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)

Coming Back to Life
Pink Floyd Lyrics

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Where were you when I was burned and broken
While the days slipped by from my window watching
And where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless
'Cause the things you say and the things you do surround me

While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
Dying to believe in what you heard
I was staring straight into the shining sun

Lost in thought and lost in time

While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime
I took a heavenly ride through our silence

I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life
I took a heavenly ride through our silence

I knew the waiting had begun
Headed straight into the shining sun

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pink Floyd's "Coming Back to Life" are about a person who is reflecting on a difficult time in their life when they were burned, broken, hurt, and helpless. The person is wondering where their friends were during this difficult time, while they were watching the days slip by from their window. The singer suggests that the things the person's friends said and did were not helpful or comforting, but rather made things worse by surrounding them like a negative force.

The lyrics then turn to focus on the singer's own experience during this time. While their friends were hung up on someone else's words, dying to believe in what they heard, the singer was lost in thought and lost in time, staring straight into the shining sun. Despite the outside world planting seeds of life and change, the singer was caught up in their own dangerous and irresistible pastime. They took a heavenly ride through silence, which seems to have been a way for them to escape from the difficult reality of their life.

However, the singer ultimately realizes that it's time to let go of the past and move on. They take another ride through silence, but this time they feel a sense of waiting, like they are ready to start anew. They're headed straight into the shining sun, which may symbolize a brighter future and a sense of renewal.

Overall, the lyrics suggest that while difficult times can be isolating, it's important to have people in our lives who can offer comfort and support. At the same time, though, we can't always rely on others to fix things for us - sometimes we have to take a heavenly ride through silence and reflect on our situation to find our own path forward.

Line by Line Meaning

Where were you when I was burned and broken
During my toughest times, where were you?

While the days slipped by from my window watching
I was stuck watching the days pass by without you around.

And where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless
When I was at my lowest, where were you to offer help?

'Cause the things you say and the things you do surround me
Your actions and words affect me deeply since you are a part of my life.

While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
You were too busy believing and depending on someone else's words, even if it meant self-sabotage.

Dying to believe in what you heard
You were so eager to believe in something, anything, that you forgot to think for yourself.

I was staring straight into the shining sun
I was lost in deep thought, facing the truth head-on even if it was painful.

Lost in thought and lost in time
I was consumed by my thoughts and lost track of time.

While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
During all of this, a new chapter was beginning.

Outside the rain fell dark and slow
The world kept spinning, and the rain fell heavily, symbolizing difficult times ahead.

While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime
I was caught up in the allure of reliving the past, even though it was dangerous to do so.

I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I needed a break, so I took time for myself to reflect and heal.

I knew the moment had arrived
I realized it was time to leave the pain of the past behind.

For killing the past and coming back to life
It was time to move on and start living again.

I knew the waiting had begun
I was aware that the road to healing would be a long one.

Headed straight into the shining sun
Despite the inevitable hurdles, I was moving forward with optimism towards a brighter future.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: DAVID JON GILMOUR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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