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)
Déjà Vu
Roger Waters Lyrics
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I would have rearranged the veins in the face to make them more
Resistant to alcohol and less prone to ageing
If I had been God
I would have sired many sons and I would not have suffered
The Romans to kill even one of them
With my staff and my rod
If I had been given the nod
I believe I could have done a better job
If I were a drone
Patrolling foreign skies
With my electronic eyes for guidance
And the element of surprise
I would be afraid to find someone home
Maybe a woman at a stove
Baking bread, making rice, or just boiling down some bones
If I were a drone
The temple's in ruins
The bankers get fat
The buffalo's gone
And the mountain top's flat
The trout in the streams are all hermaphrodites
You lean to the left but you walk to the right
And it feels like déjà vu
The sun goes down and I'm still missing you
Counting the cost of love that got lost
And under my Gulf Stream, in circular balls
There's ninety-nine cents worth of drunkards and fools
The song "Déjà Vu" is a track from Roger Waters's latest solo album, "Is This the Life We Really Want?". The song is a reflection on life as well as a commentary on different aspects of society. The lyrics in the first verse narrate an imaginary scenario where Roger Waters is God and envisions handling certain things differently. The lines "I would have rearranged the veins in the face to make them more resistant to alcohol and less prone to aging" refers to the consequences of excessive drinking and getting old. He also mentions that he wouldn't have allowed the Romans to kill any of his sired sons, which is a reference to Jesus Christ. The verse concludes with a sentiment that he could have done a better job with things in the world had he been God.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to the subject of war and drone surveillance. The lyrics describe the perspective of a drone patrolling foreign skies, spying and searching for targets. Roger emphasizes the concept of being afraid to find people at homes or performing normal day-to-day activities, like cooking or baking, because it humanizes them and makes it harder to see them as simple targets. He comments on the wider socio-political constructs, where people in positions of power often make decisions that benefit their own pockets while destroying the natural world around us. In the final verse, the lyrics take a more personal turn with a feeling of déjà vu and the cost of love.
Overall, "Déjà Vu" is a reminder to us all to revisit our values and imagine better alternatives to the way things are, both on personal and societal levels.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had been God
The singer wishes they had the power and control of a deity.
I would have rearranged the veins in the face to make them more Resistant to alcohol and less prone to ageing
The singer wishes people could drink without negative effects and not age, if they were in control of their biological structure.
I would have sired many sons and I would not have suffered The Romans to kill even one of them
The singer would have created many children and protected them from harm.
With my staff and my rod If I had been given the nod I believe I could have done a better job
The artist thinks they could do things better than the current authorities or creator of the universe.
If I were a drone Patrolling foreign skies With my electronic eyes for guidance And the element of surprise I would be afraid to find someone home Maybe a woman at a stove Baking bread, making rice, or just boiling down some bones If I were a drone
The artist imagines the scary, invasive power of modern military drones, and emphasizes the civilian casualties that would result from their uncertain incursions.
The temple's in ruins The bankers get fat The buffalo's gone And the mountain top's flat The trout in the streams are all hermaphrodites You lean to the left but you walk to the right
The singer sees signs of societal decay and destruction, including misunderstood gender roles, and how contradictions in behavior are a part of everyday life.
And it feels like déjà vu The sun goes down and I'm still missing you Counting the cost of love that got lost And under my Gulf Stream, in circular balls There's ninety-nine cents worth of drunkards and fools
The singer is contemplating heartbreak and loss, juxtaposed with an image of people drinking cheap beer and wasting their lives. This frustration leaves them with a feeling like they've experienced it all before.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: George Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@khafagy19691
According to Roger Waters, there are two verses in the song that the director Nigel Godrich removed on the final cut to make the record fit the run time of 54 minutes. Otherwise, the album would have run over 60 minutes which according to Roger would be a disaster.
The Two verses were suppose to be in the last part of the song and they go like this:
{Verse 4}
And if I were a Muslim
And you were a Jew
If I were a Mennonite
And you were an Hindu
Would we exchange
The weight of these chains
Chains of belief
And the carnage on the trains to turn over a new leaf
{Verse 5}
If I had been god
I would not have chosen anyone
I would have laid an even hand
On all my children everyone
Would have been content
To forgo Ramadan and Lent
Time better spent
In the company of friends
Breaking bread and mending nets
@illforcefeedyouasbestos3048
"the sun goes down and I'm still missing you"
gets me every time
@daddyshrek2295
goosebumps moment
@mikenugent6767
Rodney Crowley
@loufo
The way he sings "my electronic eyes"... this is Waters!
@JoseEchoes378
Daniel Kühn Just like in the Final Cut album
@JCOTOlda
Is like “The thin ice” ❤️
@nehemiahalvarado1209
Man Roger's lyrics always make me go, "wow how the hell did he come up with that?". One of the great lyricists of all time
@nicholasmaxwell9899
Seriously! After Lennon and McCartney, he is the best writer in rock history for me.
@plsmencare1297
I agree. Absolutely beautiful.
@AA-sn9lz
@@nicholasmaxwell9899 lennon and McCartney don't hold a candle to Waters or even Dylan.