Theme: Walls: Pink Floyd "The Wall", Part 1

(One of the most amazing live productions ever, ever.)

"The Wall", released in 1979, was written during a time of great tension between the band members- mostly Roger Waters vs. the rest of the band. I believe the idea for "The Wall" resulted partly from Waters' frustration with Pink Floyd concert goers. People came to their concerts to be seen and to party-- No one came for the music anymore. At one show while the band was playing, fans lit off fireworks into the crowd (Waters momentarily stopped the show to yell at the audience), and another show Waters spit on a fan (which he now admits was a very harsh thing to do) who attempted to climb onto the stage.

During these events, Waters felt there was a 'wall' between the band and the audience, giving him the idea to build a physical wall between band members and audience during shows.

"The Wall" is a four-sided concept album that follows the character Pink through isolation and abandonment, all symbolized by the metaphorical wall. The story begins with young Pink's father going off to war during "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt 1". Pink's father dies in war (as did young Waters') and the first bricks in the wall are put into place.

Daddy's flown across the ocean
Leaving just a memory
Snapshot in the family album
Daddy what else did you leave for me?
Daddy, what'd'ja leave behind for me?!?
All in all it was just a brick in the wall.
All in all it was all just bricks in the wall.

Young Pink is also tormented by teachers in school "The Happiest Days of Our Lives"; adding more bricks to the wall.

By pouring their derision

Upon anything we did
And exposing every weakness
However carefully hidden by the kids
But in the town, it was well known
When they got home at night, their fat and
Psychopathic wives would thrash them
Within inches of their lives.

 

Pink's mother becomes overly protective of him in "Mother" (Of course mama'll help to build the wall)

Mother do you think she's good enough -- to me?
Mother do you think she's dangerous -- to me?
Mother will she tear your little boy apart?
Mother will she break my heart?

Hush now baby, baby dont you cry.
Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you.
Mama wont let anyone dirty get through.
Mama's gonna wait up until you get in.
Mama will always find out where you've been.

 

The wall continues to to be built: As Pink grows up and becomes a rock star, his marriage deteriorates (Night after night, we pretend its all right) due to infidelity on both Pink and his wife's part (Will some cold woman in this desert land make me feel like a real man?), physical abuse (I need you, babe, to put through the shredder in front of my friends, oooh babe), and drug abuse. All the while, Pink's mental and emotional wall is nearing completion.

During live productions of this album, animations would be projected onto the physical wall being built in front of the band. As the last song on the first half of the album began, there would be one small space left in the wall for Waters to look out into the audience and sing "Goodbye, Blue Sky". As he finished the song, the last brick would be put into place, completing the wall.