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)
Is This The Life We Really Want
Roger Waters Lyrics
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I mean it's story, after story, after story is bad
I won, I won
And the other thing, chaos, there's zero chaos
We are running, this is a fine-tuned mach
The goose has gotten fat
On caviar in fancy bars
And broken homes
Is this the life, the holy grail?
It's not enough that we succeed
We still need others to fail
Fear, fear drives the mills of modern man
Fear keeps us all in line
Fear of all those foreigners
Fear of all their crimes
Is this the life we really want? (want, want, want, want)
It surely must be so
For this is a democracy and what we all say goes
And every time a student is run over by a tank
And every time a pirate's dog is forced to walk the plank
Every time a Russian bride is advertised for sale
And every time a journalist is left to rot in jail
Every time a young girl's life is casually spent
And every time a nincompoop becomes the president
Every time somebody dies reaching for their keys
And every time that Greenland falls in the fucking sea is because
All of us, the blacks and whites
Chicanos, Asians, every type of ethnic group
Even folks from Guadeloupe, the old, the young
Toothless hags, super models, actors, fags, bleeding hearts
Football stars, men in bars, washerwomen, tailors, tarts
Grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunts
Friends, relations, homeless tramps
Clerics, truckers, cleaning ladies
Ants, maybe not ants
Why not ants?
Well because it's true
The ants don't have enough IQ to differentiate between
The pain that other people feel
And well, for instance, cutting leaves
Or crawling across windowsills in search of open treacle tins
So, like the ants, are we just dumb?
Is that why we don't feel or see?
Or are we all just numbed out on reality TV?
So, every time the curtain falls
Every time the curtain falls on some forgotten life
It is because we all stood by, silent and indifferent
It's normal
In "Is This the Life We Really Want?" Roger Waters uses powerful and thought-provoking lyrics to comment on various issues in society. In the first verse, he takes a direct swipe at the bias and negativity of media outlets like CNN through the lines "So, as an example, you're CNN, I mean it's story, after story, after story is bad, I won, I won". He then contrasts this to the idea of a well-oiled and functioning society with "And the other thing, chaos, there's zero chaos, We are running, this is a fine-tuned mach".
In the second verse, Waters highlights the greed and excess of the privileged few with the lines "The goose has gotten fat, On caviar in fancy bars, And subprime loans, And broken homes". He also speaks to the "dog eat dog" mentality of society, where people's success is often measured by seeing others fail. Fear is also a recurring theme in the song, with Waters suggesting that it's a tool used by those in power to control and manipulate people.
In the final verse, Waters questions whether people are truly aware of the problems in society, or whether they've become numbed to it all through the constant onslaught of reality TV and other distractions. He ends the song by calling out society's collective responsibility for the injustices and tragedies he's described.
Overall, "Is This the Life We Really Want?" challenges listeners to ponder the state of the world and their place in it, reminding us that we all have a role to play in creating positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
The goose has gotten fat
The wealthy are living luxuriously and accumulating wealth.
On caviar in fancy bars
The wealthy are indulging in opulent food and drink.
And subprime loans
The financial industry has exploited vulnerable people with risky loans.
And broken homes
Families have been destroyed due to the stress and strain of financial problems.
Is this the life, the holy grail?
Is this the ideal way of living that we should be striving for?
It's not enough that we succeed
People are not satisfied with personal success alone and feel the need to compare themselves to and potentially surpass others.
We still need others to fail
People take pleasure in the misfortune of others as a way to boost their own ego.
Fear, fear drives the mills of modern man
Fear is a powerful motivator for people and industries to work and produce more.
Fear keeps us all in line
Fear is a tool that society uses to keep people compliant and obedient to established norms and institutions.
Fear of all those foreigners
Xenophobia and fear of those who are different from ourselves is a prevalent issue in society.
Fear of all their crimes
Society often assumes that those who are different than ourselves are inherently dangerous or criminal.
