19/08/2019
【歌詞背後】The Sounds of Silence
歌手: Simon and Garfunkel
作曲: Paul Simon
填詞: Paul Simon
創作/發行: 1963 – 1965
音樂所以引人入勝,歌詞旋律以外,創作人背後的動機和故事,從來都是大眾的關注點。於互聯網尚未普及的年代,「諸事八卦」的歌迷如我,對自己熱愛的歌曲,總會扭盡六壬、追本溯源,只求一探創作人內心深處,所思所想所慮。
The Sounds of Silence(沉默之聲/寂靜之聲)乃六十年代作品,創作人Paul Simon 當年才二十出頭,剛大學畢業。跟Paul Simon合唱此曲的為Art Garfunkel,二人既是鄰居,也是同學,十二歲開始一起參加校內音樂比賽,十六、七歲二人四出表演,賺經驗、賺外快。
1964年的Paul Simon (左) 及Art Garfunkel (右) (網絡圖片)
六十年代的美國,水深火熱、動盪不安……
1963年11月標示著美國自由民主精神的總統John F. Kennedy(約翰·甘迺迪)遇刺身亡及1968年4月美國黑人民權領袖Martin Luther King, Jr.(馬丁·路德·金)同遭遇刺、同樣身亡。另時值越戰,戰況慘烈,較美國預期糾纏、漫長,不斷升級。內憂外患,無有安寧。
The Sound of Silence(網絡圖片)
反戰反暴力反種族歧視之聲,不絕於耳,Paul Simon就在這樣的時代背景,寫下The Sounds of Silence。
(網絡圖片)
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within 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 eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools, " said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells, of silence
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 sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
環境孕育思考,沉澱過後,激發創作,這是對所有創作理所當然的推論。但,放諸此曲,可能有點一廂情願!
由始至終,Simon及 Garfunkel 認為The Sounds of Silence不過是一首關於人與人之間溝通、關於愛與關懷的歌曲(This is a song about the inability of people to communicate with each other)。
歌曲以Hello darkness, my old friend / I've come to talk with you again揭開序幕,就知道故事主人翁多麼孤單寂寞,才會把「漆黑」當作老朋友般傾吐心事。
第二段寫自己處身夢境,於暗燈窄巷獨行,既濕且冷,氣氛更見蒼涼、冷漠及不安。
第三段算是歌曲點題:People talking without speaking / People hearing without listening / People writing songs that voices never share,不過短短幾句,用字也極其淺白,卻狠狠道破繁華現世,表面緊密實則疏離的人際關係。
天天相聚夜夜共醉,說著的,語言無味,聽著的,心不在焉。心靈冰封、靈魂靜止,令沉默成了常態,誰也不會、也不敢打破這種常態And no one dared / Disturb the sound of silence。
當成千上萬的人選擇了沉默Ten thousand people, maybe more,沉默即會像癌細胞般蔓延生長Silence like a cancer grows ,零碎微弱的心聲最終被徹底吞沒。
2018年77歲的Paul Simon繼續唱(網絡圖片)
五十多年過去,歌,我們繼續聽、繼續唱,但Paul Simon所控訴的社會現象,依然故在,或更甚,人與人之間的關係,依舊空洞疏離。
從此,我們活在自己築建的孤島上 …… 心甘情願地!
題外話,歌曲名稱究竟是The Sound of Silence?還是The Sounds of Silence?不同版本的專輯其實都出現過,有說當 Paul Simon 單獨演繹的時候,就會剔走 “s” ,選用The Sound of Silence。
英文文法加了”s” 就是眾數,人生路漫漫,誰願隻身走?
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