9/11 And The Sounds Of Silence

I was sitting at home this morning like just about everyone else in the country watching the 9/11 10th anniversary ceremonies.  As the people touched and traced the names engraved into the memorial of loved ones lost in the attacks, the tears were already flowing.  But then out comes Paul Simon with just an acoustic guitar, singing a melancholy,  almost country version of “The Sounds of Silence”…and I totally lost it.

It’s not that the song is directly “about” the feelings conjured up by memories of 9/11:  sorrow, loss, waste, anger, etc.  But something about some of the lyrics – “Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again…people talking without speaking….the sounds of silence” – and the song’s sense of defiance and overall vibe just slayed me.  And somehow gave me hope at the same time.  I cried, for the victims of 9/11 and their families and friends, and for our country.  But I walked away feeling uplifted and proud to be an American.  And proud to be a songwriter.

The power of words and melodies is HUGE.  Songs touch us, sometimes in ways – and at moments – we would never have expected.  I hope there is never another 9/11 or anything remotely like it.  But I also hope my songs can touch people’s hearts the way I was touched today.  Thank you, Paul Simon.