The line comes from The Sound of Silence, written by Paul Simon and first released by Simon and Garfunkel in 1964. Its quiet, haunting opening made it one of the most recognisable beginnings in popular music, and it was later revived by covers and film and television use. Online, the opening line took on a second life as a meme sound, detached from the full song and dropped into short videos to signal darkness, dread or mock seriousness. Its familiarity keeps it useful, because viewers understand the mood instantly without needing the rest of the track.