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)
The Hero's Return Parts 1 & 2
Pink Floyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't see how dangerous it must feel to me
Training human cogs for the machine
Without some shell-shocked lunatic like me
Bombarding their still soft shells
With sticks and stones
That were lying around
In the pile of unspeakable feelings I'd found
Turned over the stone
Of my own disappointment back home
The lyrics to Pink Floyd's song "The Hero's Return Parts I and II" express a sense of disillusionment and despair. The singer, who feels disconnected and overwhelmed, contemplates the idea of death, suggesting that they feel invisible and insignificant in a world that values conformity and dehumanizes individuals. The opening line, "Jesus Christ, I might as well be dead," conveys a profound sense of hopelessness and the desire to escape from the burdens and pressures of society.
The lyrics also touch upon the concept of the singer being a casualty of a societal machine. They perceive themselves as merely cogs in a system that trains and molds individuals to fit into a conformist mold. The reference to being a "shell-shocked lunatic" highlights the damage inflicted on the singer's psyche as a result of this dehumanizing experience. They observe the vulnerability and innocence of the young ones being bombarded with the harsh realities of life, represented by the sticks and stones lying around. The pile of "unspeakable feelings" suggests a heavy emotional burden that the singer has carried, possibly stemming from their own disappointment and disillusionment with their personal life.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Hero's Return Parts I and II" paint a dark and introspective picture of a protagonist grappling with feelings of insignificance and being trapped in a society that devalues individuality and exploits humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Jesus Christ, I might as well be dead
I feel utterly hopeless and empty, as if my life has no purpose or meaning.
I can't see how dangerous it must feel to me
I can't fully grasp the extent of the danger and harm that surrounds me.
Training human cogs for the machine
We are conditioning people to become mindless components of a system, devoid of individuality and creativity.
Without some shell-shocked lunatic like me
Without someone who has experienced the traumas of war and its aftermath, like me, there would be no awareness of the horrors and their consequences.
Bombarding their still soft shells
Subjecting their vulnerable minds and spirits to relentless bombardment and manipulation.
With sticks and stones
With the weapons of psychological and emotional abuse, causing deep wounds and scars.
That were lying around
That were readily available, as the environment and circumstances facilitated the infliction of pain and suffering.
In the pile of unspeakable feelings I'd found
Among the overwhelming emotions and experiences that were too difficult to put into words, I uncovered the ammunition for causing harm.
When I turned back the stone
When I confronted the source of my disappointment and disillusionment, unearthing my own buried pain.
Turned over the stone
Exposing the hidden truth and confronting the harsh reality of my own personal letdowns and frustrations at home.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Lyrics:
Jesus, Jesus, what's it all about?
Trying to clout these little ingrates into shape
When I was their age all the lights went out
There was no time to whine and mope about
And even now part of me flies
Over Dresden at angels one five
Though they'll never fathom it behind my sarcasm
Desperate memories lie
Sweetheart, sweetheart, are you fast asleep? Good
That's the only time that I can really speak to you
And there is something that I've locked away
A memory that is too painful to withstand the light of day
When we came back from the war
The banners and flags hung on everyone's door
We danced and we sang in the street
And the church bells rang
But burning in my heart
The memory smoulders on
Of the gunners dying words
On the intercom
[ pt. 2 ]
Jesus Christ, I might as well be dead
I can't see how dangerous
It must feel to me
Training human cogs for the machine
Without some shell-shocked lunatic like me
Bombarding their still soft shells
With sticks and stones
That were lying around
In the pile of unspeakable feelings I'd found
When I turned back the stone
Turned over the stone
Of my own disappointment back home
@matthewdawdy9896
I played this for my older brother. I will never forget his eyes opening wide, no, BULGING out when he heard "new" vintage Floyd. He was completely floored. Top 10 moments of my life. He is 11 years older than I am, and introduced me, at 8 years old, to The Wall. It was fun being able to surprise him.
@ourworld215
my sister is ten years older than me, she first introduced me to Floyd when she was going to midnight movies,then she bought the final cut for me , and when I was in 7th grade took me to see the delicate sound of thunder tour, she next took me to a dead show. Both time s telling me I would never see another show like it. She was right.
@Redguard677
Look at me now ää😲
@kajabrill2404
My favorite Album
@gametheorymedia
Dunno where your older brother might be today but, man, I am RIGHT there with him, as of about 35 minutes ago--! o_0
@Zolkiewska
The rawness of the part where he sings "JESUS CHRIST I MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD", the guitar.. I'm speechless
@junglejamesie
They should've included this on the reissue when they shoe-horned in "When The Tigers Broke Free" to give the fullest version of the LP.
@madhatterster
On the demos, this follows up "The Gunner's Dream". I think that's where I would want it to be included. It would break the transition for the start of "Gunner's Dream" otherwise.
@madahad9
I wish there would be an official compilation of these rarities that were only found on b-sides and bootleg releases,especially the songs rerecorded for The Wall film. Instead of another "greatest hits" package that has yet another remastered version of Money give the fans something more.
@jmann8109
Part 2 is... wow. that transition