或許能給你啟示」
"Take my arms that I might reach you" 「牽住我的手，或許能引導你們」
But my words, like silent raindrops fell 但我的話語，卻如無聲的雨滴墜落
And echoed in the wells of silence 在寂靜的井底迴響
And the people bowed and prayed 人們向著他們塑造的
To the neon god they made 霓虹神祇鞠躬與祈禱
And the sign flashed out its warning 閃爍的霓虹招牌顯現出警訊
In the words that it was forming 字裡行間傳遞著警告
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls"
文字寫著：「先知的預言早已寫在地鐵的牆上」
"And tenement halls" 「與廉租公寓的大廳裡」
And whispered in the sound of silence 並在寂靜的聲音中悄聲低語
