The Wall – Roger Waters Wrote Most Of The Album
The Wall, in my opinion, was the musical peak of Pink Floyd, above even in terms of artistic creation and musical development of their great work so far, “The Dark Side of the Moon,” released six years earlier.
The Wall is an album with narrow and depressing atmospheres, created on absolutely heavenly basslines by Roger Waters, with equally brilliant contributions by David Gilmour on guitars, as expressive and lively as ever, and the late Richard Wright on keyboards and synthesizers, essential as always in the Pink Floyd sound.
However, even if The Wall lacks the consistency, it has several very good songs in terms of lyrics that are really striking, which were all written by Roger Waters:
“In The Flesh”
“So ya
Thought ya
Might like to go to the show
To feel the warm thrill of confusion
That space cadet glow
Tell me is something eluding you, sunshine?
Is this not what you expected to see?
If you want to find out what’s behind these cold eyes
You’ll just have to claw your way through this disguise
Lights, turn on the sound effects, action
Drop it, drop it on ’em, drop it on them”
“Another Brick Part 2”
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
Hey, teachers, leave them kids alone
All in all it’s just another brick in the wall
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave those kids alone
Hey teachers, leave those kids alone
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall
All in all you’re just another brick in the wall
“Wrong, do it again! Wrong, do it again!”
“If you don’t eat yer meat, you can’t have any pudding
How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat?”
“You, yes, you behind the bike sheds, stand still, laddy”
“Mother”
Mother do you think they’ll drop the bomb?
Mother do you think they’ll like this song?
Mother do you think they’ll try to break my balls?
Ooh, ah
Mother should I build the wall?
Mother should I run for President?
Mother should I trust the government?
Mother will they put me in the firing mine?
Ooh ah,
Is it just a waste of time?
Hush now baby, baby, don’t you cry.
Mama’s gonna make all your nightmares come true.
Mama’s gonna put all her fears into you.
Mama’s gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She won’t let you fly, but she might let you sing.
Mama’s gonna keep baby cozy and warm.
Ooh baby, ooh baby, ooh baby,
Of course mama’s gonna help build the wall.
Mother do you think she’s good enough?
For me?
Mother do you think she’s dangerous,
To me?
Mother will…
“Empty Spaces”
What shall we use
To fill the empty spaces
Where we used to talk?
How shall I fill
The final places?
How should I complete the wall
“Hey You”
Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don’t help them to bury the light
Don’t give in without a fight
Hey you out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I’m coming home
But it was only fantasy
The wall was too high
As you can see
No matter how he tried
He could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain
Hey you, out there on the road
Always doing what you’re told
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall
Breaking bottles in the hall
Can you help me?
Hey you, don’t tell me there’s no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall
The Wall is a masterful reflection of Waters’ cool and disturbed mind. Of his supreme talent and intellect: the only possible engine from which such a piece can emerge. There is no other way, and for all that and much more, we will be eternally grateful to you, master. “We don’t need no thought control”.
The album is a masterpiece of art, which transcends music and its forms, and has an immense social and cultural impact … of course, as long as it falls into the hands of people who have understood the value of thought over orthodoxy and the dogmatisms of mediocrity that surrounds them.
It has everything that they had already offered in previous works, added to the impact that it produced in its day, and that it continues to cause today. If it is not the best work if it is at least the most popular and with which everyone links the band.
Musically it is a full-blown rock opera: it tells us a story, it links themes to look for the evolution of what is related, there are important instrumental developments, they play different genres (also with success) … Masterpiece, especially the best track on the album, Comfortably Numb, co-written by David Gilmour.
You can listen to the full album below: