For Gerard

Hello darkness, my old friend
It's videoke time again
Because the yelling and loud shrieking
Woke me up while I was sleeping
And the anger that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Without the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my ears were stabbed by the voice of a neophyte
That split the night
And smashed the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People singing without feeling
People rocking without dancing
People writing songs that too many voices share
They all dared
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Bad singing like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Cut the music that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And melted in my call for silence

And the people bowed and prayed

To the music god they made

And the sign cried out its warning

In the words that it was forming

And the sign said, "The words of the prophets

Are written on beer garden walls

And billiard halls"

And went through the night carousing