Us and Them
Pink Fraud Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And after all we're only ordinary men
Me and you
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do
Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
And the General sat and the lines on the map
Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who
Up and down
And in the end it's only round and round and round and 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
"Well I mean, they're gonna kill ya, so like, if you give 'em a quick sh... short, sharp shock, they don't do it again.
Dig it? I mean he got off light, 'cause I coulda given 'I'm a thrashin' but I only hit him once.
It's only the difference between right and wrong innit? I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
Down and out
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about
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 want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died
The song "Us and Them" by Pink Floyd is a commentary on the divisions between people and nations. The first two lines set up the theme of "us and them" and recognize that even if we see ourselves as different from others, we are all just "ordinary men." God only knows why we choose to fight instead of finding common ground.
The third and fourth lines suggest that those who are most removed from the front lines of battle are often the ones making the decisions that lead to death and destruction. The General sits and moves lines on a map, while the soldiers on the ground pay the price.
The lines "black and blue, and who knows which is which and who is who, up and down, and in the end, it's only round and round and round and round" speak to the arbitrary nature of the fighting and how it becomes a cycle that is hard to break. The poster bearer and the man with the gun are two representatives of opposing sides in the conflict, but both are essentially fighting for the same thing.
The lines "down and out, it can't be helped but there's a lot of it about, with, without, and who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about" suggest that poverty and inequality are at the heart of much of the world's conflicts. The final line "for want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died" brings home the senselessness of it all, as a man dies simply because he couldn't afford a cup of tea.
Overall, "Us and Them" is a commentary on the human condition and our propensity to divide ourselves into groups, even when it ultimately leads to our own destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Us and them
The division of people into different groups
And after all we're only ordinary men
Regardless of which group we belong to, we are simply average human beings
Me and you
Both of us, regardless of our differences
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do
We don't want to be divided or fight, but we feel we have no choice
Forward he cried from the rear
The leader urges us to move forward, but he sends others to fight and possibly die
And the front rank died
The soldiers in front are the first to be killed
And the General sat and the lines on the map
The leader is removed from the battlefield, only seeing the conflict in abstract terms
Moved from side to side
The boundaries between groups shift with each battle
Black and blue
Both sides suffer injuries and wounds
And who knows which is which and who is who
It's difficult to tell the two groups apart or determine who is on the 'right' side
Up and down
The conflict continues with victory and loss shifting between the groups
And in the end it's only round and round and round and round
The fighting repeats itself with no end in sight
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The conflict is fueled by rhetoric and propaganda
The poster bearer cried
The person spreading propaganda proclaims it loudly
Listen son said the man with the gun
The person in power urges others to follow or be punished
There's room for you inside
Join us or face the consequences
"Well I mean, they're gonna kill ya, so like, if you give 'em a quick sh... short, sharp shock, they don't do it again.
The man with a gun suggests that violence is necessary to stop the other group
Dig it? I mean he got off light, 'cause I coulda given 'I'm a thrashin' but I only hit him once.
The man is justifying his violent behavior and suggests he could have been even more brutal
It's only the difference between right and wrong innit? I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
The man suggests that his actions are justified, and being polite isn't important in times of conflict
Down and out
People who are struggling or have lost in the conflict
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about
The conflict is out of control and has spread widely
With, without
People who are part of the conflict and those who are not
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about
The conflict is the reason for the division between people
Out of the way it's a busy day
People are too busy with their daily lives to worry about the conflict
I've got things on my mind
Individuals are too preoccupied with their personal lives to engage in the conflict
For want of the price of tea and a slice
People are struggling to afford even basic needs
The old man died
The conflict has severe consequences, including loss of life
Writer(s): RICK WRIGHT, ROGER WATERS
Contributed by Emily W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.