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)
Towers of Faith
Roger Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In their towers of faith
Ooooh, the lonely boys
Locked in their towers of faith
The prophet reclined
On the Golan Heights
He said, this land is my land
To the Shiites
Ooooh, the lonely boys
And Jehova looked up from the sea of Galilee beneath
He said, I see you, you thief
This land is my land
And this sand is my sand
And this band is my band
Oh the lonely boys
Lookin' over their shoulder
Checkin out every boulder in the park
Where the gates are closed from hate
After dark
And the Pope rolled up in his armored van
He fell on his knees and kissed the land
He said something that I did not understand
It was in polish
Then up stepped an aide
He said, I will translate
Here is what His Holiness said:
'I am the Chief Jesuit.'
'This land is Jesus' land.'
'And that is all'
'All that there is to it.'
Hail Mary
Mother of God
And in New York City
The business man in his mohair suit
In the world trade center
Puffs on his cheroot
And he said,
Well I don't care who owns the desert sands
My brief
Is with the hydrocarbons underneath
And the sea of battle rages
Around the ancient tombs
And mother nature licks her wounds
And the lonely boys locked in their towers of faith
Who are nervous in the park
When the gates are closed after dark
Ooooh, the lonely boys
In their towers of faith
Ooooh, the lonely boys
Locked in their towers of faith
The song starts by mentioning the lonely boys in their towers of faith, creating an image of religious isolation and separation. The reference to the prophet reclining on the Golan Heights and claiming the land to the Shiites indicates the conflict and competition for ownership of land between different religious groups. The reference to Jehovah, looking up from the Sea of Galilee and calling out the Shiites as a thief, adds another layer to the conflicts between religions. The repetition of the phrase "This land is my land" emphasizes the strong attachment to land and the belief that it belongs to a particular religious group.
The scene then moves to the Pope visiting the land and kissing the land, symbolizing the Catholic Church's ownership of this land as "Jesus' land." The song then contrasts this image with the business man in his mohair suit, who is not concerned with the ownership of the land, but rather the hydrocarbons underneath it. The reference to the sea of battle raging around ancient tombs further emphasizes the long-standing conflict between different religious groups. The song ends by repeating the mention of the lonely boys in their towers of faith, highlighting the isolation and separation created by religious conflicts.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooooh, the lonely boys
The people described in the song are lonely and isolated.
In their towers of faith
Their belief systems are like towers that separate them from others.
The prophet reclined
On the Golan Heights
A religious figure rested on a mountaintop in the Middle East.
He said, this land is my land
To the Shiites
The religious leader claimed ownership of the land to a specific group of people.
And Jehova looked up from the sea of Galilee beneath
He said, I see you, you thief
This land is my land
And this sand is my sand
And this band is my band
Another religious figure expressed his claim on the land and everything in it.
Lookin' over their shoulder
Checkin out every boulder in the park
Where the gates are closed from hate
After dark
The people in the song are paranoid and fearful of others who are different from them, especially at night.
And the Pope rolled up in his armored van
He fell on his knees and kissed the land
He said something that I did not understand
It was in polish
Then up stepped an aide
He said, I will translate
Here is what His Holiness said:
'I am the Chief Jesuit.'
'This land is Jesus' land.'
'And that is all'
'All that there is to it.'
Hail Mary
Mother of God
The leader of the Catholic Church expressed his belief that the land belongs to Jesus and that is all that matters.
And in New York City
The business man in his mohair suit
In the world trade center
Puffs on his cheroot
And he said,
Well I don't care who owns the desert sands
My brief
Is with the hydrocarbons underneath
A businessman in New York City is only concerned with profiting from the resources beneath the desert sand, regardless of who claims ownership of the land itself.
And the sea of battle rages
Around the ancient tombs
And mother nature licks her wounds
And the lonely boys locked in their towers of faith
Who are nervous in the park
When the gates are closed after dark
Ooooh, the lonely boys
In their towers of faith
Ooooh, the lonely boys
Locked in their towers of faith
The people in the song are surrounded by conflict and violence, while also feeling trapped in their own beliefs and cut off from the rest of the world.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROGER WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sergio A. H.
Ooooh, the lonely boys
In their towers of faith
Ooooh, the lonely boys
Locked in their towers of faith
The prophet reclined
On the Golan Heights
Ohhh, the lonely boys
He said, this land is my land
To the Shiites
Ooooh, the lonely boys
And Jehova looked up from the sea of Galilee beneath
He said, I see you, you thief
This land is my land
And this sand is my sand
And this band is my band
Oh the lonely boys
Lookin' over their shoulder
Checkin out every boulder in the park
Where the gates are closed from hate
After dark
And the Pope rolled up in his armored van
He fell on his knees and kissed the land
He said something that I did not understand
It was in polish
Then up stepped an aide
He said, I will translate
Here is what His Holiness said:
'I am the Chief Jesuit.'
'This land is Jesus' land.'
'And that is all'
'All that there is to it.'
Hail Mary
Mother of God
And in New York City
The business man in his mohair suit
In the world trade center
Puffs on his cheroot
And he said,
Well I don't care who owns the desert sands
My brief
Is with the hydrocarbons underneath
And the sea of battle rages
Around the ancient tombs
And mother nature licks her wounds
And the lonely boys locked in their towers of faith
Who are nervous in the park
When the gates are closed after dark
Ooooh, the lonely boys
In their towers of faith
Ooooh, the lonely boys
Locked in their towers of faith
Mark O'Kane
Roger waters to me is more than just a musician. He is one of a very few who make you seriously think about issues that in one way or another affect most people through amazing lyrical and visual performance.
Norma Tible
Mark O'Kane true. There should be an award for this kind of medium..mix of music , visuals, literature and humanities
John Levine
You just put my whole "fandom" for Roger into a very concise sentence. Thanks! (Some people think I'm a bit "over the top" with my enthusiasm for his lesser known works!)
Marie Tucker
very true
Chris حسن
Your so right : )
Mark O'Kane
To everyone out there Happy New year and sincere wishes. Hopethe year to come will be more fulfilling than last.
CatherineInRock
This song is close to being my most favourite Roger Waters song EVER. It's so Roger. All Roger. All genius.
Henrik Falkenfleth
Roger Waters has an OUTSTANDIG abillity of getting great musicians do their OUTMOST. I've never before or after heard Eric Clapton performe as good as on "Pros and Cons...." This goes also for David Sandborn ans Jeff Beck on "Amused to Death". He is a perfectionist that takes music to it's minimalistic hights
Chuckxjarhed
I know this an old post, but someone finally agrees. Clapton on the pros and cons was as good as he has ever been, as good as anyone has ever been.
mike hunt
After The Yardbirds except playing on The Pros And..., it is sad how boring mr. Clapton`s music became.