The song's origin and basis are unclear, with some thinking that the song commented on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, as the song was recorded three months after the assassination, although Simon & Garfunkel had performed the song live as Kane & Garr two months before the assassination.

Paul Simon opens up on ending friendship and partnership with Art Garfunkel. New York — Paul Simon is slip slidin' back to the days of working with Art Garfunkel, and peeling back the curtain on what ended their iconic yet “uneven” partnership and decadeslong friendship.

Ever wonder what Paul Simon thought of Disturbed's 2015 rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence"? During a recent interview on The Howard Stern Show, the iconic singer/songwriter/guitarist shared his thoughts on the cover. "I liked it very much… It was accomplished very well".

In 1964, the American music duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel released a song titled The Sound of Silence. Garfunkel, one half of the duo and co-writer of the famous song, summed up the meaning of this song by stating, “this is a song about the inability of people to communicate with each other” (Patton, 2023).