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)
Grantchester Meadows
Roger Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the sky a bird was heard to cry
Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds
Belie the deathly silence that lay all around
Hear the lark harken to the barking of the dark fox
Gone to ground
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water
Laughing as it passes through the endless summer
Making for the sea
In the lazy water meadow I lay me down
All around me golden sun flakes settle on the ground
Basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon
Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room
Hear the lark harken to the barking of the dark fox
Gone to ground
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees
In the lazy water meadow I lay me down
All around me golden sun flakes covering the ground
Basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon
Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room
Hear the lark harken to the barking of the dark fox
Gone to ground
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees
“Grantchester Meadows” is a song by Roger Waters, and it is a lovely ode to nature. The beginning of the song paints a picture of a cold, dark night that is overcome by the warmth of the day. The bird’s cry signifies the dawn, which brings us to the “Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds.” The tranquility of a new day is palpable, but there is a lurking sense of death that Waters weaves into his writing. He says that even though there is an abundance of life in the meadows, it is almost as if everything around him is still and silent, waiting for life to burst forth.
The second half of the song details the beauty of the meadows. The lark's sweet song contrasts with the fox's bark, telling the listener that life and death are in a never-ending dance. The kingfisher's splash into the water is like a burst of energy that Waters hears as the meadow's lazy yet continuous flow. The final lines of the song bring us back to the day, and Waters sings of how the sounds and warmth soothe him, even though he is miles away in a city. The song ends with the same themes of life and death, reminding the listener of the beauty of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Icy wind of night be gone this is not your domain
As the brutal cold of night begins to envelope the world around him, Roger Waters implores it to retreat as it does not belong in his peaceful surroundings.
In the sky a bird was heard to cry
An unknown bird let out a sudden and startling cry, piercing the otherwise tranquil morning sky.
Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds
The stillness of the morning is broken by the soft whispers of the mist and the gentle rustling of nature coming to life.
Belie the deathly silence that lay all around
Despite the oppressive soundlessness of the early morning, it is somehow undercut by the faint sounds of stirring life.
Hear the lark harken to the barking of the dark fox
The song of a lark is interrupted by the bark of a fox lurking in the shadows, giving Waters pause to consider the balance of nature.
Gone to ground
The fox has retreated back to its den, waiting for nightfall to resume its hunt.
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water
The sudden movement of a kingfisher diving into the water catches Waters' attention, adding another layer to the colorful tapestry of nature in this scene.
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees
As the stream flows by unnoticed among the trees, its vibrant green waters serve as a reminder of the natural beauty hidden all around us.
Laughing as it passes through the endless summer
The river seems to almost laugh joyously as it makes its way through the seemingly endless days of summer.
Making for the sea
The river's ultimate destination is the sea, though its journey through the lazy water meadow is a serene and peaceful one.
In the lazy water meadow I lay me down
With the abundance of natural beauty surrounding him, Waters lays down in the lazy water meadow to take it all in.
All around me golden sun flakes settle on the ground
The gentle rays of the sun catch the dew in the air, casting a golden glow to everything in sight.
Basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon
The warmth of the sun and the beauty of the surroundings remind Waters of simpler, happier times gone by.
Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room
Even though he's now in a noisy urban environment, the memory of this idyllic day brings comfort to Waters and reminds him of the beauty that still exists in the world.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROGER WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fedeio9381
"Icy wind of night be gone this is not your domain"
In the sky a bird was heard to cry
Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds
Belie the deathly silence that lay all around
Hear the lark harken to the barking of the dark fox
Gone to ground
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees
Laughing as it passes through the endless summer
Making for the sea
In the lazy water meadow I lay me down
All around me golden sun flakes settle on the ground
Basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon
Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room
Hear the lark harken to the barking of the dark fox
Gone to ground
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees
In the lazy water meadow I lay me down
All around me golden sun flakes covering the ground
Basking in the sunshine of a bygone afternoon
Bringing sounds of yesterday into this city room
Hear the lark harken to the barking of the dark fox
Gone to ground
See the splashing of the kingfisher flashing to the water
And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees
@eltonastheim
See David Gilmour and Roger Waters singing together is the same feeling of see John Lennon and Paul McCartney at that time. Is such a great feeling
@BrentMFisher
even better for me. David and Roger both ~ k
@quandovoceestiverlendoosco2839
Too bad Roger and David were never friends...
@carmelojackson1881
I know im asking randomly but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an instagram account..?
I was dumb lost my login password. I love any help you can offer me
@deckerdevon591
@Carmelo Jackson instablaster :)
@BrentMFisher
@Carmelo Jackson Good luck is all I can say, I've been blocked from my facebook account for 2 years
@robinhodgson7862
For those who aren't birdwatchers - the bird singing at the end is a Nightingale. The birds at the start include Nightingale, Song Thrush and Cuckoo. Lovely stuff.
@ramonarellano4988
I have been living in the Los Angeles area for many years, never decided to own a house, and all the places that I have lived in there was a nightingale singing for me at night, a strange feeling that it was the same one following me, but now at 64 years of age he has abandoned me, he was with me since I was 30, and he was crazy, always inventing new sounds, but I was laughing some times with his crazy singing, and in the morning he followed me until I got in my car to go to work, I'm really sad.
@Rolexpert
That's special to me ...as a PSYCHONAUT...
@gking407
For me this song works like a spell, casting away my dark and ominous thoughts, replacing them with sunny warmth like a cloak of security