What do you think of Paul Simon singing Sounds of Silence at the 911 ceremony?

I was listening to the NPR 911 broadcast and was about to turn it off when they announced that Paul Simon would sing Bridge Over Troubled Water. This struck me as a little odd since it was originally sung by Garfunkel. I was curious to hear Simon’s interpretation. The program notes, it turns out, were wrong. Simon sang Sounds of Silence.

I am a fan of Simon and Garfunkel and I particularly like the imagery of Sounds of Silence. I always thought of it as a protest song, telling how in our industrialized lives we have lost the ability to communicate. It just does not seem the most appropriate song for the occasion. Granted, it is not as bad as if Bob Dylan had been brought on to sing The Times They Are A-Changing, but it still does not seem quite right. The crowd did not mind, perhaps illustrating “hearing without listening.” What are your thoughts?