Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an ea… Read Full Bio ↴Pink Floyd was an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows. They became a leading band of the progressive rock genre, cited by some as the greatest progressive rock band of all time.

Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals), and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). Under Barrett's leadership, they released two charting singles and the successful debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined in December 1967; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. Waters became the primary lyricist and thematic leader, devising the concepts behind the band's peak success with the albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). The musical film based on The Wall, Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), won two BAFTA Awards. Pink Floyd also composed several film scores.

Following personal tensions, Wright left Pink Floyd in 1979, followed by Waters in 1985. Gilmour and Mason continued as Pink Floyd, rejoined later by Wright. They produced two more albums—A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994)—and toured in support of both before entering a long hiatus. In 2005, all but Barrett reunited for a one-off performance at the global awareness event Live 8. Barrett died in 2006, and Wright in 2008. The last Pink Floyd studio album, The Endless River (2014), was based on unreleased material from the Division Bell recording sessions. In 2022, Gilmour and Mason reformed Pink Floyd to release the song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

By 2013, Pink Floyd had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and these albums and Wish You Were Here are among the best-selling albums of all time. Four Pink Floyd albums topped the US Billboard 200, and five topped the UK Album Chart. Pink Floyd's hit singles include "See Emily Play" (1967), "Money" (1973), "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" (1979), "Not Now John" (1983), "On the Turning Away" (1987) and "High Hopes" (1994). They were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2008, Pink Floyd were awarded the Polar Music Prize in Sweden for their contribution to modern music.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd

Studio albums
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
More (1969)
Ummagumma (1969)
Atom Heart Mother (1970)
Meddle (1971)
Obscured by Clouds (1972)
The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Animals (1977)
The Wall (1979)
The Final Cut (1983)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
The Division Bell (1994)
The Endless River (2014)

Goodbye Cruel World
Pink Floyd Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pink Floyd's song Goodbye Cruel World speak of someone who has lost hope and has decided to leave the world behind. The repetition of the word "goodbye" paints a picture of finality and determination. The first line "Goodbye cruel world, I'm leaving you today" establishes the singer's mindset and sets the tone for the entire song. The second line "Goodbye" serves as an echo, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

The second stanza addresses the people around the singer, telling them that there's nothing they can do or say that would make them change their mind. It's clear that the singer's decision is final and they've made peace with the idea of leaving. The final goodbye shows that the singer has come to terms with their fate and is ready to move on.

Overall, the lyrics describe a very somber and emotionally heavy situation. The words "cruel" and "goodbye" reinforce the idea that the world can be a harsh and unforgiving place. The repetition of the word "goodbye" creates a feeling of finality, adding to the emotional weight of the song. It's a sad but powerful song that touches on the fragility of life and the importance of mental health.

Line by Line Meaning

Goodbye cruel world,
I'm saying farewell to this bitter and harsh world,

I'm leaving you today
I'm departing from this world at present,

Goodbye
Farewell

Goodbye, all you people
I'm bidding farewell to all the people around me,

There's nothing you can say
There's no statement or argument you can make,

To make me change my mind
That could persuade me to change my decision,

Goodbye
Farewell

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Roger Waters

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS