Theme: Walls: Pink Floyd "The Wall", Pt 2

The second half of "The Wall" album begins with Pink, who is now almost completely isolated in "Hey You" and "Is There Anybody Out There?". Pink, trapped behind the wall, still has enough feeling to cry out and ask for help.

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.

No one answers Pink's calls for help and he realizes that he is completely isolated. As per The Wall tradition, a piece of the wall moves out, becoming a small platform with a chair and a tv. Waters sits in the chair and sings "Nobody Home". 

Hidden behind the wall, Pink begins to have hallucinations of becoming a fascist dictator performing concerts at rallies with "Vera", "Bring the Boys Back Home", "Waiting for the Worms", etc. Pink puts 'undesirables' on trial, telling them to get out.

Are there any queers in the theater tonight?
Get them up against the wall!
There's one in the spotlight, he don't look right to me,
Get him up against the wall!
That one looks Jewish!
And that one's a coon!
Who let all of this riff-raff into the room?
There's one smoking a joint,
And another with spots!
If I had my way,
I'd have all of you shot!

Pink eventually puts himself on trial, and his own inner judge commands him to tear down the wall, but not before his mother, teacher, and wife have their say during "The Trial". 

 Since, my friend, you have revealed your
Deepest fear,
I sentence you to be exposed before
Your peers.
Tear down the wall!

At this point in live shows, the entire wall is torn down, revealing the band. The band plays the last song, "Outside the Wall", in all of the rubble.

 All alone, or in two's,
The ones who really love you
Walk up and down outside the wall.
Some hand in hand
And some gathered together in bands.
The bleeding hearts and artists
Make their stand.
And when they've given you their all
Some stagger and fall, after all it's not easy
Banging your heart against some mad bugger's wall.

 Listen to the album carefully, there are many tiny details in the songs, which only adds to its amazingness.

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.

Theme: Pigs: Pink Floyd "Pigs (Three Different Ones)"

Yes, I am doing another Pink Floyd 'pigs' song because I think "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" (Waters 1977) is important lyrically and conceptually.

In the concept album ''Animals", Roger Waters puts humans into three categories: Dogs, Pigs, and Sheep. The three verses in "Pigs" each represent a different pig-identity. The second verse is a little ambiguous, but I believe it is referring to conservative politician, Margaret Thatcher:

Bus stop rat bag, ha ha, charade you are
You fucked up old hag, ha ha, charade you are
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass
You're nearly a good laugh
Almost worth a quick grin
You like the feel of steel
You're hot stuff with a hat pin
And good fun with a hand gun
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry.

Waters does not leave the listener guessing as to who is he talking about. He calls out directly to Mary Whitehouse ("Hey, you, Whitehouse"), a campaigner and prominent conservative political figure who fought for censorship. Obviously, the Floyd were not thrilled with this:

Hey you Whitehouse, ha ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse, ha ha, charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street
You're nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused?
You gotta stem the evil tide
And keep it all on the inside
Mary you're nearly a treat
Mary you're nearly a treat
But you're really a cry.

Theme: Pigs: Pink Floyd "Pigs On the Wing (Parts 1&2)"

One of the sweeter songs from one of my favorite bands. Pink Floyd's "Pigs On The Wing (Parts 1&2)" (Waters 1977) is a two-part song that bookends their 1977 concept album "Animals". These affectionate songs are in stark contrast to the rest of the album's tracks, but are important, nonetheless.
Waters introduces the album in Part 1 and defines himself as a 'dog' that has finally found love and comfort in Part 2.

You know that I care what happens to you
And I know that you care for me too
So I don't feel alone
Of the weight of the stone
Now that I've found somewhere safe
To bury my bone
And any fool knows a dog needs a home
A shelter from pigs on the wing