The Wall

An Introduction to the wall

Pink Floyds The Wall album definitely belongs among one of the most creative and influential pieces in the history of rock music. Shortly after the album release in 1979 and the tour of 1980 1981, an ensuing live-action animated musical film was directed by Alan Parker. Ever since the release of the album it has been identified as a close, if not very definition of what a concept album should be. The Wall follows the story of a fictional character called after the band itself, Pink Floyd, from his early days to his self-imposed future as a wellknown rock-star, finishing with a climax that is both restorative as it is destructive. The story starts during a post-World-War-II scenario when the young boy named Pink is born as the final throes and agony of the war claimed the lives of nearly 300.000 soldiers, including his father. While his mother treats him with both love and anxiety, Pink starts to build a wall between himself and emotional problems of the world around him. Every time Pink is hurt by an incident, yet another symbolic brick in the wall appears. Growing up without a father in his life, a mother without any true love for him, an inadmissible education-system, a marriage put on the outs, the un-trustworthy government and even the medicines he used in order to get some rest form another brick in the wall. The bigger his ever-growing wall gets, the more he dissociates himself from the rest of the world as he wonders of into a fantasy world of aberration. He appears on a hallucinatory performance where he believes to be some sort of dictator, the kind that killed his father, where he demands ultimate allegiance of his audience. Pink seems to threaten with violence to anyone who he considers unworthy. Tormented with guilt Pink wars within himself and realizes the delusional shadows of his wall are making him insane. As he is struggling with himself he decides to find out if he is responsible for his own insanity and mental state. Pink places himself in a trial of phantasm where he decides to tear down his massive creation and reconnect with the outside world. The story ends with a faint voice saying Isnt this where we came in?. Perhaps this is a new beginning? In the end, The Wall is not just a story about a singular rock-star. But its a lesson to us, the audience and the world we so dearly love. The other characters throughout the story of The Wall are never given names because they are just as universal as the main character himself. The song Outside The Wall gives an cathartic explanation on this idea and basically tells us the moral of the story. It tells us to never rest in tearing down the walls that separate us. The social barriers risen by fear, pain or isolation only blocks us from learning our mistakes and caring for one and another. Pink

Floyd themselves attempted to make a change with this piece of art. In a way, The Wall, really illustrates the band against the personal and social walls that stand throughout the world. In this article I will analyze each song to form a better understanding of the underlying message. What was Pink Floyd trying to tell us? And what can we learn from this? I hope youll enjoy reading on.

So ya Thought ya Might like to Go to the show?

Dont Leave Me Now Another Brick In The Wall, III Goodbye Cruel World In the Flesh? The Thin Ice Another Brick In The Wall, I The Happiest Days of Our Lives Another Brick In The Wall, II Mother Goodbye Blue Sky Empty Spaces Young Lust One of My Turns Hey You Is There Anybody Out There? Nobody Home

Vera Bring the Boys Back Home Comfortably Numb The Show Must Go On In the Flesh Run Like Hell Waiting for the Worms Stop

The Trial Outside the Wall

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 wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes You'll just have to claw your way through this disguise. Lights! Roll the sound effects!

Action! Drop it on 'em! DROP IT ON 'EM!

The song starts with some background music which turns out to be the music of the last song Outside The Wall. A voice silently speaks: we came in? when

spontaneously an explosion of sounds starts and strikes the listener with a heavy bass, screaming guitars, an organ and a bit military drum rudiments. The words we came

In the Flesh?
He combines both his own mental grasp and birth as a narrator, where he invites us to watch his show or actually his life-story.

in? is the last part of a really important sentence on the album. The other part of the sentence can be heard at the end of Outside The Wall and completes the sentence as Isnt this where we came in? So why this mysterious luxate sentence? Although the story of the wall could be a universal story to all who grew up during the last throes of the Second World War. Or a story where Pink refers to Roger Waters himself from his childhood till the day he became a rock-star. One could also argue that it is some kind of philosophy to everyone. A story we could all relate to. We all had bricks from time to time or perhaps even an emotional wall of all the bad things that happened to us. The main thing we could learn from this story is that we should never dissociate ourselves from the outside world. You will only end up worse when you dont accept help from other people. The reason this sentence is split up is to make it look more important. It sounds like an unfinished sentence, which it is, so people will look into it. The

sentence will therefor get more attention and people will start to think about it. The band did this to make a change in

the world we live in. And I for one, think they have created a really beautiful message with it.

The Thin Ice

Momma loves her baby, and daddy loves you too. And the sea may look warm to you babe And the sky may look blue Ooooh babe Ooooh baby blue Oooooh babe. If you should go skating On the thin ice of modern life Dragging behind you the silent reproach Of a million tear-stained eyes Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice Appears under your feet. You slip out of your depth and out of your mind With your fear flowing out behind you As you claw the thin ice.

The Thin Ice

As Pink is born he is immediately told how cruel and painful the world is. And that he should not trust in its misleading beauty.
This song serves as the first true flashback of Pinks life. In contrast with the previous song in the flesh? the instrumental rhythm is really calm and ambient. Some hope could be derived from the kind words of the mother momma loves her baby, and daddy loves you too. The only confusing part here is the present tense of and daddy loves you too, which could suggest that his father is still alive at this point in his life. Now if Pink would refer to Roger Waters himself.

water and sky which are both symbols of life and birth or creation. Water is one of the most basic provisions every living creature or plant needs. Besides that, the rain creates a certain peaceful motion throughout the world and influences the weather. The combination with the word baby suggests that this is symbol puts ones mind to rest. It is baby blue or in other words, the innocence and peace of a new life. Of course these symbolic words could just as well have a whole different meaning for everyone. But just like horoscopes, symbols are consciously

designed to be so vague that they can apply to anybody. They dont give you a concrete answer or meaning but they tell you to listen to yourself. And by interpreting them in our own way we can have a better view at what to do or what we, ourselves, think. This peaceful start does not

