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 โ 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 albumsโA Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994)โand 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)
- Us And Them
Pink Floyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And after all we're only ordinary men
Me
And you (you, you, you)
God only knows
It's not what we would choose (choose, choose) to do (to do, to do)
Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
And the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
Black (black, black, black)
And blue (blue, blue)
And who knows which is which and who is who
Up (up, up, up, up)
And down (down, down, down, down)
And in the end it's only round 'n round (round, round, round)
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The poster bearer cried
"Listen son", said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside
"I mean, they're not gonna kill ya
So if you give 'em a quick short, sharp, shock
They won't do it again. Dig it?
I mean he get off lightly, 'cause I would've given him a thrashing
I only hit him once! It was only a difference of opinion, but really
I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
Down (down, down, down, down)
And out (out, out, out, out)
It can't be helped that there's a lot of it about
With (with, with, with), without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
Out of the way
It's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
For the want of the price
Of tea and a slice
The old man died
Pink Floyd's "Us and Them" lyrics deal with the theme of conflict that can arise between different groups of people. The song begins with the repetition of the word "us" and "them" to set up a clear differentiation between two opposing groups. However, the lines "and after all, we're only ordinary men, me and you" suggest that the division between the two sides is not a natural one and that in the end, we are all just human beings. The lyrics then touch on the idea of war and the sacrifices that people make for their countries. The line "forward he cried from the rear, and the front rank died" means that leaders who call for war and conflict often do not bear the same physical consequences as the soldiers who fight in their name.
The lines "black and blue, and who knows which is which and who is who" imply that in war and conflict, there is often no clear distinction between who is right and who is wrong. The lyrics suggest that it is often the ordinary people who are caught in the middle of these conflicts and who suffer the most. The lyrics also mention the idea of propaganda and how it can be used to manipulate people into supporting one side or the other.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that they challenge the concept of "us vs. them" and encourage empathy and understanding instead of conflict. The song's ultimate message seems to be that it is essential to question the motives and actions of those who seek to divide us and to remember our shared humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
(us, us, us, us) and them (them, them, them, them)
Life is a constant battle between "us" and "them", where "us" represents people on one side and "them" represents people on the other side of a divide (which could be based on social, political or economic differences).
And after all we're only ordinary men
No matter which side we belong to, we are all ordinary people with the same basic needs and desires.
Me and you (you, you, you), God only knows
The differences between "us" and "them" are often arbitrary and beyond our control, but ultimately, everyone is a product of their upbringing and experiences.
It's not what we would choose (choose, choose) to do (to do, to do)
Most people do not actively choose to be part of a certain group or to hold certain beliefs; these things are often thrust upon them by societal norms, traditions, and conditioning.
Forward he cried from the rear, and the front rank died, and the general sat, and the lines on the map, moved from side to side
People in positions of power often put others in danger to accomplish their own goals or objectives, and the lines that divide "us" and "them" are often manipulated by those in power for their own gain.
Black (black, black, black) and blue (blue, blue)
People on both sides of a divide often experience pain or mistreatment, whether it is physical, emotional, or psychological in nature.
And who knows which is which and who is who
The lines between the two opposing sides can often blur, and it can be difficult to tell who belongs to which side, or who is right or wrong in a given situation.
Up (up, up, up, up) and down (down, down, down, down)
Life is full of ups and downs, and the conflicts between "us" and "them" are just one small part of a larger cycle of events.
And in the end it's only round 'n round (round, round, round)
Despite all the conflict and tension, the world keeps turning and history just repeats itself, perpetuating the cycle of "us" and "them".
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words, The poster bearer cried, "Listen son", said the man with the gun, There's room for you inside
Many conflicts start as a "battle of words", with each side trying to outdo the other, but this can escalate to violence and aggression. Those who are on the sidelines or who are not actively involved in the conflict often become collateral damage or are recruited to one side or another.
"I mean, they're not gonna kill ya, So if you give 'em a quick short, sharp, shock, They won't do it again. Dig it? I mean he get off lightly, 'cause I would've given him a thrashing, I only hit him once! It was only a difference of opinion, but really, I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
This spoken portion of the song highlights the futility and absurdity of violence, and how people often justify their actions with flimsy or misguided reasoning.
