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)

Work
Pink Floyd Lyrics

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Schoolboy, schoolboy, did you hear what I said?
How am I supposed to make you see the light?
It's hard enough to sleepwalk through the day
Without some creepy little boy like you
Bombarding my lonely shell
Glimpses of half open doors
Gleams in the night that I might well have followed myself

Teacher, teacher, you might as well be dead
All those years you tried to suck my brain away
It was hard enough to drag myself from bed
Without some crazy lunatic like you
Bombarding my still soft shell
Sticks and stones that you found lying around
In the pile of unspeakable feelings you found

When you turn back the stone
Turned over the stone

Of your own disappointment
Back home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pink Floyd's song "Work" describe the frustration and emotional toll that the education system can take on a person. The song speaks to the experience of feeling stuck and unable to find purpose in life. The opening lines are directed at a schoolboy, who may represent the singer's younger self. The singer is attempting to make the schoolboy "see the light," or understand the reality of the world around him. However, the singer acknowledges that it is difficult enough to make it through the day without the constant bombardment of negativity and criticism from others.

The second verse is directed towards a teacher, who the singer sees as dead or useless. The singer is resentful of the years that the teacher spent trying to shape their mind and the negative impact it had on their mental health. The final lines of the verse describe the singer as still being soft or immature, indicating that they were not equipped to handle the criticism they received from their teacher.

The final verse of the song encourages the listener to "turn back the stone" of their own disappointment and look within themselves for answers. The "pile of unspeakable feelings" that the teacher found may represent repressed emotions that the singer has not dealt with. Overall, "Work" is a reflection on the impact that institutions like school and teachers can have on one's sense of self-worth and purpose.

Line by Line Meaning

Schoolboy, schoolboy, did you hear what I said?
I am trying to get the attention of a young and naive person who may not fully understand the gravity of what I'm saying.

How am I supposed to make you see the light?
Despite my efforts, it seems impossible to help this person gain a deeper level of understanding or insight.

It's hard enough to sleepwalk through the day
I am going through the motions of my daily life without any real sense of purpose or motivation.

Without some creepy little boy like you Bombarding my lonely shell
This young person is only causing me more distress and making me feel more alone by constantly bothering me.

Glimpses of half open doors Gleams in the night that I might well have followed myself
I have had moments of clarity and insight that could have led me to a better path, but I have not taken advantage of them.

Teacher, teacher, you might as well be dead All those years you tried to suck my brain away
This authority figure who was meant to guide and educate me has done nothing but drain me of my energy and intelligence for years.

It was hard enough to drag myself from bed Without some crazy lunatic like you Bombarding my still soft shell Sticks and stones that you found lying around In the pile of unspeakable feelings you found
Even just getting out of bed is a struggle when I know I'll be faced with this oppressive figure who will do nothing but trigger the repressed emotions I've been carrying around with me.

When you turn back the stone Turned over the stone Of your own disappointment Back home
Looking back on the difficult times I've experienced and the emotions I've repressed can be painful and scary, but ultimately it's necessary in order to grow and move forward.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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