Then the dad would die within five months of comply with the "In the Flesh? song, and Pinks birth. So this means this song happened primes us with an abnegation or a certain but. within the first five months of his life. The This feeling gives the song an underlying peaceful feeling is extended a little longer by the uncertainty or doubt. The sentence And the sky symbolic use of the color blue, which will be may look blue sounds like a warning that tells heard a few other times throughout the album. us not everything is as beautiful as it seems. Blue is a calming color, it can be strong and The sky may look blue but in reality it is black. It constant but also has an innocent and serene tells us not to trust things too easily. Things side. In another way and perhaps personal arent always as they seem in the first place. In a association the color blue will often line up with

way this song is both a chant and nightmare at the same time. Some might say the voice of this song is the voice of reality or innocence. But this is of course another interpretation of oneself. The most obvious answer to the unidentified voice would be the Mother of Pink as The Wall is basically a story about Pink from front till back. But then again the narrator Pink is very universal itself and could refer to any person in general. I think the essential message of the song is that

we are all completely vulnerable in life, and we should build up a basic understanding or shell to protect us from the cruel things happening all over the world. The Irony here is that the song suggests us to build a wall or some other form of protection against it all. But in the end the shadows of these walls will only make our problems worse. And we will never be able to help each other by dissociating ourselves.

Another Brick In The Wall, I

Daddy's flown across the ocean Leaving just a memory. A snapshot in the family album. Daddy, what else did you leave for me? Daddy, what d'ya 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.

Another Brick in the Wall, Part I

The song starts immediately after The Thin Ice without any pause as if it is still part of the previous song. There is no time for rest or reflection as it just continues without warning. Although after a few seconds there is a slight change in the guitar which triggers an alteration in the previous story. It could suggest to some sort of follow-up or reaction to the theoretical wall. As the song title Another Brick in The Wall hints, it could be an alteration of the symbolic wall to the actual wall in practice. What the previous songs suggested or instructed is now compiled into one universal symbol, which is The Wall. refers to the color blue or actually to the ocean. Here the word ocean could be seen as the literal meaning of an ocean. The ocean was a battlefield where his father might have gotten killed in the Second World War. Or the ocean could be a metaphorical ocean separating the living from the dead, and his father is flown from one side to another. Both of these meanings in combination with the following sentence

Leaving just a memory suggest that his dad left him for good. The sentence what else did you leave for me? in the song refers to his fathers death and how he should deal with it. If there is anything positive left in the scenario and the ensuing brick it formed in his wall. And the song

In his early youth Pink decides to build a symbolic wall to create distance between himself and the cruel world.

ends with a sentence that indicates how he deals with this problem and tells us that his pain and suffering are all just bricks in his wall, just as the death of his father is just another brick in the wall. The last thing, which should be noted, is

This song is the first part of the trilogy Another Brick in the Wall and therefore presents us with the first pain and suffering, the death of his father. Just like the previous song, this song also

the change of tense. The first sentence daddys flown across the ocean is written in the present tense while only a few lines later all and all it was is written in the past tense. This could be

interpreted as if Pink managed to deal with the problem or at least place his first brick of the wall throughout the song itself. Or that he was born into his wall, it was created for him while he was struggling with the pain and suffering. The lyrics in combination with the instrumental part reflect

a change in Pinks life or personality. It starts with a tragic or rather passive melody and builds up towards strong and fighting aural aspects as if he is really trying to deal with the problems and is suffering from them.

The Happiest Days of Our Lives

When we grew up and went to school There were certain teachers who would Hurt the children in any way they could 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.

The Happiest Days of Our Lives

Pink explains how inhumane the teachers were and how they would never stop to crush the individuality of all students, but would get their rebuke at home in a certain karmic way.

Of course no life is complete without devoting or complaining about the education system. The years in college form another brick in the wall in the life of Pink. Yet unlike all the other bricks in his wall, this brick also has a karmic side on it. The song ends with a short view on the punishment of the teachers at home. They have to suffer from the abuses of the psychopathic wives as their lives get thrashed inch by inch. One could see this as a vicious circle where the teacher would then again reflect his frustration on the children in class. Surely this song and the next song which is basically a follow-up of The Happiest Days of Our Lives are not accusations against all education systems. The main messages this song is trying to deliver is that there are both people who truly care what they are doing, and people who take out their anger on the innocent. This song refers to those teachers who constantly put the blame on the innocent students and never motivate them or care for them. They only follow certain rules to form the students in the right shape so they will fit in university. Or in other words they crush the individuality of the students and basically see them as just another number. The song starts with the sound of a helicopter, which at first notice is very odd and misplaced. Why would a song about teachers start with a helicopter and what do they have in common. One

explanation could be that they are both hovering over a certain place, the pupils for the teacher, and silently watch and able to cast their wrath down if anyone was doing wrong. Another military effect is the words stand still, laddies!, yelled through the megaphone in a sergeant-like way. The song already symbolizes how the British school system produces some sort of faceless leeches and how militaristic this school system is before the song even starts. The bass guitar in this song adds another layer where one could almost hear how Pink is growing up and trusting less and less in the social systems that made him the person he is this day. The vocal layer in the first halve of the song is almost delivered as a young student himself, which makes the lyrics even more grasping in my opinion. The lyrics in the song itself are very straightforward. Although it starts as a tragic message how certain teachers hurt, deride and expose the students, the lyrics end with a rewarding side. For all we have seen so far of this album, this is the first introduction to the philosophy of karma, an aspect that suggests if you are good, you are rewarded with good, and if you do bad, there will be equally negative situations in your future. This is the first taste of karmic retribution for Pink which will get crushed later on in the album by learning the natural cycle of causality as the negativity overwhelms him more and more. But straightforward the karmic cycle in this song is also of some kind of ironic cycle of injustice. The very title of the song itself is a very obvious sarcastic reference to the idea that our childhood is the happiest time of our lives. In reality, as the wall presents to us, it is not really such a happy time at all. Childhood can be just as full of pain, fear and doubt. But all this shame and humiliation created by his teacher could also just be another lesson to prepare Pink for the things to come. In which case these really were his happiest days. But again this completely depends on relativity and how anyone would interpret them in their own way.

