Gilmour was born in Cambridge, England. His father, Douglas Gilmour, was a senior lecturer in zoology at the University of Cambridge and his mother, Sylvia (née Wilson), was a teacher and film editor who raised her family at Grantchester Meadows, later immortalised by a Roger Waters song on Pink Floyd's Ummagumma. Gilmour and his siblings were encouraged by their parents in their musical abilities. Gilmour has a younger brother, Peter, who has been a guitarist for a slightly longer time than Gilmour. Gilmour attended The Perse School on Hills Road, Cambridge, which he "didn't enjoy" but where he met future Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist Syd Barrett, along with bassist and vocalist Roger Waters who attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys, also situated on Hills Road. In 1954, Gilmour bought his first single, Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock". At age 13, Gilmour was given his first guitar, a Tatay, by his neighbour, Gilmour started learning how to play using a book and record set by Pete Seeger.
In September 1962, he studied modern languages to A-Level and, along with Syd Barrett, went to Cambridge Technical College. Despite not finishing the languages course, Gilmour would eventually become a fluent French speaker. Gilmour and Barrett spent their lunchtime practising guitar together, Barrett would often refer to Gilmour as "Fred". They were not yet bandmates, however, and Gilmour started playing in the band Jokers Wild in 1962, which Gilmour left in 1967.
Gilmour joined Pink Floyd in 1968, when he was asked to replace former front man and guitarist Syd Barrett. Barrett was becoming increasingly difficult to work with (due to his deteriorating mental state), so Gilmour stepped in to fill the void. Gilmour's contributions helped to define what would become known as the "Pink Floyd" sound. With Roger Waters, Gilmour co-wrote many of Pink Floyd's classic songs, including "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"(Itself about Syd), "Wish You Were Here" (about Roger's father) , "Time", "Dogs", "Echoes", "Comfortably Numb", and "Run Like Hell". When Waters left the band in 1984 to pursue a solo career, Gilmour took over Pink Floyd as leader, and they released two more albums, A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987), and The Division Bell (1994). Both albums performed very well, proving that the Pink Floyd name was stronger than any individual member. On July 2, 2005, David Gilmour and Roger Waters briefly set aside their differences and performed as Pink Floyd for one final performance at Live 8. The reunion was the most talked about event of the day, and sales of Pink Floyd's back catalogue shot through the roof. Rumours of a full scale tour began to surface shortly after the show, with both Gilmour and Waters being offered millions of dollars, but it wasn't meant to be. Neither Waters nor Gilmour showed much enthusiasm to work together again, with Gilmour being quoted as saying that he would rather spend his time pursuing his solo career.
Much to everyone's surprise, Gilmour and Waters reunited once again on July 11, 2010 for a charity performance for "The Hoping Foundation," an organization that supports Palestinian refugee kids. At Ronnie Scott's club in London, the duo performed four songs together: "To Know Him is to Love Him" (a cover of the old Teddy Bear's song), "Wish You Were Here," "Comfortably Numb," and finally (after a special request) "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2." Once again, just like after the Live 8 Reunion, speculation began regarding future reunions. No official Pink Floyd reunion has yet been set, but Gilmour did promise that he would join Roger Waters for one show on his 2010-11 "The Wall" tour, performing "Comfortably Numb." The show that Gilmour is set to play is being kept a secret to surprise fans and (most likely) to prevent scalpers from selling tickets at outrageous prices.
The door now seems slightly ajar that David Gilmour and Roger Waters may possibly work with each other again, either as a duo, or as Pink Floyd once again. On Roger Waters's facebook page, he wrote: "We (played together), and it was fucking great! End of story. Or possibly beginning."
As a solo artist, David Gilmour has released 3 studio albums; David Gilmour (1978), About Face (1984), and On an Island (2006). In September 2008, he released his first live album Live In Gdansk , a recording of a concert he and his band performed in Gdansk Shipyard during his 2006 On An Island tour. In addition, he has two live DVDs - 2002's mostly acoustic "In Concert" and 2007's Remember That Night.
In 2015 he released his forth studio album: Rattle That Lock followed by a live album Live at Pompeii in 2017 which was recored on 7th and 8th July 2016 at his two gigs in Pompeii.
Where We Start
David Gilmour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We step out sweetly, nothing planned
Along by the river we feed bread to the swans
And then over the footbridge to the woods beyond
We walk ourselves weary, you and I
There's just this moment
We lie in the bluebells, a woodpecker laughs
Time passes slowly our hearts entwined
All of the dark times left behind
The day is done
The sun sinks low
We fold up the blanket, it's time to go
We walk ourselves weary, arm in arm
Back through the twilight
Home again
We waltz in the moonlight and the embers glow
So much behind us
Still far to go
The lyrics of David Gilmour's “Where We Start” is a touching reminder of the relativity of time. The song begins with "where we start is where we end," indicating that everything in life is a cycle. The first verse explains how the journey begins by the river, with no plans in mind. The singer reminisces about a simple stroll; feeding bread to swans, going to the woods. As they walk, they both tire, and the singer contemplates life being fleeting, with only the moment they are currently in matters.
The second verse narrates the two of them seeking comfort away from the path. They create a campfire and lay in a sea of Bluebells, the woodpecker's call creating the perfect background noise. The singer notes how time is slow when you are enjoying the moment, with none of the pain of the past present in this idyllic scene. The final verses try to capture the essence of the moment. The sun is setting, they have to go back. They are tired, but they are together, they pull through - this is what matters. They dance in the moonlight, the warmth of the embers at their feet, with feelings of excitement for the journey ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
Where we start is where we end
Our journey in life is a cycle which begins and ends at the same point
We step out sweetly, nothing planned
We start our journey in life without much planning or expecting anything in particular
Along by the river we feed bread to the swans
We appreciate and enjoy the beauty of nature by doing things as simple as feeding swans
And then over the footbridge to the woods beyond
We explore beyond what we already know and seek new experiences and knowledge
We walk ourselves weary, you and I
We tire ourselves out through our journey in life, together with someone we love and care about
There's just this moment
All that truly matters is the present moment, which should be cherished and enjoyed
I light a campfire away from the path
We take a moment to appreciate and create warmth and light amidst the darkness of life's journey
We lie in the bluebells, a woodpecker laughs
We take time to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, even as the forest around us remains lively
Time passes slowly our hearts entwined
We experience time in a different way when we are with someone we truly care for and share a connection with
All of the dark times left behind
Through our journey in life, we leave behind the hardships and sorrows that we may have faced in the past
The day is done
As our journey in life progresses, we reach a point where we have accomplished all we can for the day
The sun sinks low
We see the changes in the world around us as time progresses, with the sunset representing the end of one day and the beginning of another
We fold up the blanket, it's time to go
As our journey in life continues, we have to once again pack up and move on to what comes next
We walk ourselves weary, arm in arm
We continue to journey in life together with someone we love and trust, always being there for each other even when times are tough
Back through the twilight
We journey through the uncertain and mysterious moments of life, never knowing what lies ahead
Home again
No matter where our journey in life takes us, we will always find our way back to the place we call home
We waltz in the moonlight and the embers glow
We appreciate the beauty of the world around us, even as we continue on our journey in life
So much behind us
As we journey through life, we accumulate a wealth of experiences, memories and knowledge behind us
Still far to go
Even as we have accomplished so much, our journey in life is far from over and we still have much to do and learn
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: DAVID GILMOUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ToMaszyna
Where We Start / David Gilmour
Where we start is where we end
We step out sweetly, nothing planned
Along by the river we feed bread to the swans
And then over the footbridge to the woods beyond
We walk ourselves weary, you and I
There's just this moment
I light a campfire away from the path
We lie in the bluebells, a woodpecker laughs
Time passes slowly our hearts entwined
All of the dark times left behind
The day is done
The sun sinks low
We fold up the blanket, it's time to go
We walk ourselves weary, arm in arm
Back through the twilight
Home again
We waltz in the moonlight and the embers glow
So much behind us
Still far to go
pappysMF
The sooner people will realize that David Gilmour is not the same as the worlds greatest group, Pink Floyd, the sooner they will realize just how incredible David Gilmour’s solo work is.
BlizzyFoxTF
Not really far apart. They are of similar aesthetic. See how well the flow was in his Rattle The Tour set list.
Marcel Versteeg
I totaly agree. But if you replace David Gilmour's name with Roger Waters', it still would be very true!
LionOfNaples
On an Island is better than AMLOR or TDB anyways
Jody Hakala
I was in an office for Massage and they have radio playing and I heard this song so I Shazam it, I had no idea who it was I thought this sounds like Pink Floyd so there you go what do you think of them apples?!
Jody Hakala
Quality music though I’ll definitely say that I am looking forward to hearing more of his songs I am so over and done with the whole beyond drugs and not even see the musicians playing to me that is not what I am all about the Pink Floyd experience was basically for people on drugs sadly didn’t even get to see the musicians in a ginormous stadium filled with smoke.
Syed Tanvirul Hasan
This song is so peaceful! David never disappoints with his music!! #pinkfloydforever
Talita
... Andamos cansados, você e eu
Só existe este momento...
Onde começamos
é onde terminamos...♥️🦋
David Gilmour... Amo esse cara...simplesmente ♥️🦋
David Parsons
I enjoyed this song. Very relaxing. Very well written.
Sonia Armand Ugon
David GILMOUR, insubstituível, fantástico SEMPRE 🎶🎸🎵🦋❣💯🎯