9-11-11 - "The Sound Of Silence" ~ Simon & Garfunkel

I debated whether to post any 9/11 related comments on the internets today.  Wasn't going to do it, but then I saw the video of Paul Simon performing this song at the WTC site, and well, I'm a sucker for S&G, even if Garfunkel wasn't there and Simon is not quite what he used to be.  Here's today's performance, along with tons of pretty emphatic comments that range from "Paul Simon is an inspiration to all Americans today" to "the time to be 'silent' is behind me. I want to hear big bombs blowing up our enemies"... apparently the song and/or Paul Simon are quite divisive.

I won't get into the dirty details of whether Simon is a liberal/pacifist/commie lover, and whether such folk are evil, and whether it was a great or terrible choice for the memorial service.  However, I will say that I think this song has a valid and relevant meaning, perhaps not directly related to the events of 9/11 but indirectly.  The song speaks of a world where the populace are complacent and subdued ("people hearing without listening"), willing to be led like sheep wherever the powers that be would have them go.  The "neon light that split the night" conjures the image of cheap entertainment, which draws my mind to the television - the "opiate of the masses", according to the great Bill Watterson.  The singer tries to rally said masses out of their stupor, to no avail.

The events of that Tuesday morning ten years ago were tragic, and they caused most Americans (and many other folks) to get angry, get excited, and get behind putting a stop to the people responsible.  I wonder, though, how long that spike of emotion and drive lasted for most of us.  It's all too easy to fall back into the routine, to let the monotony of daily life and the opiates of entertainment take over.  I won't even get into the loss of liberties that has been a result of the counter-terrorism measures taken by the US government - if you've flown in the past decade you know what I mean.  Suffice to say, whether it be in politics, foreign affairs, or any other aspect of life, don't just sit back and let the currents take you.  Don't blindly follow, don't let your precious time on earth be consumed by meaningless entertainment.  Decide what you believe, what you stand for, what's worth fighting for, and live your life accordingly.

Here's footage from a performance back when S&G were in their prime:

And here's the album version:

"And the people bowed and prayed 

To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the signs said the words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence...."