Another Brick In The Wall, II

We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher leave them kids alone Hey! Teacher! 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. [Islington Green School children] We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teacher leave them kids alone Hey! Teacher! 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.

Another Brick In The Wall, Part II

Pink continues to put the blame on his teachers for creating more bricks in his ever-growing wall of emotional disruptions.

can be heard at the end of Outside The Wall and completes the sentence as Isnt this where we came in? So why this mysterious luxate sentence? Although the story of the wall could be a universal story to all who grew up during the last throes of the Second World War. Or a story where Pink refers to Roger Waters himself from his childhood till the day he became a rock-star. One could also argue that it is some kind of philosophy to everyone. A story we could all relate to. We all had bricks from time to time or perhaps even an emotional wall of all the bad things that happened to us. The main thing we could

The

song

starts

with

some

learn from this story is that we should never dissociate ourselves from the outside world. You will only end up worse when you dont accept help from other people. The reason this sentence is split up is to make it look more important. It sounds like an unfinished sentence, which it is, so people will look into it. The sentence will therefor get more attention and people will start to think about it. The band did this to make a change in the world we live in. And I for one, think they have created a really beautiful message with it.

background music which turns out to be the music of the last song Outside The Wall. A voice silently speaks: we came in? when spontaneously an explosion of sounds starts and strikes the listener with a heavy bass,

screaming guitars, an organ and a bit military drum rudiments. The words we came in? is the last part of a really important sentence on the album. The other part of the sentence

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? Ooooo. 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 line? Oooooh aaah. Is it just a waste of time? (alternate: Oooooh aaah. Mother am I really dying?) Hush now, baby. Baby, don't you cry. Mamma's gonna make all your nightmares come true. Mamma's gonna put all of her fears into you. Mamma'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. Ooooh babe. Ooooh babe. Oooooh babe, Of course mama's gonna help build a wall. Mother, do you think she's good enough -- for me? Mother, do you think she's dangerous -- to me?

Mother, will she tear your little boy apart? Ooooh aaah. Mother, will she break my heart? Hush now, baby. Baby, don't you cry. Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you. Mama won't let anyone dirty get through. Mama's gonna wait up until you get in. Mama will always find out where you've been. Mama's gonna keep baby healthy and clean. Ooooh babe. Oooh babe. Oooh babe, You'll always be baby to me. [Roger Waters] Mother, did it need to be so high?

Mother
As Pink grows older and more curious of what the world has to offer, his mother adds another few bricks to his wall by her overprotective manners.

As you might have guessed, the lyrics of this song are centered on the mother of Pink. The guitar chord and the straightforward lyrics of the first verse reflect Pinks innocence and raise those questions when the world was still scary and new for him. Although the questionnaire phase of our childhood usually starts around age 3 or 4, these lyrics (governmental trustworthy and such) suggest that Pink is a little older, 13 or 14 years old or perhaps even older. The songs question and answer technique is roughly the same as great Greek philosophers used back in the days. They used it for self-reflection and selfrealization. The big difference of course is the ironic uninsured questions and the idiotic answers of the mother. The whole technique of self-reflection more or less becomes a technique of imprisonment or dissociation. The lyrics of this song might come across as a bit unsettling, subtle and perhaps straightforward, they really depend on the readers interpretation. Where the first verse seems to illustrate a child who is still dealing with the post-World-War-Two shock, we could also take in account that they has nothing to do with nationalism. The word they could refer to personal problems. This changes the meaning of the sentences theyll like this song and try to break my balls completely. And on top of that, the definition of the bomb changes into a symbol of destructive power in his life. In other words, the they in this song is probably as vague as the faceless students in another brick in the wall part II. No longer is there an audible enemy. They could be anything, the government, the other students or perhaps some closest friends. As mentioned earlier, this song mostly depends on the interpretation of the reader, and may differ completely between each other.

There are of course a few sentences with a very straightforward but important meaning. With the sentence hush now baby baby dont you cry the mother is trying to diminish before she crushes everything down with her own fears, nightmares and control. But what we dont know about the answers of the mother is how the voice actually speaks of them. Is she really being as painful as the lyrics suggest or is this just from the perspective of Pink while hes growing-up. But one thing this song does illustrate is the overprotectiveness of mothers in general. For instance the sentence she wont let you fly, but she might let you sing is a really beautiful and clear sentence on the overprotectiveness of mothers and the lyrics continue with of course mamas gonna help build a wall. Mama will of course help him build a wall by being protective again, but she is also helping him build a wall by adding another brick to his wall.

Goodbye Blue Sky

Look, mommy. There's an airplane up in the sky. Di' di' di' did you see the frightened ones? Di' di' di' did you hear the falling bombs? Di' di' di' did you ever wonder why we Had to run for shelter when the Promise of a brave, new world Unfurled beneath the clear blue sky? Di' di' di' did you see the frightened ones? Di' di' di' did you hear the falling bombs? The flames are all long gone, but the pain lingers on. Goodbye, blue sky Goodbye, blue sky. Goodbye. Goodbye.

On the original vinyl this was the first song on side two of the double album. According to what Roger Waters said in an interview, this song represents the first halve of the album. Summing up Pinks life to this point, its remembering

Goodbye Blue Sky

The fear and anxiety of postwar within a country parallel Pinks farewell to the home he grew up in and shine lights on his new future on his own.

ones childhood and then getting ready to set on into the rest of ones life. In the song Di' di' di' did you reveals how Pink enters a world that may very well be as cruel as his mother had portrayed. Again with the use of the color blue, Pink is saying goodbye to the blue sky, to his childhood innocence and protection of his mother. The protagonist Pink is no longer the baby blue his mother called him, but is now growing up to become the color Pink. He is entering a new world but is still emotionally scarred by all the bricks in his wall, The flames are all long gone but the pain lingers on. Every brick in his wall is now of the past, those are all just memories and he is finally moving away from his mothers protection. Nevertheless, he appears to have a hard time letting go. They are all bricks in his ever-growing wall. And unless he destroys this wall, the bricks will remain in place.

Empty Spaces
What shall we use to fill the empty spaces Where we used to talk? How should I fill the final places? How should I complete the wall?

Empty Spaces
Pink wonders how he should fill the empty gaps, the gaps that should have all been bricks in the wall.

This song is basically the result of the previous song. Pink has gone into a new world, a world without the protection and control of his mother, a world where he has freedom. He seems to have a hard time dealing with this freedom. This song forms a bridge to the song Young Lust. Pink has trouble taking care of himself and doesnt know what to do. Another idea on this song is that he is referring to his relationship, which was introduced later on in the movie.

How are we going to fill the empty gaps in this relationship? Is a problem he created himself. By building his wall bigger and bigger he created space between him and his wife creating empty spaces. One could say Pink is experiencing the real world for the first time and did not think it would be this hard without the wings of his mother.

Young Lust
I am just a new boy, A stranger in this town. Where are all the good times? Who's gonna show this stranger around? Ooooh, I need a dirty woman.

Ooooh, I need a dirty girl. Will some woman in this desert land Make me feel like a real man? Take this rock and roll refugee Oooh, baby set me free. Ooooh, I need a dirty woman. Ooooh, I need a dirty girl.

Young Lust
Pink becomes a rock star and meets sex, drugs and Rock and Roll.

This song is so clich and out of place compared to the previous songs and sounds very much like songs in for example the musical Flashback. The song illustrates Pinks new freedom now that he left his mother and starts to get sexually curious, as well as his freedom after becoming a rock star. Pink stands with open arms to

resist sex, drugs and Rock and Roll, he ends up adding a few bricks to his wall by this lifestyle. As the previous song suggested, Pink wants to fill the empty spaces in his relationship, or perhaps he just wanted a dirty. The song illustrates what happens when one embraces the opposite of what he was told to do. Too much freedom can result in a bad future just as well. The song ends with a rather strange phone call that basically turns everything around. The phone call is rather ironic given the current circumstances. Are we to assume that this call is a fastforward to the moment when he is completely in the shadows of his wall? Or did this song lead to the completing of the wall, perhaps he was having fun with a group of women while his married wife was at home? Whatever the phone call me be, it does bring up a few new questions for each person to interpret in their own way.

experience all that he was never allowed to experience. Although the lyrics of this song are pretty straightforward, the way the whole song is played by the band delivers a certain undertone. Roger Waters himself described the song as some sort of pastiche. Usually a pastiche is used to criticize a certain piece of art, movie or song. And that is exactly what Pink Floyd wanted to deliver with this song. Young Lust is a parody on all those rock stars out there that only care for fame and image. And besides that, the song is a parody on all the 1970s rock music and what it has done with Pink. As much as he thinks he is able to

One of My Turns
Day after day love turns gray Like the skin on a dying man. And night after night we pretend it's all right. But I have grown older, and You have grown colder, and Nothing is very much fun any more. And I can feel one of my turns coming on. I feel cold as a razor blade, Tight as a tourniquet, Dry as a funeral drum. Run to the bedroom, In the suitcase on the left You'll find my favorite axe. Don't look so frightened, This is just a passing phase, One of my bad days. Would you like to watch TV? Or get between the sheets? Or contemplate the silent freeway? Would you like something to eat? Would you like to learn to fly? Would ya? Would you like to see me try? Would you like to call the cops? Do you think it's time I stopped? Why are you running away?

One of My Turns
After a very disrupting call discovering that his wife is having an affair, he invites a groupie to his room before he destroys everything in the room out of an emotional eruption, chasing the groupie away.

extended image of his wife or the One of My Turns shows us the darker side of Pink. This song is basically a follow-up of the call he received at the end of the last song. Where the last song was more about self-exploring and searching for a place in the world, this song is where the wall is at its highest. The song starts with a groupie rambling about the expensiveness of his possessions and his hotel room. A very interesting part in this is that the groupie is the only character apart from Pink who has her own voice all other characters are spoken from Pinks voice. Now if we look at the first part of the lyrics it seems that he is addressing his wife. Perhaps he was using the groupie as a certain feminism betraying him to this point. Roger Waters described the state of Pink in this song as a man who has everything but nothing. But instead of really dealing with these problems and working it out with his wife, he sees this just as another problem or another brick in the wall. The lyrics suggest that Pink has realized that everything in life will end in decay. He compares his feelings to a razorblade, a blade that cuts both ways. The problem here is, the larger his wall gets, the more emotions he imprisons. The pressure of all these emotions erupt during the end of the

song where he destroys everything he possesses. Although this song could again be interpreted in many different ways, it is clear that the relationship with the groupie ends just as quickly as al other relationships in his life so far. One would wonder if

Pink was even surprised this time by failing at another attempt to connect with someone.

Dont Leave Me Now

Ooooh babe, don't leave me now. Don't say it's the end of the road. Remember the flowers I sent. I need you, babe To put through the shredder In front of my friends. Ooooh babe, don't leave me now. How could you go? When you know how I need you To beat to a pulp on a Saturday night Ooooh babe, don't leave me now. How can you treat me this way? Running away. Ooooh babe. Why are you running away? Oooooh Babe

Dont Leave Me Now

Pink thinks of both threatening his wife and begging her to come back to him.

Dont Leave Me Now acts as a counter towards the previous song One of My Turns where he bursts out into some dangerous maniac. Pink is having emotional difficulties and is in war with his own thoughts. On one side he asks his wife to not say its the end of the road and a few seconds later to beat het to pulp on a Saturday-night. It is a shock to the listener to hear Pink bring up violence in the first place, but towards his wife makes it even worse and disturbing in this song. The previous song One of My Turns still has a certain dark humor underneath it all, but this song seems to lack that sense of humor. The way the lyrics are presented in this song are really serious and make the listener think that he is really willing to beat his wife. The thought of this alone illustrates how Pink is really starting to lose his mind and grip of reality while the shadows of his wall keep

getting darker. Although the beatings of this song could just as well be mental beatings and perhaps we should not take the lyrics so literal. The lyrics are only there to reflect Pinks mental state as he adds the final bricks to his ever-growing wall. The very title itself suggests that Pink is losing his mind or the grasp of reality. Dont Leave Me Now puts the blame of the relationship problems on his wife instead of himself. The lyrics how could you go and how could you treat me this way? confirm that he is trying to put the blame on his wife and is not looking at himself, again creating distance between his own problems and reality and not dealing with the problems himself. Although he seems to realize that he needs people in his life, he does not accept help from any or opens up to them but just keeps creating more distance and building his wall even

higher. It is obvious to the listener that he needs a certain protection and is incapable of living with this kind of freedom. But it seems Pink knows he needs his mother back or at least a certain protection by use of the phrase Ooooh babe previously sung by his mother at the time of his birth. Perhaps he finally

starts to understand his mothers reasoning and why she did not want any dirty girls to get close to him. The use of these lyrics combined with the guitar riffs, suggest how much his mothers overprotection has

become part of his nature.

Another Brick In The Wall, III

I don't need no arms around me. And I don't need no drugs to calm me. I have seen the writing on the wall. Don't think I need anything at all. No! Don't think I'll need anything at all. All in all it was all just bricks in the wall. All in all you were all just bricks in the wall.

Another Brick In The Wall, III

Pink decides to completely isolate himself from the cruel world and surrounds himself with his mental wall.

Another brick in the wall part three starts with Pink smashing a tv playing a war movie. This sound gets repeated several times where after a familiar guitar riff starts. The major difference between part one and two compare to part three is that its not so much of a brick by brick song anymore. This song is an explosion of hate against the external world itself. Roger Waters describes the third part of a another brick in the wall as the part where Pink is convincing himself that he should really isolate himself from the outside world as a certain protection to overcome further suffering. So far everything has tried to ruin Pink in the past. The drugs or medicines he tried didnt work and the people, whom he welcomed with open arms, have held him, only to hold him back. Or in other words arms around me is just another

way of being caged. The writings on the wall refer to his mental wall and the meaning it has for him, but also refers to the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, King Belshazzar of Babylon sees writings on a wall before he is slain that very night. Pink seems to think he will also get visited by a certain doom who will end his pain and sorrow. As the writings on the wall seem to get clearer and clearer, Pink does not seem to

understand what he is doing wrong. He is still placing the blame on everyone else and is not looking at himself. It was all just and you were all just bricks in the wall tells us that he thinks no one in his life is free of blame. As every step in life makes his pain grow larger, there is no reason for him not to place the last brick in his wall, fully

imprisoning himself from the outside world

and further problems. Yet again, without fixing any of his previous problems, accepting help or looking back at himself.

Goodbye Cruel World

Goodbye cruel world, I'm leaving you today. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Goodbye, all you people, There's nothing you can say To make me change my mind. Goodbye.

Goodbye Cruel World

Pink says goodbye to the cruel world, locks himself up and places the last brick in his isolating wall, leaving him with nothing but shadows.

Goodbye Cruel World is a really short song without lots of further meanings behind it. As the song in a sentence already told, it is basically about Pink saying goodbye to the world and making his final decision. You could see it as a farewell note or such. He has had enough and wants the suffering to stop. The only ironic part in this song is the bit where he addresses the audience with all you people, breaking the forth wall of proscenium theatre,

while completing his own mental wall. This is the second time throughout the whole album where he addresses the audience but it has no further meaning. This song is just an extend from everything that has been said about the previous song.

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.

Hey You
The second he completed his wall he begins to wonder if he did the right thing by isolating himself from the real world and not dealing with his problems.

The song Hey You is the first song on the second part of The Wall album and has been a very popular song over the radio for many years now. This popularity is responsible for the fading of the underlying meaning behind this song and the lyrics that were written. Some might have even forgot the meaning of the song or never knew there was any special meaning behind it. This is of course the result of many popular songs on the radio and is to my opinion a really sad thing. For some this is a perfect introduction to the second halve of the album as it gives some sort of summary on what has happened so far and that Pink is having doubts about his decisions so far. Where the music of In The Flesh? gave an introduction to his birth or perhaps just an introduction to the album itself, this song seems to have a rather calm instrumental play, mirroring the inner world of Pink as he lays within the

shadows of his wall and tries to figure out if he is really in the right place in this disassociated new world. The music stays pretty much the same throughout the whole number and only changes once or twice in the middle of the song followed by a guitar solo. By asking for lonely people in a cold world Pink seems to illustrate some sort of nihilistic state of mind. Throughout the album Pink has spoken of several more phrases like these and keeps confirming his nihilistic view of the world, although it seems that he himself is living in a very cold and lonely world now that he has completely disassociated himself from everyone and everything, leaving nothing but the shadows of his wall.

One thing that has greatly changed during this song is his need for help from others. He is actually asking for help and waiting for someone to call out. Till this point on, Pink has always been creating distance between himself and his problems and always placing the blame on other

people. Now he seems to understand that he needs help and that he is not able to fix his problems by imprisoning himself and disassociating himself from reality.

Nobody Home
I've got a little black book with my poems in. Got a bag with a toothbrush and a comb in. When I'm a good dog they sometimes throw me a bone in. I got elastic bands keeping my shoes on. Got those swollen hand blues. I've got thirteen channels of shit on the T.V. to choose from. I've got electric light. And I've got second sight. I've got amazing powers of observation. And that is how I know When I try to get through On the telephone to you There will be nobody home. I've got the obligatory Hendrix perm. And the inevitable pinhole burns All down the front of my favorite satin shirt. I've got nicotine stains on my fingers. I've got a silver spoon on a chain. I've got a grand piano to prop up my mortal remains. I've got wild staring eyes. And I've got a strong urge to fly. But I've got nowhere to fly to. Ooooh, Babe. When I pick up the phone There's still nobody home. I've got a pair of Gohills boots And I've got fading roots.

Nobody Home

Realizing that his wife and the world are now beyond his reach, Pink tries to get a grasp of the things he is still able to reach.

Nobody Home Illustrates a scenario where Pink knows he needs help, but is not really sure if he wants help or even how to get help. Pink lists everything that he still has or is still able to get a grasp on, after he lost everything in his life including his wife and the protection of his mother. This song is the other end of Young Lust suggesting what could happen with the aspect of success. Open armed, welcoming a world of pleasures only to hit the ground falling from reality. Everything he used till this point was all stage props to from his image as a Rock Star. This song is some sort of opener to the second halve of the album where Pink starts to realize his void of personal significance, how it has destroyed him and what is left in his life now. The lyrics of this song are either nihilistic or humoristic depending on your personal feel I guess. The song tries to deliver the message of home, everything that is connected to the home-feeling for Pink at

this point. All the items of his list seem to refer to important pieces of the previous songs. For instance the first line Ive got a little black book with my poems in is perhaps the book that is previously ridiculed by his teacher while in college. This line is perhaps connected with the later line when Im a good dog they sometimes throw me a bone in suggesting that he feels this way about his poetic abilities. Whenever he seems to amuse his masters with his poems he will be rewarded. Where they could range from his record company to the fans he writes the songs for. But the idea is simple, materialistic rewards for good performance, just like an animal in a cage. Another remarkable line is perhaps Ive got a strong urge to fly, But Ive got nowhere to fly to. Perhaps he wants to explore and experience other things, but is bound by his

freedom, or perhaps the building of his own wall. Or this line could mean the exact opposite that he is capable of going

fulfill his needs. As a result his only place to go to is his hotel room and the things he posseses.

anywhere and doing anything he likes, but simple does not know what to do with all the freedom. Both suggest that he is not able to

Vera
Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? Remember how she said that We would meet again Some sunny day? Vera! Vera! What has become of you? Does anybody else in here Feel the way I do?

Vera
As Pink drifts farther from reality, he tries to get a connection with his past and the things in it. Trying to connect to Vera, a World War II era singer.

Vera Lynn (Vera Margaret Welch) was born March 20, 1917 in London, England. Starting her career from an early age and recording her first album on the age of 19 and had become the forces sweatheart through her radio broadcast called Sincerely Yours where she addresses to all the soldiers serving abroad. As for her career, she kept being really successful and was given title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1975. And finishing her career with a number one hit album at age 92, making her the oldest living artist at that point. Starting with the question Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? as a very rhetorical question, considering Vera Lynn was still active when the band was starting to get popular, Pink tries to reconnect with the past. Recalling how she said that we would

meet again some sunny day, at the time he placed his first brick in his wall, to show a bit of optimism in Pinks voice. The song he is referring to is a really optimistic song speaking of a day that promises to drive the dark clouds away. One would think that these optimistic lyrics might shine a little light in the dark shadows of Pinks wall and might be able to help him during his darkest moments. Being familiar with Pinks nihilistic state of mind, the audience can already feel the next biting line coming. What has become of you? Which perhaps is not addressed to Vera herself or the idea Vera Lynn in general, but addresses to the reunions she promised. Pink could have also sung What has become of the dream of homecoming and prosperity you promised us?

Comfortably Numb
Hello, is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone home? Come on, now, I hear you're feeling down. Well I can ease your pain And get you on your feet again. Relax, I'll need some information first. Just the basic facts. Can you show me where it hurts? There is no pain you are receding. A distant ship, smoke on the horizon. You are only coming through in waves. Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying. When I was a child I had a fever My hands felt just like two balloons. Now I've got that feeling once again I can't explain, you would not understand This is not how I am. I have become comfortably numb.

Ok, just a little pinprick. There'll be no more...aaaaaaaaah! But you may feel a little sick. Can you stand up? I do believe it's working, good. That'll keep you going through the show Come on it's time to go. There is no pain you are receding. A distant ship, smoke on the horizon. You are only coming through in waves. Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying. When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse Out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look but it was gone I cannot put my finger on it now The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb.

Comfortably Numb
A doctor tries to help Pink and inject some drugs so he will be able to perform in his concert later that evening. While Pink does not feel like he could use any help and think no one understands him.

Comfortably Numb is perhaps another very popular song which meaning has sort of been forgotten, just like the earlier mentioned song Hey You. Perhaps Comfortably Numb is the very image of Pink Floyd and I think the most known song even among non-fans. Not only is this song an important piece in the Pink Floyd collection, it is also a very important song on the second half of The Wall Album in terms of narrative and theme. Following the question of the previous song (, which I skipped due to being too straightforward) is there anybody out there?

if Pink has lost reality and if he is still conscious followed by the question if

anybody is home ironically mirroring Nobody Home. The doctor continues with further examination stating that he can ease the pain, the very pain that Pink previously tried to protect himself from by building a mental wall. To bookend the irony, the doctor asks pink to show him where it hurt, or in other words making Pink look at himself instead of others to solve the problem. But the truth is that it hurts both nowhere and everywhere, and that Pink has only been worsening his own problems. Pink then answers these questions with there is no pain you are receding suggesting that his current state is the work of his emotional pain. The next line seems to make the audience assume that Pink is completely losing his grasp of reality while, distant ships smoke on the horizon. And the lines continue in war between reality and losing it with the doctor

Comfortably Numb sort of gives an answer when a doctor comes rushing in and tries to help him right away, suggesting yes there is someone out there. As he is losing reality while he had locked himself up in his hotel room and imprisoned himself within his walls the doctor tries to help him. The song starts with the doctor asking the same sort of question, is there anybody in there? asking

trying to help Pink get back to normal by using drugs or pinpricks ending the song with a very special line. The child has grown, the dream is gone a very unsettling

realization that, no matter how he grew up, it would have always led to the same present, being comfortably numb.

The Show Must Go On

Ooooh, Ma, Oooh Pa Must the show go on? Ooooh, Pa. Take me home Ooooh, Ma. Let me go Do I have to stand up {Wild eyed in the spotlight? What a nightmare. Why Don't I turn and run.} There must be some mistake I didn't mean to let them Take away my soul. Am I too old, is it too late? Ooooh, Ma, Ooooh Pa, Where has the feeling gone? Ooooh, Ma, Ooooh Pa, Will I remember the song? The show must go on.

The Show Must Go On

Under influence of several drugs, Pink starts to wonder if the concert of the very evening should still go on and if he is able to perform at all.

With his mental state floating somewhere between reality and the shadows of his wall, Pink seems incapable of performing for the concert that evening. In the previous song the doctor tried to fix hip up by pumping several drugs in his veins to get him up and going again. Although the theatric style does not fit with the previous song Comfortably Numb, it serves just as well as an prelude to the second half of the album, again introducing the mental state of Pink at this point. The first line of this song again refers back to his childhood emotions and his protection of his mom and dad (although is dad was not around). Pink is asking for help of the only people he trusted in his life to protect him or perhaps even rescue him from the mistakes he made and the world as it is now. Shortly

after this line and asking his pa to take him home, he already tries to create distance by asking his ma to let him go, possibly referring to the overprotective attitude of his mother during his childhood but perhaps also to his desire to let go of life as it is, suggesting thoughts of suicide or through the symbolism of his wall. Again in this song the object they pops up once more as he did earlier in the song Mother. Didnt mean to let them take away my soul, where they could again be the audience for which he needs to put his rockstar mask on that destroyed his life and the call he feels in need to perform. Or perhaps them refers to all the bricks in his wall, which piece by piece made him into the very person he is on this very day.

In The Flesh
So ya thought ya Might like to go to the show. To feel that warm thrill of confusion, That space cadet glow. I've got some bad news for you sunshine, Pink isn't well, he stayed back at the hotel And they sent us along as a surrogate band We're gonna find out where you fans really stand. 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!

Run Like Hell

Run. Run. Run. Run. You better make your face up in Your favorite disguise. With your button down lips and your Roller blind eyes. With your empty smile and your hungry heart. Feel the bile rising from your guilty past. With your nerves in tatters As the cockle shell shatters And the hammers batter down the door. You better run. You better run all day and run all night. And keep your dirty feelings deep inside. And if you're taking your girlfriend out tonight You better park the car well out of sight. Cause if they catch you in the back seat Trying to pick her locks, They're gonna send you back to mother In a cardboard box. You better run.

In The Flesh & Run Like Hell

Losing all sense of reality Pink drifts into a world of his imagination, where he performs on a stage as a fascist dictator demanding ultimate allegiance of his audience and punishing those who he thinks do not fit.

Similar to the first song of the album In The Flesh? introducing the birth and character of Pink, these songs function as an introduction to the latest incarnation of Pink as a character. Pink enters the stage and the instruments follow with the same exploding introduction as they did at the beginning of the song In The Flesh? opening a show for the audience.

does not show obedience towards him and continues to reflect his hatred in a rather straight-forward but inhuman way with lines such as And if youre taking your girlfriend out tonight. You better park the car well out of sight.

Does this mean Pink is a racist character? And perhaps the band is a racist band by writing such lyrics? The answer is NO! It is certainly

It looks as if Pink has mentally lost all control over himself. He is now acting as an aggressive dictator born from out of his painful past and a path leading to self-discovery. Acting as this new fascist dictator Pink is testing the obedience of his fans by having the gather up all the people he thinks are unfit, such as Queers, Jews, Coons, and pot smokers, violently claiming that if I had my way, Id have all of you shot. The character in this song is pure hatred, lacking any redeeming qualities. Here the song Run like Hell is basically an extend version of this where he threatens to use violence to anyone who

easy to see how this song could be interpreted as a Neo-Nazi song but it is far from it. The only thing this song does is illustrate the decay of his shadows and the persona in this song is a symbol of what made him the person he is. A fascist dictator caused the loss of his father and the war in the first place. The shadows of Pinks Wall have turned him into the very thing he hates most. It can even be argued that this is the very heart of the wall itself.

By making this wall and doing everything he could as a rock-star he created his own

destruction. He created the one thing he hates most and the thing he really would have never wanted to become. This song is the answer to all his problems and to every brick in the wall. He himself is the problem and he has only been creating more problems for himself and creating

more distance between himself and the real world. To solve his problems he should first look at himself and stop blaming the outside world. In this song, Pink seems to be in war with himself.

Waiting For The Worms

Eins, zwei, drei, alle! Ooooh, you cannot reach me now Ooooh, no matter how you try Goodbye, cruel world, it's over Walk on by. Sitting in a bunker here behind my wall Waiting for the worms to come. In perfect isolation here behind my wall Waiting for the worms to come. Waiting to cut out the deadwood. Waiting to clean up the city. Waiting to follow the worms.

Waiting to put on a black shirt. Waiting to weed out the weaklings. Waiting to smash in their windows And kick in their doors. Waiting for the final solution To strengthen the strain. Waiting to follow the worms.

Waiting to turn on the showers And fire the ovens. Waiting for the queers and the coons and the reds and the Jews. Waiting to follow the worms. Would you like to see Britannia Rule again, my friend? All you have to do is follow the worms. Would you like to send our colored cousins Home again, my friend? All you need to do is follow the worms.

Waiting for The Worms

Pink is in war with his inner self, while his insane dictator shouts of cultural refinement. Turning him into the force that killed his father and made him the man he is today.

The music of the song offers more than a slight repose from the racial threats of Pinks new dictator character. It shows that despite the new dictator taking over most of Pinks mental state, there is still hope of a slightly reasonable self, trapped beneath. There is a glimmer of the old Pink still left behind this wall lying in the very shadows he created. Pink speaks of goodbye cruel world once

much protecting themselves from the forces outside, yet waiting for a bomb to fall on their head. They had no option to leave the bunkers, nor did they accept their faith, they were simply following orders and hoped for the best. Yet despite the fact that his dictator self, claims full control over his mental state in a view verses of this song, there is still hope of an underlying rebellion self with the potential for change and finally rise against the worms of decay. In the next song Stop, which has now further it, underlying Pink meaning the behind realizes

again, but this time not out of an egotistical need for isolation, but more out of an realization over what he has done. He has realized that his perfect creation, the wall, is far from perfect and brought shadows with it. It did not isolate him from the cruel world and the insanity it brings, but in reality it is a war between the two opposing forces of his very own mind. Similar to the troops in World War II, who were trapped behind their bunkers, not so

delusional depths to which he is falling are created by the wall itself. He is getting insane by the shadows of the very thing he created.

