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)
What God Wants Pt. 3
Roger Waters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The alien prophet sighed
The vulture and the magpie took
The cash box from its hook
The monkey in the corner wrote
The figures in his book
Crazed the checkout lady's fingers
The captain posts
The menu for the day
And in banks across the world
Christians Moslems Hindus Jews
And people of every
Race creed colour tint or hue
Get down on their knees and pray
The raccoon and the groundhog
Neatly make up bags of change
But the monkey in the corner
Well he's slowly drifting out of range
Christ it's freezing inside
The veteran cries
The hyenas break cover
And stream through the meadow
And the fog rolls in
Though his bottle of gin
So he picks up a stone
That looks like a bone
And the bullets fly
And the rivers run dry
And the fat girls sigh
And the network anchor persons lie
And the soldier's alone
In the video zone
But the monkey's not watching
He's slipped out to the kitchen
To pile the dishes
And answer the phone
The lyrics to Roger Waters's song What God Wants Pt. 3 are a commentary on the corruption that is often inherent in business dealings and the religious systems that operate throughout the world. The first verse sets the scene with an "alien prophet" proclaiming that what follows is only business. In the second verse, we see a depiction of the people involved in the business transactions, including a monkey in the corner, a checkout lady, and the captain of the ship. The third verse expands upon these ideas, showing the vast range of people who pray to their respective gods, no matter their race, creed, color, or religious beliefs. Meanwhile, the fourth verse turns to a scene of violence, with a veteran crying out as hyenas stream through a meadow and the fog rolls in. The fifth and final verse returns to the mundane, with a man drinking gin and watching TV while a monkey puts away dishes and answers the phone.
Overall, this song seems to be a criticism of the societal systems that prioritize profit and religion over the well-being of individuals. It showcases the victims of these systems - in the first verses as the people involved in business and the people praying to their gods, and in the final verses as veterans and the monkey who is relegated to housework. The song presents a bleak picture of society where people are just cogs in a machine or spectators to destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't be afraid it's only business
Don't fear the detachment of morality from financial dealings
The alien prophet sighed
Even those who proclaim divine wisdom are affected by greed
The vulture and the magpie took
The cash box from its hook
Those with ill intentions snatch money from its storage
The monkey in the corner wrote
The figures in his book
The accountants carefully record financial transactions
Crazed the checkout lady's fingers
Flash across the till
The pressure to process sales rapidly produces mania in checkout workers
The captain posts
The menu for the day
The one in charge announces what options are available
And in banks across the world
Christians Moslems Hindus Jews
And people of every
Race creed colour tint or hue
Get down on their knees and pray
Despite their many differences, people turn to religion for comfort and guidance
The raccoon and the groundhog
Neatly make up bags of change
Even animals are capable of handling monetary exchanges
But the monkey in the corner
Well he's slowly drifting out of range
One can become apathetic towards the routine tasks of financial management
Christ it's freezing inside
The veteran cries
The hyenas break cover
And stream through the meadow
And the fog rolls in
In times of trouble, nature reflects the tumultuous state of human affairs
Though his bottle of gin
So he picks up a stone
That looks like a bone
And the bullets fly
And the rivers run dry
And the fat girls sigh
And the network anchor persons lie
And the soldier's alone
In the video zone
Amidst widespread deception and violence, war can leave soldiers feeling isolated and traumatized while society consumes media
But the monkey's not watching
He's slipped out to the kitchen
To pile the dishes
And answer the phone
Retreating from the chaos, one may find solace in finding order out of mundane duties
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE ROGER WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind