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)
Perfect Sense Pt. 1
Roger Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And stared at the broken bone in his hand
And the stains of a Viennese quartet
Rang out across the land
The monkey looked up at the stars
And thought to himself
Memory is a stranger
And he cleaned his hands
In a pool of holy writing
Turned his back on the garden
And set out for the nearest town
Hold on hold on soldier
When you add it all up
The tears and the marrowbone
There's an ounce of gold
And an ounce of pride in each ledger
And the Germans killed the Jews
And the Jews killed the Arabs
And the Arabs killed the hostages
And that is the news
And is it any wonder
That the monkey's confused
He said Mama Mama
The President's a fool
Why do I have to keep reading
These technical manuals
And the joint chiefs of staff
And the brokers on Wall Street said
Don't make us laugh
You're a smart kid
Time is linear
Memory is a stranger
History is for fools
Man is a tool in the hands
Of the great God Almighty
And they gave him command
Of a nuclear submarine
And sent him back in search of
The Garden of Eden
In "Perfect Sense Pt. 1," Roger Waters takes a critical look at humanity's relationship with memory, history, and power. The song details the story of a monkey who looks at a broken bone in his hand and listens to the strains of a Viennese quartet. The monkey ponders the nature of memory and history and laments that "Memory is a stranger / History is for fools." He then cleans his hands in holy writing and sets out for the nearest town, suggesting his disgust with the state of humanity.
Waters then shifts his focus to the military-industrial complex and Wall Street. He points out that while humans fight and kill each other, those in power continue to accumulate wealth and power. The monkey, confused and frustrated, cries out to his Mama about the foolishness of the President and the technical manuals he is forced to read. The joint chiefs of staff and the brokers on Wall Street mock him, seeing him as nothing more than a tool for their use. The song ends with the monkey being given command of a nuclear submarine and sent back in search of the Garden of Eden, highlighting the pervasive destruction and hypocrisy of those in positions of power.
Line by Line Meaning
The monkey sat on a pile of stones
The monkey rested on stones.
And stared at the broken bone in his hand
The monkey looked at the broken bone held in its hand.
And the stains of a Viennese quartet
The sound of a Viennese quartet was heard.
Rang out across the land
The sound of the quartet could be heard throughout the land.
The monkey looked up at the stars
The monkey stared at the stars.
And thought to himself
The monkey pondered.
Memory is a stranger
The monkey notes that memory is unfamiliar.
History is for fools
The monkey believes that history is only for fools.
And he cleaned his hands
The monkey washed its hands.
In a pool of holy writing
The monkey washed its hands in holy scripture.
Turned his back on the garden
The monkey left the garden behind.
And set out for the nearest town
The monkey went to the closest town.
Hold on hold on soldier
Wait a minute, soldier.
When you add it all up
When everything is considered.
The tears and the marrowbone
Emotional pain and bones.
There's an ounce of gold
There is a small amount of happiness.
And an ounce of pride in each ledger
Each record has a small amount of pride.
And the Germans killed the Jews
Germans murdered Jews.
And the Jews killed the Arabs
Jews murdered Arabs.
And the Arabs killed the hostages
Arabs killed hostages.
And that is the news
This is what is being reported.
And is it any wonder
Is anyone surprised?
That the monkey's confused
It is not surprising that the monkey is confused.
He said Mama Mama
He called out to his mother.
The President's a fool
The President is an idiot.
Why do I have to keep reading
Why must I continue to read?
These technical manuals
These detailed instructions.
And the joint chiefs of staff
The head officers of the military.
And the brokers on Wall Street said
The Wall Street brokers spoke.
Don't make us laugh
That is absurd.
You're a smart kid
You are intelligent.
Time is linear
Time only moves forward.
Man is a tool in the hands
Humans are tools in the hands of God.
Of the great God Almighty
Of the powerful deity.
And they gave him command
He was put in charge.
Of a nuclear submarine
A submarine with nuclear capabilities.
And sent him back in search of
They tasked him with finding.
The Garden of Eden
The paradise where humans once lived.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind