Us and Them
Rick Wright/Roger Waters Lyrics
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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
Moved from side to side
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
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
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 wants of the price of a tea and a slice
The old man died.
The lyrics to "Us and Them" by Rick Wright/Roger Waters speak to the futility and heartache of war. The chorus "Us and them" reminds us that while we may see ourselves as against one another, we are all just human beings. The line "And after all we're only ordinary men" strips away the dehumanizing aspect of warfare and reminds the listener that the cost of war is borne by individuals who are no different from themselves. The line "God only knows it's not what we would choose to do" shows empathy for those who fight in wars, acknowledging that many do so out of necessity rather than choice.
The verses of the song paint a vivid picture of the brutality and senselessness of war. The line "Forward he cried from the rear, and the front rank died" suggests that the leaders who call for war are often far removed from the violence they cause. The line "Black and blue, and who knows which is which and who is who" speaks to the confusion and uncertainty of battle. The line "In the end it's only round and round and round" suggests that war is a cyclical and never-ending process.
The final verse of the song is particularly heartbreaking. The line "For wants of the price of a tea and a slice, the old man died" calls attention to the poverty and desperation that can drive people to war. The line suggests that if the old man had had enough to eat, he wouldn't have joined the fight. Overall, the lyrics to "Us and Them" are a powerful commentary on the terrible cost of warfare and the common humanity that unites us all.
Line by Line Meaning
Us and them
The division between groups of people
And after all we're only ordinary men
Regardless of our differences, we're only human
Me, and you
The two opposing groups being referred to
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do
The artist acknowledges that the conflict is not necessarily the ideal situation
Forward he cried from the rear
Someone in power urged the group to move forward despite not being in direct danger
And the front rank died
The people at the front of the battle were killed
And the general sat,and the lines on the map
The person in a position of control was not risking their own life while others fought and died
Moved from side to side
The location of battle and control shifted without regard for the people involved
Black and blue
Both sides of the conflict were hurt and scarred
And who knows which is which and who is who
Identifying who belongs to which side is difficult and irrelevant in the grand scheme
Up and down
The war drags on, with no real progress or end in sight
And in the end it's only round and round and round
The cycle of conflict and war repeats itself, with no real resolution
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The conflict initially began with rhetoric, not physical violence
The poster bearer cried
A messenger claimed that their group had the moral or righteous stance
Listen son, said the man with the gun
The person in power threatens and demands loyalty
There's room for you inside
There is potential safety and refuge within the winning side
Down and out
After the war, many people are left impoverished
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about
The suffering and poverty is unfortunately prevalent and difficult to avoid
With, without
An emphasis on the class divide between those with money and those without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about
The root of conflict and war often boils down to socioeconomic struggles
Out of the way, it's a busy day
The artist is too preoccupied with personal tasks to care about the suffering of others
I've got things on my mind
The artist is consumed by their own worries and priorities
For wants of the price of a tea and a slice
Poverty and lack of resources led to the old man's death
The old man died.
The devastating effects of war and poverty on individuals
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard William Wright, George Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@annmaricrisaschieri5881
A Nobel Peace Prize to this Man soon, please
@Cheesy_33
i dunno bout that one, chief
@abdallahmagdy8358
this man has a priceless prize already, it is the genuine love from the ppl, for staying true to what he believes is right, and not bending his moral values based on the directions of the so called elites
@samirataha9417
From Occupied Palestine Great Love to you Sir.
@olganakkas3042
great love to occupied Palestine !
@roger_waters
Thank you so much for your love and support on my career all this year's,and for taking your time to express this🙏.
where are you watching from?
@marionschmitt7507
In Deutschland dürfen wir nicht um palestinensische Menschen trauern 😢
Ich werde nachts wach und sehe die Menschen vor mir die hungern , dursten ,verletzt sind und nicht versorgt werden können und das unglaubliche Elend der Kinder . Ich kann nichts tuen außer weinen . Hier wirst du gecancelt , wenn du auf dieses Thema aufmerksam machst .
@jeanette590
@@marionschmitt7507I lay awake at night thinking of them here in America.
@stinkystinkpot
Nobody can write songs like Roger. Nobody can play guitar like David. Can’t we all just get along?
@romanchab
Write, but not to sing it up, is that what you mean?