Us and Them
Tom Stoppard & Pink Floyd Lyrics
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And after all we're only ordinary men
Me
And you (you, you, you)
God only knows
It's not what we would choose (choose, choose) to do (to do, to do)
Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
And the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
Black (black, black, black)
And blue (blue, blue)
And who knows which is which and who is who
Up (up, up, up, up)
And down (down, down, down, down)
And in the end it's only round 'n round (round, round, round)
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The poster bearer cried
"Listen son", said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside
"I mean, they're not gonna kill ya
So if you give 'em a quick short, sharp, shock
They won't do it again. Dig it?
I mean he get off lightly, 'cause I would've given him a thrashing
I only hit him once! It was only a difference of opinion, but really
I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
Down (down, down, down, down)
And out (out, out, out, out)
It can't be helped that there's a lot of it about
With (with, with, with), without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
Out of the way
It's a busy day
I've got things on my mind
For the want of the price
Of tea and a slice
The old man died
The song "Us and Them" by Tom Stoppard and Pink Floyd deals with the concept of war and division. The song begins with a repetition of "Us" and "Them," signifying the distinction between different groups of people. The lyrics then express that despite this division, we are all only ordinary men and that we may not choose to engage in conflict if given the choice. However, the song portrays war as a battle of words, where those with power can manipulate the opinions of the masses.
The lyrics go on to describe the insignificance of differences between groups and the senseless loss of life that occurs during war. The use of colors "black and blue" further emphasizes the brutality of war and how it can leave both physical and emotional scars on those involved. The repetition of "up" and "down" signifies the cyclical nature of war, where victories and defeats occur repeatedly, leading to never-ending conflict.
The use of dialogue in the middle of the song adds a personal touch to the song and depicts the idea of power and control that exists during war. The line "the man with the gun" shows the power dynamic between those with weapons and those without, and how it can result in an unequal distribution of rights and freedoms.
Overall, "Us and Them" expresses the futility of war and how it only leads to loss and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Us (us, us, us, us) and them (them, them, them, them)
We belong to one group and they belong to another group
And after all we're only ordinary men
Despite belonging to different groups, we are all human just like each other
Me
I represent myself as an individual in this conflict
And you (you, you, you)
You represent yourself as an individual in this conflict
God only knows
Only a divine being can know the true nature of this conflict
It's not what we would choose (choose, choose) to do (to do, to do)
Our choices have been limited in this conflict because of the circumstances beyond our control
Forward he cried from the rear
A leader who is in a safe position is urging others to move forward into a dangerous situation
And the front rank died
The people who were in the front got hurt or killed in the conflict
And the general sat
The person who gave the initial order to move forward is not facing any danger themselves
And the lines on the map
The borders or lines demarcated on a map
Moved from side to side
Shifted from one location to another, leading to changes in geopolitical relations
Black (black, black, black)
The color associated with death and grief
And blue (blue, blue)
The color associated with sadness and depression
And who knows which is which and who is who
It is hard to distinguish between people based on their ethnic or national identity when everyone is feeling grief and sadness
Up (up, up, up, up)
Moving higher or upwards
And down (down, down, down, down)
Moving lower or downwards
And in the end it's only round 'n round (round, round, round)
Despite the direction of movement, the overall situation remains the same with no meaningful change
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
This conflict is not just a physical one, but one of ideas and opinions
The poster bearer cried
Someone who is trying to spread propaganda and influence people's opinions is shouting out
"Listen son", said the man with the gun
A person who is holding a weapon is trying to impart some wisdom
There's room for you inside
You can join us in our groups or ideologies
I mean, they're not gonna kill ya
It is unlikely that anyone will actually kill you
So if you give 'em a quick short, sharp, shock
If you can deliver a brief surprise attack, they will learn not to mess with you
They won't do it again. Dig it?
They will be too scared to fight again
I mean he get off lightly, 'cause I would've given him a thrashing
The person only suffered minor injuries because the singer chose not to retaliate in kind
I only hit him once! It was only a difference of opinion, but really
The use of physical force was unwarranted and excessive
I mean good manners don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
It is always better to be polite and calm, especially when dealing with people who hold different opinions from you
Down (down, down, down, down)
Moving lower or downwards
And out (out, out, out, out)
Leaving or being forced to leave
It can't be helped that there's a lot of it about
It is impossible to stop the conflict because it is happening all around us
With (with, with, with), without
With or without something, such as power, wealth, or freedom
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
The conflict arises from people's desire to acquire certain things
Out of the way
Move aside, I need to pass
It's a busy day
There is a lot going on
I've got things on my mind
I have a lot of preoccupations and worries
For the want of the price
Because of the scarcity of resources
Of tea and a slice
Even something as simple as tea and a piece of bread can be difficult to obtain in times of conflict
The old man died
Death is an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of conflict
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard William Wright, George Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind