George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943 in Great Bookham, Surrey, United… Read Full Bio ↴George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943 in Great Bookham, Surrey, United Kingdom) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer.

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)

Late Home Tonight Part II
Roger Waters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hark the wire service sing
Clear the satellite link
Check the fax machine
Hold the lead story boys
There's some great pictures coming in
Now the pilot's heartbeat slows
Palms dry out
No questions only orders

And the F-1 glides in nose-up
Through the cloudbase and the
Ground crew cheers as he puts down
His landing gear
New boy you're a hero take this cigar
Back home in Cleveland
All the papers and local TV stations
Will be calling your ma
And the farmer's wife
Shoos the cat off the chair
She says sit down my dear

Was the milking all right
Our American friends are late home tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Late Home Tonight Part II" paint a vivid scene from the perspective of an American pilot landing in a foreign land after a bombing mission. The opening lines "Hark the wire service sing, Clear the satellite link, Check the fax machine" create an atmosphere of urgency and anticipation, as news is broadcasted to a waiting world. The lines "No questions only orders, And the F-1 glides in nose-up" reveal the pilot's unwavering commitment to carrying out his mission, in spite of the destruction he has caused.

The chorus "Our American friends are late home tonight" creates a sense of unease, as it suggests that the pilot's return may not be as triumphant as his superiors had hoped. The final verse "Back home in Cleveland, All the papers and local TV stations, Will be calling your ma" illustrates the gulf between the public's perception of war and the harsh reality of those who carry it out. The farmer's wife's question, "Was the milking all right?" is a poignant reminder that while war may seem like a distant abstraction to some, it is an all-too-real experience for those directly involved.

Overall, Waters's lyrics convey a sense of the disconnection between the civilians at home and those fighting overseas. The references to technology such as "the satellite link" and "the fax machine" underscore the artificiality of the situation and highlight how little those at home can truly understand what is happening on the front line. The final line "Our American friends are late home tonight" is a powerful reminder that ultimately, it is the human cost of war that is the most profound.

Line by Line Meaning

Hark the wire service sing
Listen up, the news is coming in fast and urgent.

Clear the satellite link
Make sure we have an uninterrupted signal.

Check the fax machine
Make sure we have all the latest information.

Hold the lead story boys
Make sure we're ready with the most important news.

There's some great pictures coming in
We have visuals to show the world.

Now the pilot's heartbeat slows
The danger has passed, the adrenaline is fading.

Palms dry out
The realization of what happened sets in, causing physical reactions.

No questions only orders
There's no time to hesitate, only follow orders.

And the F-1 glides in nose-up
The aircraft returns from a mission with a specific maneuver.

Through the cloudbase and the
The plane descends through the clouds and...

Ground crew cheers as he puts down
The crew on the ground celebrates the safe landing.