Hey You
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight

Hey you, out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you, with your ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home

But it was only fantasy
The wall was too high
As you can see
No matter how he tried
He could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain

Hey you, out there on the road
Always doing what you're told
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall
Breaking bottles in the hall
Can you help me?
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall

(Click of TV being turned on)
"Well, only got an hour of daylight left. Better get started."
"Isn't it unsafe to travel at night?"
"It'll be a lot less safe to stay here. Your father's gonna pick up our trail before long."
"Can Loca ride?"
"Yeah, I can ride. Magaret, time to go! Maigret, thank you for everything."
"Goodbye, Chenga."




"Goodbye, miss..."
"I'll be back."

Overall Meaning

The song "Hey You" by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from the album "Plays Pink Floyd: The Wall" is a powerful and emotive ballad. The lyrics are an invitation to connect and communicate despite the barriers and walls we build around ourselves. The first set of lyrics address someone who is feeling lonely and isolated, possibly in the cold (literal or metaphorical). The singer asks if they can feel their presence and invites them to not give up and fight against anything that would extinguish their light. The second verse invites the listener to imagine someone waiting by the phone, hoping for human connection. The singer invites them to open up and help them carry a burden. The bridge is where the song takes a darker turn, acknowledging that even though communication is what connects us as humans, it can also be a fantasy that doesn't come true. The person behind the wall (literally or metaphorically) can't break free and is alone with their own thoughts that slowly destroy them.


The final verse calls to listeners who might be following orders and stuck in rigid thinking. The singer asks for help to break down the walls, even if it feels like there is no hope. The words "together we stand, divided we fall" are a call to action for unity and human connection.


Overall, the song is a meditation on the human experience of loneliness and the walls we build to protect ourselves. It's an invitation to connect and communicate, even when it feels impossible.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey you, out there in the cold
Are you someone who is outside in the cold, disconnected from others? Isolation sets in, and things become lonely and mundane.


Getting lonely, getting old
The growing feeling of loneliness and depression creeps over a person as they get older.


Can you feel me?
Can you really understand and feel what I'm going through?


Hey you, standing in the aisles
Everyone is adrift from something in life, standing in-between two different realities.


With itchy feet and fading smiles
With an urge to go with the flow, feet get restless, and smiles fade as confusion sets in.


Can you feel me?
Can you really understand and feel what I'm going through?


Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't be the one to let the darkness overwhelm you and the light inside you extinguish.


Don't give in without a fight
Fight for what you think is right and resist giving in to depression or all that's negative around you.


Hey you, out there on your own
Are you someone who's isolated on their own, leaving themselves vulnerable?


Sitting naked by the phone
Literally or figuratively, sitting around waiting, exposed and vulnerable, for someone to make a connection?


Would you touch me?
Would you be there with me, or am I too toxic or insufficient?


Hey you, with your ear against the wall
Eavesdropping on life, trying to listen to that unfulfilled longing inside us.


Waiting for someone to call out
Waiting for someone to pay attention and notice the deep, hidden feeling of isolation and helplessness.


Would you touch me?
Would you listen to me or just ignore me like the background noise?


Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Would you help to lift the heavy burdens, to lighten the load and release me from the crushing weight?


Open your heart, I'm coming home
I'm coming back to you, opening up and ready for emotional connection and warmth.


But it was only fantasy
The hope in finding an answer that came to mind, was only a fantasy, a somewhat unrealistic expectation.


The wall was too high
It was a tough obstacle to overcome, blocking the conversation or the interpersonal connection.


As you can see
The lack of fulfilling the ideal expectation, as evidenced by the failure of trying to penetrate or bring down that wall.


No matter how he tried
He put up his genuine effort to try and communicate with that wall, but the wall remained unresponsive.


He could not break free
Couldn’t escape from the trap of despair and surrender to depression. The struggle continues.


And the worms ate into his brain
A nightmarish surreal idea of despair slowly eating up one’s brain and destroying them mentally.


Hey you, out there on the road
It's your life journey soiling your shoes along the way.


Always doing what you're told
Conforming and following what society wants, not listening to our own unresolved desires.


Can you help me?
Can you help guide me into a truer path?


Hey you, out there beyond the wall
Are you someone who achieved the great accomplishment of living life beyond the wall?


Breaking bottles in the hall
A wild expression of frustrated and powerless anger and aggression.


Can you help me?
Can you continue guiding me as I'm still fighting through it all?


Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Don't tell the world that everything's hopeless and bleak. There's always hope to cling to.


Together we stand, divided we fall
Together we form a coherent and organised community, but apart we are weak and insignificant. Collectivism is the essence of growth and success.


(Click of TV being turned on)
A sudden turn in the plot, the revelation of the hidden inner thoughts of a person.


"Well, only got an hour of daylight left. Better get started."
Time is running out for the person who needs to move on to the next step.


"Isn't it unsafe to travel at night?"
Questioning the idea of moving forward in a period of vulnerability.


"It'll be a lot less safe to stay here. Your father's gonna pick up our trail before long."
It's brave to take uncertain steps towards the unknown, for the known is not safe either.


"Can Loca ride?"
Asking the question needing to move forward, but trying to overcome the obstacles that make this action difficult.


"Yeah, I can ride. Magaret, time to go! Maigret, thank you for everything."
Assembling resources, staying prepared, and being thankful for the opportunities provided so far.


"Goodbye, Chenga."
Saying goodbye to the trusted helpers and companions met along the way.


"Goodbye, miss..."
Saying goodbye to the old self, ready to embrace the new self.


"I'll be back."
Finding motivation to come back stronger, more determined and with a new perspective.




Contributed by Victoria D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@pupueamigos

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight

Hey you out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home

But it was only fantasy
The wall was too high
As you can see
No matter how he tried
He could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain

Hey you, out there on the road
Always doing what you're told
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall
Breaking bottles in the hall
Can you help me?
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall



@pupueamigos

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight

Hey you out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home

But it was only fantasy
The wall was too high
As you can see
No matter how he tried
He could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain

Hey you, out there on the road
Always doing what you're told
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall
Breaking bottles in the hall
Can you help me?
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall



All comments from YouTube:

@ladyalfhildrforestofvioletmist

This makes me want to get a flowing deep blue dress and choreograph an epic dance to it. Beautiful interpretation of a beautiful song :)

@druviszvejnieks809

Cello in this is pure perfection.

@pupueamigos

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight

Hey you out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?
Hey you with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?
Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home

But it was only fantasy
The wall was too high
As you can see
No matter how he tried
He could not break free
And the worms ate into his brain

Hey you, out there on the road
Always doing what you're told
Can you help me?
Hey you, out there beyond the wall
Breaking bottles in the hall
Can you help me?
Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall

@NickellNo1

When treated as an alternative instead of a competitor,this is a fantastic track which I would regard as a compliment if I were mr Waters.

@DrejStinger1986

If David Gilmour and Jon Carin's vocals were put to this, it would be so epic, my head would explode!

@suefrancis4784

I'm an avid Pink Floyd fanatic but I think this does Hey You  pretty well xoxo

@guilhermeourivio

why did I not discover this before?? fantastic

@kittycatbabyxo_

Love this

@theresaarmstrong9297

Actually having this available for us to listen to is better than the karaoke versions. And you might need to go back to music class. I enjoy this.

@yoniversalstudios

if i wouldnt know better, i would think david wrote that solo, he really understood david's sound and style

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