It may be confused with In the Flesh? which appears at the beginning of the side one of The Wall and is less than 3 minutes long.
In the Flesh
Pink Floyd Lyrics
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Thought ya
Might like to
Go to the show
To feel the warm thrill of confusion
That space cadet glow
I've got some bad news for you, sunshine
And they sent us along as a surrogate band
We're going to find out where you fans really stand
Are there any queers in the theater tonight?
Get 'em up against the wall (get them up)
Now, there's one in the spotlight
He don't look right to me
Then get him up against the wall (get them)
Now, that one looks Jewish
And that one's a coon
Who let all this riffraff into the room?
There's one smoking a joint
And another with spots
If I had my way, I'd have all of them shot
The lyrics of Pink Floyd's "In The Flesh?" are a critique of fan culture and rockstar narcissism. The song begins with the singer inviting the audience to experience a "warm thrill of confusion" and "space cadet glow," which are references to the mind-altering effects of drugs. However, the singer then reveals that the band's leader, Pink, is unable to perform due to mental instability and has been replaced by a "surrogate band." This implies that the band is more concerned with their image and popularity than their actual art and message.
The song then takes a dark turn as the singer urges the audience to identify and condemn any minorities or marginalized groups in attendance. The use of slurs like "queers" and "coons" highlights the singer's bigotry and intolerance. Additionally, the line "If I had my way, I'd have all of them shot" shows a desire for violent oppression of those who are different. This section of the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the dangerous us-vs-them mentality that can be fostered in fan communities and society as a whole.
Overall, "In The Flesh?" is a satirical critique of the cult of celebrity and the dangers of groupthink. By portraying the singer as a narcissistic bigot, Pink Floyd highlights the dangers of blindly following a charismatic leader and ignoring the individuality and diversity of others.
Line by Line Meaning
So ya
Hey there
Thought ya
I assumed that you
Might like to
Would possibly want to
Go to the show
Attend the concert
To feel the warm thrill of confusion
To experience the excitement of chaos
That space cadet glow
The feeling of being out of touch with reality
I've got some bad news for you, sunshine
I have some unfortunate information for you
Pink isn't well, he stayed back at the hotel
The lead singer is ill and could not perform
And they sent us along as a surrogate band
We were chosen to replace them
We're going to find out where you fans really stand
We'll see if the fans are supportive of the replacement or not
Are there any queers in the theater tonight?
Is anyone who identifies as gay here right now?
Get 'em up against the wall (get them up)
Make them stand against the wall (physically)
Now, there's one in the spotlight
One of them is in the center of attention
He don't look right to me
He seems suspicious or different in some way
Then get him up against the wall (get them)
Then, make him stand against the wall too
Now, that one looks Jewish
That person appears to be of Jewish descent
And that one's a coon
That person is of Black/African-American descent
Who let all this riffraff into the room?
Why were all these low-class people allowed in here?
There's one smoking a joint
Someone is smoking marijuana
And another with spots
Someone has a skin condition
If I had my way, I'd have all of them shot
I want to kill them all if I could
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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