Stop
Stop! I wanna go home. Take off this uniform And leave the show. But I'm waiting in this cell Because I have to know Have I been guilty all this time?

The Trial
Good morning, Worm your honor. The crown will plainly show The prisoner who now stands before you Was caught red-handed showing feelings Showing feelings of an almost human nature. This will not do. Call the schoolmaster! I always said he'd come to no good In the end your honor. If they'd let me have my way I could have Flayed him into shape. But my hands were tied, The bleeding hearts and artists Let him get away with murder. Let me hammer him today. Crazy...toys in the attic I am crazy, Truly gone fishing. They must have taken my marbles away. Crazy, toys in the attic. He is crazy.

You little shit you're in it now, I hope they throw away the key. You should have talked to me more often Than you did, but no! You had to go your own way. Have you broken any homes up lately? Just five minutes, Worm your honor, Him and Me, alone. Baaaabe! Come to mother baby, let me hold you in my arms. M'Lord I never wanted him to get in any trouble. Why'd he ever have to leave me? Worm, your honor, let me take him home. Crazy, over the rainbow, I am crazy, Bars in the window. There must have been a door there in the wall When I came in. Crazy, over the rainbow, he is crazy. The evidence before the court is incontrovertible There's no need for the jury to retire. In all my years of judging I have never heard before Of someone more deserving of the full penalty of law. The way you made them suffer, Your exquisite wife and mother, Fills me with the urge to defecate! Since, my friend, you have revealed your deepest fear

I sentence you to be exposed before your peers. Tear down the wall!

The Trial
Realizing he is starting to get insane and suffer from disillusion, Pink decides to put himself on trial, and in the end, orders his wall to be torn down.

The Trial illustrates all that is The Wall, combining every aspect we come across, the dark humor and every underlying thought, summed up in a very theatric song. The song is a portrait showing good and bad, sick and ill and light and dark of Pinks life represented by various different characters or different perspectives, all taking place in an imaginary trial within one persons mind. Determining if he should or should not destroy his wall, instead of a normal trial where one would determine if a person goes to jail or not. Every character in The Trial is a creation of Pinks own mind. From the judge to his mother, they are all figments of his memory,

but yet independent of Pinks persona. His mother for instance, is more or less just a representation of how Pink thinks his mother is and how he has experienced her

throughout his entire life. The instrumental pieces of this song make it very clear to the listener how surreal this trial is and that this is all within Pinks mind. The music is completely different from any other song throughout the entire album which displaces the listener outside everything that has been said till this point. The music in this song continues in a very theatric or almost circus-like way making the listener

experience the song in a whole other way then Pink himself would experience his Trial. Besides the very straightforward messages that is being delivered by the lyrics in this song, there are also a few underlying messages. In the opening of the song, the prosecutor addresses the judge with the words Worm your honor and with the lawyer speaking on behalf of the crown one could easily assume that Roger Waters was poking at the British judicial system here. But besides that, another message the word worm delivers about both the lawyer and the judge, is that they are both products of decay from Pinks wall. In a way, the judge and lawyer are both creations of the same personal decay that created fascist pink in the previous songs. Firstly the schoolmaster is called to the stand, lambasting about how he could never control Pink as a child. should The words the of the

mind, our thought about his schoolmaster is being confirmed yet again. Secondly, his very own wife is called to the stand, delivering a toss and turn that Pink had honestly really deserved. Getting directly to the point, she speaks the line you should have talked to me more often then you did, but no! You had to go your own way. both portraying the lack of communication

between him and his wife and how he only made it worse by dissociating himself from her by the creation of his wall, referencing to his ball and chain of their failed marriage. She continues by sarcastically asking if he has broken any homes up lately? where after she asks for certain retribution by getting five minutes alone with him. Although we could have all seen this coming from a wife in his situation, we should not forget that this character is again a very creation of his own mind, and is based on everything he has experienced. This is Pink testifying against himself, realizing what he has done wrong and noticing the lack of communication. This is the very first time in the whole album where he accuses himself of being the problem in contrast with the previous song where he was wondering how she could treat me this way, never noticing that this was all because of his

schoolmaster

make

listener

sympathize with the creations of the wall and realize what a troubled child Pink was. But with the previous songs epitomizing Pinks unjust school system, it does the exact opposite of making the listener sympathize. And with the thoughts of this innocent Pink in

own carelessness. But in this song, he finally realized how he didnt solve any problems by building his wall, and how it only absorbed emotions, proving to him how he has been guilty all the time. Thirdly, his mother is called to the stand, providing a bit more problematic. She starts by accusing him of leaving her, something every child has to do sooner or later. And she continues by saying Come to mother baby, let me hold you in my arms...I never wanted him to get in any trouble...Worm, your honor, let me take him home. confirming the mothers overprotectiveness that has been shown throughout the entire album. Where the schoolmaster and wifes testimony made Pink realize some important things about himself, it is very hard to say if the mother adds anything to it. Some could say that the maternal protection of his mother is the very reason of him building The Wall in the first place. But it does not seem to deliver a very important message besides that he has simply pushed her away for being a bit

overprotective or for loving him a bit too much. The song ends with the Judge blasting into the song, perhaps adding another layer against the British judicial system, the judge continues with his verdict without giving the jury any time to think. The judge seems to function as a deus ex machine or god out of the machine, a sudden unexpected figure or event that brings a solution to the problems, which is, in this case, tearing down the wall and expose yourself before your peers. There are of course a few other ways to see the judge and the message he delivers, but in the end the judge is responsible for finally bringing the wall down. Making the song end with the audience shouting Tear down the wall! resulting in the destruction of the wall, ending all the problems it created. The next song only functions as the moral of the story: Though there will always be barriers build out of pain, fear or isolation, we should always try to keep them as low as possible and help each other tearing down the walls that separate us.

Outside The Wall

All alone, or in twos, 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.