Us And Them
Pink Floyd (mélQdramâ) Lyrics
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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
The song 'Us and Them' by Pink Floyd is a reflection on the futility of war and the thin line that separates human beings, despite race, color, religion, and nationality. We are all ordinary people, and the choices that lead to war are never made by ordinary people. Through the lyrics, Pink Floyd conveys the idea that war is not a natural state of living and that there lies within all of us the power to choose peace. The song opens with a repetitive chanting of "Us and Them," which serves to emphasize the distinction between "us" (the good guys) and "them" (the bad guys). However, the continued chanting of this phrase is also indicative of the cycle of war that seems never-ending. The lyrics "And after all, we're only ordinary men, Me and you" further convey how easily people are led to war, despite being ordinary and not wishing to fight.
The middle section of the song describes the chaos, confusion, and brutality of war, where lines on the map move from side to side, and black and blue may be the same. It highlights how soldiers on both sides of the battle are caught up in this chaos, struggling to understand who the real enemy is. The lyrics "Haven't you heard it's a battle of words" bring out the idea of propaganda being used to drive people to war. Finally, the song ends on a somber note, with the line "For the want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died," conveying the idea that the cost of war is often paid by ordinary people who have no stake in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Us (us, us, us, us) and them (them, them, them, them)
The division between groups, whether it's by nationality or ideology, creates an 'us versus them' mentality.
And after all we're only ordinary men
Regardless of our differences, we're all just human beings with our own sets of strengths and weaknesses.
Me and you (you, you, you)
You and I are part of this larger conflict, whether we like it or not.
God only knows
The artist acknowledges that they don't have all the answers and that some aspects of life may be beyond their understanding.
It's not what we would choose (choose, choose) to do (to do, to do)
While they may not agree with the conflict or violence, they feel compelled to participate in some way.
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
The leaders of the conflict, who may not personally be on the front lines, make decisions that affect the lives of those who do fight in the conflict. The conflicts themselves may move around and be caused by something as abstract as the borders marked on a map.
Black (black, black, black)
And blue (blue, blue)
The colors of bruising that can result from physical conflict.
And who knows which is which and who is who
In the midst of this conflict, it can be difficult to differentiate the aggressors and the victims.
Up (up, up, up, up)
And down (down, down, down, down)
And in the end it's only round 'n round (round, round, round)
The conflict has the potential to be a never-ending cycle of violence and destruction, where there are only temporary victories and defeats.
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
The conflict can take on many forms, including verbal arguments and propaganda. Those who wield weapons and fight in the conflict may try to recruit new people to their cause.
"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?"
Even those who use violence to resolve disputes may feel that they are acting justly and fairly. They may see acts of violence as a way to send a message or make a point, rather than simply harming others.
Down (down, down, down, down)
And out (out, out, out, out)
It can't be helped that there's a lot of it about
People may suffer both physically and emotionally because of the conflict, and there may not be much that can be done to stop it from happening.
With (with, with, with), without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
People on both sides of the conflict may have either more or less resources than others, but the root cause of the conflict is something deeper, such as ideology or nationalism.
Out of the way
It's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
Some may be willing to ignore the conflict or be apathetic towards it, as they have their own personal concerns to deal with.
For the want of the price
Of tea and a slice
The old man died
Something as simple as not being able to afford enough food or medicine can have deadly consequences, regardless of the larger conflicts happening in the world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROGER WATERS, RICK WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind