^C = one 2/4 measure

^{Am Am} Hello darkness, my old ^Gfriend, ^GI've come to talk with you a^Amgain, [Am 1,2 C 3, 4][F C] C [F C] Because a vision softly creeping, Left it's seeds while I was sleeping, ^C F F C [C Am] And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains Within the sound of ^Gsilence. ^Am

^Am In restless dreams I walked a^Glone ^Gnarrow streets of cobbles^Amtone, [Am 1,2,3 C 4][F C] C [F C] 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp ^C F F C [C Am] When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light that split the night, And touched the sound of ^Gsilence. ^Am

^Am And in the naked light I ^Gsaw ^Gten thousand people, maybe ^Ammore. [Am 1,2,3 C 4] [F C] C [F C] People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, ^C F F C [C Am] People writing songs that voices never share And no one dare Disturb the sound of ^Gsilence. ^Am

^Am Fools said I, you do not ^Gknow ^GSilence like a cancer ^Amgrows. [Am 1,2,3 C 4] [F C] C [F C] Hear my words that I might teach you; take my arms that I might reach you. ^C F F C [C Am] C G Am But my words like silent raindrops fell, and echoed in the wells of silence.

^Am And the people bowed and ^Gprayed ^Gto the neon God they ^Ammade. [Am 1,2,3 C 4] [F C] C [F C] And the sign flashed out it's warning, in the words that it was forming. ^C And the sign said, “The ^Fwords of the prophets are ^Fwritten on the subway ^Cwalls [C Am] C G Am Am And tenement halls”. And whispered in the sounds of silence.