Down (down, down, down, down) and out (out, out, out, out), It can't be helped that there's a lot of it about
Many people are marginalized, oppressed or left behind by society, which contributes to the growing conflict and tension between different groups of people.
With (with, with, with), without, And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
People often fight over resources or opportunities that are perceived to be limited or scarce, leading to a divide between those who have them ("with") and those who do not ("without").
Out of the way, It's a busy day, I've got things on my mind, For the want of the price, Of tea and a slice, The old man died
The song ends on a somber note, with the realization that many conflicts arise from trivial or petty differences, and that ultimately, these conflicts can have dire and tragic consequences.
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard William Wright, George Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DamienMcGuinness
[Segue: Saxophone Solo]
[Verse 1: David Gilmour]
Us and them
And after all
We're only ordinary men
[Verse 2: David Gilmour]
Me and you
God only knows
It's not what we would choose to do
[Chorus: David Gilmour & Richard Wright]
โForward!โ he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
The general sat and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
[Verse 3: David Gilmour]
Black and blue
And who knows which is which
And who is who?
[Verse 4: David Gilmour]
Up and down
And in the end
It's only round and round, and round
[Chorus: David Gilmour & Richard Wright]
โHaven't you heard it's a battle of words?โ
The poster bearer cried
โListen, son,โ said the man with the gun
โThere's room for you insideโ
[Interlude]
I mean, they're not gonna kill ya
So like, if you give 'em a quick short, sharp, shock
They won't do it again
Dig it? I mean, he got off lightly
'Cause I would've given him a thrashing
I only hit him once!
It was only a difference of right and wrong, innit?
But really, I mean good manners don't cost nothing, do they, eh?
[Saxophone Solo]
[Verse 5: David Gilmour]
Down and out
It can't be helped
But there's a lot of it about
[Verse 6: David Gilmour]
With, without
And who'll deny
It's what the fighting's all about?
[Chorus: David Gilmour & Richard Wright]
Out of the way! It's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
For want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died
@anajuliagalvao4941
Lyrics:
Us (us, us, us, us) and them (them, them, them, them)
And after all we're only ordinary men
Me
And you (you, you, you)
God only knows
It's not what we would choose (choose, choose) to do (to do, to do)
Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
And the general sat
And the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
Black (black, black, black)
And blue (blue, blue)
And who knows which is which and who is who
Up (up, up, up, up)
And down (down, down, down, down)
And in the end it's only round 'n round (round, round, round)
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The poster bearer cried
"Listen son", said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside
"I mean, they're not gonna kill ya
So if you give 'em a quick short, sharp, shock
They won't do it again. Dig it?
I mean he get off lightly, 'cause I would've given him a thrashing
I only hit him once! It was only a difference of opinion, but really
I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
Down (down, down, down, down)
And out (out, out, out, out)
It can't be helped that there's a lot of it about
With (with, with, with), without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
Out of the way
It's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
For the want of the price
Of tea and a slice
The old man died
@tomkohlman8110
I'm 72 now. I bought this album when it came out in 1973. IT NEVER GETS OLD!!! The memories โฎ๏ธโ๏ธโฎ๏ธโ๏ธ
@JessicaNyquist37
I am 36 years old, and I am a huge fan of Pink Floyd. My Dad got me listening to them when I was a kid.
@spaghettisauce445
it mustve been amazing hearing all of those ground breaking records being made when you were young, a teen, and a parent
@definitelynotsavathun3859
You are an icon and a legacy unto yourself, do not ever let anyone disparage you
@aryaaditya3043
What a great story
Did you still have the vinyl?
Kinda great if you still have it๐๐
@brianbrown3482
I have the vinyl from when it first cam out, the 8 track, the cassette, and even have CD. The record shows its age, played it what seems like all the time. The music from the "60's and "70's was the greatest soundtrack to grow up with.@@aryaaditya3043
@primobrickhouse
This was the last song my dog and i shared together before he died in my arms. Such a beautiful song.
@r25s_
I hope he is having a joyful time in puppy heaven! โค
@christianj7440
Beau et triste ร la fois.
@MiguelRivera-
Precisamente ahora mi perro la disfruta conmigo, debe de ser algo muy triste. ๐ข Lamento tu perdida.