"The Sound of Silence" was originally recorded by Simon and Garfunkel in 1963 and was a commercial flop. It was remixed by their producer, Tom Wilson, with electric guitar overdub, and re-released in 1965 without S&G knowing about it. The song went on to become a major hit and a "folk" classic.
According to Paul Simon the song was written in his bathroom, where he turned off the lights to better concentrate. "The main thing about playing the guitar, though, was that I was able to sit by myself and play and dream. And I was always happy doing that. I used to go off in the bathroom, because the bathroom had tiles, so it was a slight echo chamber. I'd turn on the faucet so that water would run (I like that sound, it's very soothing to me) and I'd play. In the dark. 'Hello darkness, my old friend / I've come to talk with you again'."