The song was included in the encore of all the concerts of the 2000 In The Flesh tour, and some of the concerts of the 2002 tour (alternating with "Flickering Flame").
The background
Before performing the song for the first time Roger Waters explained some of the background to an impatient audience. The inspiration to the lyrics came from different sources. The following information is a quote from the official Roger Waters
A few years ago, an Italian journalist from a Florentine newspaper, involved in the Iniziativa contro la tortura, which is the initiative against torture in Northern Italy, sent some lyrics written by a South American man who had been tortured. The English translation (which represents the first stanza of the song) proved to be very moving, and was set to music. The words remained untouched.. Until Kosovo.
The London Times had a piece which told the story of a Serbian soldier who saw an Albanian woman lying wounded in a burned-out building. He left his platoon, went over and helped her, and then joined his men and marched off. There was sense in that image. The rest of the song is about that.
Halfdan Rasmussen
In 1979 Amnesty International (Denmark) published a small book with poems about Human Rights (ISBN: 87-980852-2-0). Among the best were a small poem from Halfdan Rasmussen titled "Ikke Bødlen". The original text of "Ikke Bødlen" is printed below.
Ikke bødlen gør mig bange.
Not the torturer will scare me
ikke hadet og torturen,
Nor the hate and the torture
ikke dødens riffelgange eller skyggerne på muren.
Nor the barrels of death's rifles nor the shadows on the wall
Ikke nætterne,
Nor the nights
når smertens sidste stjerne styrter ned,
When the last star of pain is falling to the ground
men den nådesløse verdens blinde ligegyldighed.
But the blind indifference of the merciless world
Each Small Candle
Roger Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nor the body's final fall
Nor the barrels of death's rifles
Nor the shadows on the wall
Nor the night when to the ground
The last dim star of pain, is hurled
But the blind indifference
Of a merciless, unfeeling world
Lying in the burnt out shell
Of some Albanian farm
An old Babushka
Holds a crying baby in her arms
A soldier from the other side
A man of heart and pride
Breaks ranks, lays down his rifle
To kneel by her side
He gives her water
Binds her wounds
And calms the crying child
A touch gives absolution then
Across the great divide
He picks his way back through the broken
China of her life
And there at the curb
The samaritan Serb turns and waves ... goodbye
And each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
Each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
Each small candle lights a corner of the dark
When the wheel of pain stops turning
And the branding iron stops burning
When the children can be children
When the desperados weaken
When the tide rolls into greet them
And the natural law of science
Greets the humble and the mighty
And the billion candles burning
Lights the dark side of every human mind
Each small candle
Each small candle (repeated)
Each small candles lights the dark side of every human mind
And each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
Roger Waters’ song Each Small Candle explores the theme of hope and compassion in the midst of conflict and anguish. The lyrics depict different situations of atrocities, where humanity and compassion shines through, providing a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark and unforgiving world. The song starts with the assertion that the singer is not afraid of the tormentor, nor the finality of death, but rather the “blind indifference of a merciless, unfeeling world”. The sentiment expressed here is that it is not death that is feared the most, but rather the apathy of the world, the idea that we are alone and our suffering goes unnoticed.
The second verse begins with a scene of war, where an old Albanian woman cradles a crying baby in her arms amidst the ruins of her farm. A soldier from the enemy side, moved by her plight, disobeys orders and brings her some comfort. He gives her water, binds her wounds and soothes the child while hoping for an end to the violence. The verse ends with the soldier leaving, waving goodbye to the woman as he crosses back to his own side of the conflict.
The chorus, “each small candle lights a corner of the dark” is a metaphor for the hope and light that compassion and understanding bring in dark times. The idea is that every act of kindness, no matter how small, helps light up the darkness of the world. The last verse envisions a time when the “wheel of pain stops turning” and humanity can come together in peace, and the “natural law of science” meets both the humble and the mighty. The hope expressed here is that someday, every human mind can be devoid of hate and negativity, and every small candle can bring light to the darkest corners of our world.
Line by Line Meaning
Not the torturer will scare me
I am not afraid of the torturer or any physical harm they can cause me.
Nor the body's final fall
I am not even afraid of death.
Nor the barrels of death's rifles
Neither am I afraid of the guns or weapons that can take my life.
Nor the shadows on the wall
I am not afraid of anything imaginary or unreal, like shadows on a wall.
Nor the night when to the ground
The last dim star of pain, is hurled
I am not even afraid of the darkest of nights when my pain and struggles seem overwhelming.
But the blind indifference
Of a merciless, unfeeling world
What really scares me is the thought of living in a world where people are indifferent and lack empathy.
Lying in the burnt out shell
Of some Albanian farm
An old Babushka
Holds a crying baby in her arms
The scene is of a war-torn area, where only ruins remain. An old woman holds an infant, both helpless and injured by the war.
A soldier from the other side
A man of heart and pride
Breaks ranks, lays down his rifle
To kneel by her side
A soldier from the enemy side disregards his orders, stops fighting, and helps the woman and child.
He gives her water
Binds her wounds
And calms the crying child
A touch gives absolution then
Across the great divide
The soldier helps the old woman and child, gives them necessary aid and comfort, and in doing so, reconciles with the opposing enemy side.
He picks his way back through the broken
China of her life
And there at the curb
The samaritan Serb turns and waves ... goodbye
The soldier returns to his side of the fight, leaving behind the scene of destruction and injury, but having done something good while there.
And each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
The idea that small acts of kindness and compassion, like helping the woman and child, can bring light to an otherwise dark world.
When the wheel of pain stops turning
And the branding iron stops burning
When the children can be children
When the desperados weaken
When the tide rolls into greet them
And the natural law of science
Greets the humble and the mighty
And the billion candles burning
Lights the dark side of every human mind
The imagery suggests a future world where pain and suffering have ended, people are no longer branded or oppressed. Desperados and outlaws no longer bully with impunity. Nature itself has become kinder. In this new world the natural laws that govern existence treat even the humble as mighty, and every person's faults are illuminated by the light of a common understanding.
Each small candle
Each small candle (repeated)
Each small candles lights the dark side of every human mind
The repetition of 'Each small candle' emphasizes the idea that small individual acts of compassion or justice can have a larger impact on the world. Even though there is darkness in human life, these small acts provide light that offer hope to push forward and make the world better for all.
And each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
The last line repeats the central idea of the song that, once again, small acts of kindness, empathy, or courage can bring light to the darkness of our world.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROGER WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@literatureandmusic1272
Not the torturer will scare me
Nor the body's final fall
Nor the barrels of death's rifles
Nor the shadows on the wall
Nor the night when to the ground
The last dim star of pain, is hurled
But the blind indifference
Of a merciless, unfeeling world
Lying in the burnt out shell
Of some Albanian farm
An old Babushka
Holds a crying baby in her arms
A soldier from the other side
A man of heart and pride
Breaks ranks, lays down his rifle
To kneel by her side
He gives her water
Binds her wounds
And calms the crying child
A touch gives absolution then
Across the great divide
He picks his way back through the broken
China of her life
And there at the curb
The samaritan Serb turns and waves ... goodbye
And each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
Each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
Each small candle lights a corner of the dark
When the wheel of pain stops turning
And the branding iron stops burning
When the children can be children
When the desperados weaken
When the tide rolls into greet them
And the natural law of science
Greets the humble and the mighty
And the billion candles burning
Lights the dark side of every human mind
Each small candle
Each small candle (repeated)
Each small candles lights the dark side of every human mind
And each small candle
Lights a corner of the dark
@alancamilleri
I cannot imagine life without Pink Floyd. This music is legend and should be stored away in our memories. Poor children who are being born without Pink Floyd music.!!!!!
@nigeltomlinson3329
He got me through some troubling times lyrics on life are spot on ♥️👍🏴
@maryoconnor9360
This sends an incredible well needed message that should be listened to around the World. Especially today
Roger uses his genius to bring about the awareness needed to change this World we are living in and to save this Earth we are living on.
Bless you and Thank You and Much Love to you and The Mrs .
@alancamilleri
Beautiful song from a great musician
@HMohr
Roger Waters taught me on what is art and what it can do to make our experience as humans better. My hero. I'm grateful for so much wisdom and sensibility.
@cyrusaalborg
He picks his way back through the broken China of her life , great line
@silvanorossi6416
This song is deep and beautiful
@veronicaalessandrello1022
Wow ...it’s the first time I hear it and see the videoclip. I’m speechless.
@TheSteveBoyd
I've loved this song since I first heard it on "In The Flesh", but I've never heard the studio version before (I didn't even know there WAS one). The video started strong enough that I thought it might actually be an official release, until it degraded into a lazy screen capture of a 1st person shooter video game. No matter, it's still one of my favorite songs from the heart of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters.
@user-iw3tc2ym1v
классная песня! Жаль живьем не слышал.