Question 1

True or false: The song was featured in the 1967 film 'The Graduate' but was not originally written for it.

Accepted Answer

True. Director Mike Nichols loved the song and used it in the film, but it was released two years earlier. Its inclusion helped revive the duo's career and cemented the song's legacy.

Question 2

True or false: Simon & Garfunkel's original 1964 recording of 'The Sound of Silence' was a complete flop.

Accepted Answer

True. The acoustic version on their debut album 'Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.' sold poorly. It only became a hit after producer Tom Wilson overdubbed electric instruments without the duo's knowledge in 1965.

Question 3

True or false: Paul Simon wrote the lyrics for 'The Sound of Silence' when he was just 21 years old.

Accepted Answer

False. Simon wrote the song in late 1963 at age 22 (born 1941), inspired by the assassination of JFK and his own struggles with writer's block.

Question 4

True or false: Art Garfunkel sang the lead vocals on the original 1964 recording of 'The Sound of Silence'.

Accepted Answer

False. Paul Simon sang the lead vocal; Garfunkel provided harmony. This is a common myth because Garfunkel's distinctive tenor dominates the later electric version's mix.

Question 5

True or false: 'The Sound of Silence' is the only Simon & Garfunkel song that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Accepted Answer

False. They had three number ones: 'The Sounds of Silence' (1966), 'Mrs. Robinson' (1968), and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' (1970). This myth persists because of their small catalog.

Question 6

True or false: The Sound of Silence was originally titled 'The Sounds of Silence' on the 1964 album but changed later to 'The Sound of Silence'.

Accepted Answer

True. The original 1964 album 'Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.' listed the song as 'The Sounds of Silence' (plural). The 1965 hit single and later releases used the singular 'The Sound of Silence'.

Question 7

True or false: Simon & Garfunkel's hit song is officially titled 'The Sound of Silence,' with the word 'The' included.

Accepted Answer

True. The official Simon & Garfunkel title is 'The Sound of Silence,' singular, with 'The.' The common variant 'The Sounds of Silence' is incorrect.

Question 8

True or false: The line 'and the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls' was inspired by actual graffiti Paul Simon saw in New York City.

Accepted Answer

True. Paul Simon confirmed in interviews that he saw the phrase stenciled as graffiti in a New York City subway station, which directly inspired the lyric.

Sound of Silence Trivia Questions