The 'Hello Darkness, My Old Friend' meme stems from the opening lyrics of Simon & Garfunkel's 1964 hit, 'The Sound of Silence.' It gained significant internet traction as a soundtrack for moments of deep contemplation, failure, or silent existential crisis. One of its most famous iterations involved the 'Sad Ben Affleck' interview in 2016, where the song played over a clip of the actor looking despondent during a press junket. Today, the meme is used to highlight everything from minor daily annoyances to major life setbacks, often featuring a black-and-white filter or a slow zoom on the subject's face to emphasize their internal melancholy.