Sounds of Silence

 “Do not be afraid for the Lord will neither fail you nor forsake you.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:6

Sandy Greenberg lay in a Detroit hospital bed adjusting to blindness.  A junior at Columbia University from a Jewish family that struggled to stay above the poverty line, Sandy had just started to see the world open up to him before his sight failed him.

Instead of his plans for a bright future - Harvard Law and politics - Sandy faced a new reality, one defined by a white cane, menial work, and a cautious path through life.  Greenberg agonized in darkness at his parents’ home, convinced he’d never make it through law school when his best friend from college visited and talked him into going back to Columbia.

Art Garfunkel devoted himself to being Sandy’s eyes, sometimes calling himself ‘Darkness.’  He read textbooks out loud for him, walked him to class, and even filled out his graduate school applications.  “For me, it was the end of hopelessness,” wrote Greenberg.

One time, however, Art abandoned his friend in the middle of a NYC crowd.  Terrified, confused, and humiliated, Sandy stumbled through the rush-hour crowd and eventually took the local train to back Columbia.  When a stranger apologized for bumping into him – Sandy recognized the voice instantly.  Art had been behind him the entire time.

In 1962, Greenburg graduated President of his class and Phi Beta Kappa.  He spent 1964–65 at Oxford University as one of 24 Marshall Scholars.  While there, Sandy got an urgent call from his friend.

Art needed help.  He’d formed a folk-rock duo with his high school pal Paul Simon, and they desperately needed $400 to record their first album.  He and his wife Sue had only $404 in their bank account, but he didn’t hesitate to give his buddy what he needed.

With the money, Simon and Garfunkel recorded their first album “Wednesday Morning, 3 AM” in 1964.  The album turned out to be a flop, except for one single – “The Sounds of Silence,” which eventually rocketed to Billboard’s #1 spot and was featured in “The Graduate’s” soundtrack.

The song’s inspiration has been debated over the years.  Sandy claimed the opening line, “Hello darkness, my old friend” was a tribute to Garfunkel’s sacrifice when he lost his sight.

According to Simon, who wrote the song, the first line referenced his childhood practice of playing guitar in an unlit bathroom.  “I’ve come to talk with you again.” 

Garfunkel explained that the lyrics shed light on people not having the ability to emotionally communicate effectively with one another.  All three explanations probably contributed to the timeless, melodic, imagery unlocked by one of the most beautiful openings ever written. 

Silence has a voice: it can be a sweet whisper, like when one embraces an anxiously-awaited solitude; or it can be a piercing scream as if being alone is a deadly curse.

Father God, “You are the light of the world; fulfill Your promise that anyone who follows You will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life. ~ (John 8:12)