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)
Anderson Shelter
Roger Waters Lyrics
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Jim Bloggs: Yeah. We had a Morrison. Mmm, I used to sleep in it. I stuck pin-up girls all over the inside. Betty Grabel, Ann Shelton, Tricia Rock. The roof got all smokey 'cause I used to read in bed with a candle.
Hilda Bloggs: Yes, it was nice at the war really. The shelters, the blackouts, cups of tea.
Jim Bloggs: The A.R.P., the evacuees, London kids seeing cows for the first time.
Jim Bloggs: Those were the days.
The lyrics of "Anderson Shelter" by Roger Waters offer a unique perspective on the Second World War. The conversation between Hilda and Jim Bloggs reminisces about the war, in a rather nostalgic manner. Hilda seems to be fondly remembering the small pleasures of wartime, such as painting the front of their Anderson shelter green and growing cabbages on their neighbor's shelter. Jim has similarly absorbed the experiences of the war, but with a more personal touch. He reflects on his old Morrison shelter, where he used to sleep and stick pin-up girls like Betty Grabel and Ann Shelton. In his words, the roof of the shelter would get "smokey" because he would read in bed with a candle.
Despite the obvious hardships of war, the lyrics convey a sense of wistfulness towards that era, highlighting the sense of community that was fostered during those times. Both Hilda and Jim reminisce about the simple pleasures of life during the war, such as cups of tea and listening to Winston Churchill on the wireless. Overall, "Anderson Shelter" presents a unique perspective on World War II, looking beyond the horror and destruction of the war, offering a glimpse of the simpler times that came with wartime.
Line by Line Meaning
It's funny to think there's no shelters this time.
Hilda recalls the absence of bomb shelters during wartime and finds it amusing.
We had an old Anderson in the garden.
Hilda and her family had an Anderson bomb shelter in their garden during the war.
And we painted the front green. Painted it looked quite pretty!
They painted the front of their Anderson shelter green and thought it looked attractive.
Next door grew cabbages on theirs.
Their neighbors used their Anderson shelter to grow cabbages.
Yeah. We had a Morrison.
Jim mentions that they had a Morrison bomb shelter during the war.
Mmm, I used to sleep in it.
Jim remembers sleeping in the Morrison shelter during the war.
I stuck pin-up girls all over the inside. Betty Grabel, Ann Shelton, Tricia Rock.
Jim decorated the inside of the Morrison shelter with pin-up girls.
The roof got all smokey 'cause I used to read in bed with a candle.
Jim used to read in bed with a candle and the smoke caused discoloration on the roof of the Morrison shelter.
Yes, it was nice at the war really. The shelters, the blackouts, cups of tea.
Despite the hardships of war, Hilda looks back on it with fondness, remembering the bomb shelters, blackouts, and cups of tea.
The A.R.P., the evacuees, London kids seeing cows for the first time.
Jim remembers the Air Raid Precautions, the evacuation of children, and city kids experiencing rural life for the first time.
Old Churchill on the wireless!
Hilda fondly remembers hearing Winston Churchill's speeches on the radio during the war.
Those were the days.
Jim looks back on the wartime as a simpler and more innocent time in his life.
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JeffKyler14
I just realized this sounds a lot like Rock-a-bye Baby... Even the lyrics of it mentions "When the wind blows, the cradle will rock" which makes perfect sense in a dark way. Knowing what happens to them in the end makes it even more tragic and heartbreaking.
Jerrid P. Esquire The 27th
oh my