A rhyme remembered from childhood:

"Back to back they faced each other
Drew their swords and shot each other
A deaf policeman heard the noise
Came running over and arrested the two dead boys"

It turns out this is part of a longer poem that can be traced back (through many different versions) to the 13th Century, and probably existed long before it was written down. We decided to update it to reflect our passion for musical paradoxes. The song is unheard like never before.

The Silent Song (Sethares & Marcotte)

You’re about to hear a famous legend that no one knows
So listen closely to the way this story doesn’t go
If you’ve never heard The Silent Band, well there’s the proof
A whispered roar, a soprano bass, the falsetto truth
 
The guitarist plucks his strings without making any sound
Playing silent melodies that echo all around
The drummer keeps chaotic time, an entropy of beats
His rhythm is erratic, full of singular repeats
 
The pianist plays crooked chords yet never moves his hands
Falling down crescendo cries out from his baby grand
 
Back to back they face each other
Separately they play together
They dissonantly harmonize
At random times they synchronize
If you doubt these lies are true
Ask the sound guy, he’ll check the mix for you
 
The bassist’s intonation is precisely out of tune
Every note in perfect time, both too late and too soon
The backup singers dance around while motionless in place
Inaudibly they sing aloud, soundless turns of phrase
 
It’s a funky heavy-metal tone, a melancholy joke
A classical old-timey blend of klezmer punk-rock folk
 
Back to back they face each other
Separately they play together
They dissonantly harmonize
At random times they synchronize
If you doubt these lies are true
Ask the sound guy, he’ll check the mix for you
 
The microphones don’t amplify, the speakers only hiss
The soundboard has a single dial and the ushers use their fists
 
Turn it up, turn it down, every chord is loud and clear
Turn it down, turn it up, with frequencies no one can hear

Back to back…