Roger Waters was the main lyricist for the classic British rock band Pink Floyd. He, along with Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright, formed the band in 1965 and released their first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967. In 1968, Syd Barrett was replaced by guitarist/singer David Gilmour. He and Gilmour were the main creative forces behind the albums Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, and Wish You Were Here; Waters eventually became the primary songwriter, being the driving force behind Animals, and The Wall as well as the sole songwriter of The Final Cut. Waters became well-known for being an intense perfectionist and his controlling nature alienated the rest of the band. The Final Cut, released in 1983, was essentially a Roger Waters solo album "performed by Pink Floyd" as the credits stated. This would be the group's last album with Waters. David Gilmour decided to carry on with Pink Floyd and Waters, believing that Pink Floyd was a "non-entity" without him, sued the rest of the band to retire the Pink Floyd name. His lawsuit ultimately failed, and Pink Floyd released three more studio albums and two double live albums, without him.
The feud between David Gilmour and Roger Waters lasted for decades, and it wasn't until Live 8 in 2005 that they finally decided to set their differences aside and perform a brief set for the charity gig. This would be the last time that Pink Floyd would ever perform together in their "classic" lineup. Shortly after the show, there was much speculation that Pink Floyd would get back together for a full reunion tour, but Gilmour ultimately nixed the idea, stating that although the Live 8 gig was fun, the rehearsals were not.
Much to everyone's surprise, Gilmour and Waters reunited once again on July 11, 2010 for a charity performance for “The Hoping Foundation,” an organization that supports Palestinian refugee kids. At Ronnie Scott’s club in London, the duo performed four songs together: “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (a cover of the old Teddy Bear’s song), “Wish You Were Here,” “Comfortably Numb,” and finally (after a special request) “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.” Once again, just like after the Live 8 Reunion, speculation began regarding future reunions. No official Pink Floyd reunion has yet been set, but Gilmour did promise that he would join Roger Waters for one show on his 2010-11 “The Wall” tour, performing “Comfortably Numb.” Gilmour fulfilled his promise on May 14, 2011 in London.
Waters has so far released the following solo albums:
* Music from The Body soundtrack with Ron Geesin(1970)
* The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking (1984)
* When the Wind Blows soundtrack with contributions from other artists as well (1986)
* Radio K.A.O.S. (1987)
* The Wall: Live in Berlin (1990)
* Amused to Death (1992)
* In the Flesh live (2000)
* Flickering Flame: The Solo Years, Vol. 1 (2003)
* Ça Ira (Opera) (2005)
*Is This the Life We Really Want? (2017)
*Igor Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale (2018)
*The Lockdown Sessions (2022)
4:58AM
Roger Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get on up here
How's it going good buddy?"
I nailed ducks to the wall
Kept my heart in dark ruins
I built bungalows over the hills
Dunroamin, duncarin, dunlivin
Took my girl to the country
Next thing she's going crazy
[Trucker:] "Women are like that kid
What the hell can you do?"
She waits for the real Mr. Right to come
Gently removing her heart
With his promises of real communication
[Trucker:] "I saw a program about that on TV, heh"
Who's always picking up the tab
Who built a bungalow for his momma and dad
Me.....
Who took you out to all the shows
Who worked his fingers to the bone
Me....
While you were asleep
[Jade:] "It was me...I did!"
I kept you in buttons and bows
[Jade:] "Christ! All those clothes!
So you could encourage this creep
[Hick:] "With that program
I bet some son of a bitch made a million dollars."
With his neat feet
And his clean fingernails
With his wise but twinkling eyes
He's a rock standing out in an ocean of doubt
[Trucker:] "Get movin', get off the road ya Goddam faggot."
And compromise
I'd like to go on with this bit of a song
Describing this schmuck
I'd like to go on, but I'm going to throw up
[Trucker:] "Not in my rig you don't boy
Get the hell out of here.
The lyrics of Roger Waters's "Dunroamin Duncarin Dunlivin" seem to describe a man's failed attempt at finding happiness in life. The first verse features a conversation with a truck driver, where the man admits to "nailing ducks to the wall" and keeping his heart in ruins. He talks about building bungalows over the hills and using them as a way to escape from reality. However, even this idyllic life cannot bring him happiness. The second verse discusses a failed relationship, where the man took his girl to the country to sleep out under the stars, but she still went crazy. The truck driver dismisses her behavior as typical of women and tells the man to wait for the "real Mr. Right" to come along. The man then reflects on all the things he has done for this girl, but she still chooses another man. The lyrics suggest that the man is resigned to his fate, accepting the limitations of his life, and unable to move on.
The song's title is a play on words, with "Dunroamin" and "Dunlivin" being words associated with living in the countryside, while "Duncarin" is a made-up word. The song is part of Waters's first solo album, "The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking," which was released in 1984. The album tells the story of a man's dream state during a mid-life crisis, and several of the songs feature conversations with a hitchhiking ghost. "Dunroamin Duncarin Dunlivin" is one such conversation, suggesting that the man's dreams are becoming increasingly disillusioned.
Line by Line Meaning
"Hey kid, you looking for a lift? Get on up here How's it going good buddy?"
A trucker offers a ride and a friendly greeting
"I nailed ducks to the wall Kept my heart in dark ruins I built bungalows over the hills Dunroamin, duncarin, dunlivin"
The singer engaged in destructive behavior and built a life of isolation and solitude
"Took my girl to the country To sleep out under the moon Next thing she's going crazy"
The singer took his girlfriend to the country for a romantic adventure, but it had a negative effect on her mental health
"Women are like that kid What the hell can you do?"
The trucker attributes the girlfriend's behavior to the general traits of women and suggests that there's nothing that can be done to change it
"She waits for the real Mr. Right to come Gently removing her heart With his promises of real communication"
The girlfriend is waiting for someone better to come along while falling for the trickery of men who promise deeper relationships
"I saw a program about that on TV, heh"
The trucker is familiar with the girlfriend's behavior patterns from watching TV
"Who's always picking up the tab Who built a bungalow for his momma and dad Me....."
The singer is a kind and generous person who takes care of his parents and his partner
"Who took you out to all the shows Who worked his fingers to the bone Me.... While you were asleep"
The artist worked hard to provide for his partner and took her out on fun dates while she slept
"It was me...I did!"
The girlfriend finally admits that the artist is the one who took care of her
"I kept you in buttons and bows Christ! All those clothes! So you could encourage this creep"
The artist provided his partner with material things so she could attract other men
"With that program I bet some son of a bitch made a million dollars."
The trucker expresses disgust at the fact that someone is profiting off of exploiting women's emotions
"With his neat feet And his clean fingernails With his wise but twinkling eyes He's a rock standing out in an ocean of doubt"
The artist describes a man who is attractive and charismatic, but may not have a genuine character
"Get movin', get off the road ya Goddam faggot."
The trucker kicks the singer out of his truck, using a homophobic slur to insult him
"Not in my rig you don't boy Get the hell out of here."
The trucker forcefully ejects the singer from his truck
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind