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)

Burning Bridges
Pink Floyd Lyrics

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Bridges burning gladly
Merging with the shadows
Flickering between the lines
Stolen moments floating softly on the air
Borne on wings of fire and climbing higher

Ancient bonds are breaking
Moving on and changing sides

Dreaming of a new day
Cast aside the other way
Magic visions stirring
Kindled by and burning flames rise in her eye

The doorway stands ajar
The walls that once were high
Beyond the gilded cage
Beyond the reach of ties

The moment is at hand
She breaks the golden band

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pink Floyd's song Burning Bridges suggest an individual who is stepping away from their past, burning bridges and moving on from old connections. The bridges are "burning gladly" and merging with the shadows, suggesting that the singer is content with letting go of the past and moving into the unknown. The stolen moments floating softly on the air and borne on wings of fire suggest that the singer is excited for what's to come and is willing to take risks to achieve it.

The next few lines suggest that ancient bonds are breaking, indicating that the singer is severing ties with their past and is ready to face whatever the future holds. The dreaming of a new day line suggests that the singer is optimistic about what's to come and excited for the opportunities that await them. Magic visions stirring and burning flames rising in her eyes suggest that the singer is ready for a fresh start, and is eager to bring their dreams to life.

The final stanza of the song suggests that the singer is breaking free from a "golden band," a metaphor for the constraints that have held them back in the past. The walls that were once high symbolize past obstacles, and the fact that they are beyond the gilded cage suggests that the singer has surpassed these challenges and is ready for what's next. The moment of breaking free is described as being "at hand," highlighting the sense of imminent change that the singer is experiencing.

Line by Line Meaning

Bridges burning gladly
Metaphorically, some relationships or opportunities are ending and the person is happy to let go of them.

Merging with the shadows
The change is subtle and the person is disappearing from one aspect of their life to move on to the next.

Flickering between the lines
The person is still wavering between the past and future, not having decided fully where they want to be.

Stolen moments floating softly on the air
Precious memories of time with loved ones or good experiences are drifting away with the old relationship, never to be experienced again.

Borne on wings of fire and climbing higher
The person is empowered by the change, their passion for life ignites, and they’re moving forward to success.

Ancient bonds are breaking
The person is letting go of the past and the safety of the old ways.

Moving on and changing sides
The person is making drastic changes in their life, switching allegiances, and looking for a new vision.

Dreaming of a new day
They are optimistic and excited about the new beginning.

Cast aside the other way
The person is refusing to live in the past or under the same circumstances that brought them down in the past.

Magic visions stirring
The person has a new spark of creativity and inspiration.

Kindled by and burning flames rise in her eye
The person has renewed energy and their passion is igniting life in their eyes.

The doorway stands ajar
The symbolism indicates an opportunity or new way of life is within reach.

The walls that once were high
The obstacles that were present in life and held the person back are no longer preventing their success.

Beyond the gilded cage
The person has shed the constraints on their freedom, both physical and psychological.

Beyond the reach of ties
The person has moved on from their old connections and no longer feels bound by them.

The moment is at hand
The person has arrived at a memorable and important moment in their life, and the upcoming changes will be significant.

She breaks the golden band
They’ve achieved their freedom and the constraints that were once placed on them are gone, allowing them to explore new opportunities.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICHARD WRIGHT, ROGER WATERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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