Is this the life we really want? (want, want, want, want)
Is this ideal way of living the best one for us, or can we do better?
It surely must be so
People believe that the current way of living is the best, since it is being followed by so many others in society.
For this is a democracy and what we all say goes
In a democracy, the collective voice of the people determines the course of action, even if it is not always the best one.
And every time a student is run over by a tank
The brutality of repressive regimes is a continuing concern in the world today.
And every time a pirate's dog is forced to walk the plank
Injustice and cruelty is still present in the modern world, even if it appears in more subtle forms.
Every time a Russian bride is advertised for sale
Exploitation and objectification is a problem that still persists in society today in various forms.
And every time a journalist is left to rot in jail
Oppressive regimes try to silence the media and hide the truth from the people.
Every time a young girl's life is casually spent
The world still allows for the maltreatment and disposal of the most vulnerable members of society.
And every time a nincompoop becomes the president
The vulnerability of democracy allows for the possibility of unqualified and unworthy people to gain power.
Every time somebody dies reaching for their keys
The triviality of death can be stark and sudden, but is still an ever-present reality.
And every time that Greenland falls in the fucking sea is because
Natural disasters or human-induced climate change have devastating impacts, both now and into the future.
All of us, the blacks and whites
All people, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Chicanos, Asians, every type of ethnic group
All people, regardless of cultural or national affiliation.
Even folks from Guadeloupe, the old, the young
All people, regardless of age or place of origin.
Toothless hags, super models, actors, fags, bleeding hearts
All people, regardless of physical appearance or sexual orientation or political views.
Football stars, men in bars, washerwomen, tailors, tarts
All people, regardless of profession or social status.
Grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunts
All people, regardless of family role or relationship.
Friends, relations, homeless tramps
All people, regardless of social connection or economic status.
Clerics, truckers, cleaning ladies
All people, regardless of occupation or tier in the societal hierarchy.
Ants, maybe not ants
Perhaps not all living creatures are worthy of this statement, as it is not clear that they are capable of feeling empathy.
Why not ants?
This is a tongue-in-cheek moment that highlights the fact that some animals are less capable of complex emotions than others, which could be seen as a potential excuse for people's lack of empathy.
Well because it's true
This statement is literal in the sense that ants might not have the cognitive capacity for empathy.
The ants don't have enough IQ to differentiate between
Ants do not have a sophisticated enough mental capacity to distinguish between the pain experienced by other creatures and other stimuli.
The pain that other people feel
Other living creatures, human or otherwise, are capable of experiencing pain and suffering.
And well, for instance, cutting leaves
Ants' behaviors, such as cutting leaves, are driven by instinct rather than intentional cruelty or disregard for other living beings.
Or crawling across windowsills in search of open treacle tins
Ants' behaviors, such as wandering around aimlessly in search of food, may be seen as a product of their limited cognition, as opposed to intentional disregard for other creatures.
So, like the ants, are we just dumb?
This simile is intended to highlight the possibility that some humans may have limited cognitive faculties that prevents them from experiencing empathy for others.
Is that why we don't feel or see?
This is a rhetorical question that suggests that perhaps the human capacity for empathy is limited by mental or social factors.
Or are we all just numbed out on reality TV?
This is a tongue-in-cheek statement that suggests that perhaps the real reason for people's lack of empathy is their distraction with entertainment that keeps them from engaging with the world around them.
So, every time the curtain falls
This is a metaphorical statement that suggests that every time a person dies or has their life uprooted, it is the result of collective inaction on the part of society.
Every time the curtain falls on some forgotten life
This is a statement that implies that many people's deaths or hardships go unnoticed or unacknowledged by society.
It is because we all stood by, silent and indifferent
This is a statement that asserts the collective guilt and responsibility of society for the injustices and suffering of individuals.
It's normal
This is a conclusion that reinforces the idea that the problems and injustices of society are so ingrained that they are accepted as commonplace or inevitable.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE ROGER WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind