Yeah the Final Cut album is great. It is my understanding that the tracks were orginally written as part of The Wall, but didn't make the final album cut. But you can certainly still hear the themes in songs like this and When the Tigers Broke Free.
@@CaptainHightop correct to a point. The music was originally for the wall, in other words, out takes. Roger rewrote the lyrics to fit the narrative of the Falklands war. I'm not a big fan of the album, it seems like "Vera/Bring the Boys Back Home" over and over. When the Tigers Broke Free was dropped from the Wall due to it making the album too personal. The best part of the album is the holophonics. Can you imagine Dark Side, Wish, Animals and The Wall done in holophonics? Oh my...
This song is the final thoughts of a gunner in an aircraft that has been shot down. These are the last thoughts that go through his mind as he crashes and dies. The song opens with "In the space between the heavens and the corner of some foreign field, I had a dream" And ends with "in the corner of some foreign field the gunner sleeps tonight.... whats done is done" Roger has only ever performer this song like maybe 3 times tops over 35 years... yes, at times you hear him breaking down in the recording here. His father died in the war. This song is at least inspired by the thought that these may have been his father's final thoughts. Such an incredible song. Roger generally doesn't shy away from playing emotional songs live, but when it comes to this one, it's easy to see why he has not performed it in a long time.
I'm guessing you probably have to be British to catch the reference to 'The Soldier', a WW1 poem by Rupert Brooke: "If I should die, think only this of me: | That there’s some corner of a foreign field | That is for ever England."
Cheers mate That's exactly what it is and in this context I still shed a tear for that fighter in that forigein field as many of histories unspoken people have. Lest we forget
It was performed throughout the Pros and Cons tours of ‘84-‘85, closing the Floyd set before the Pros and Cons set. Since then it has been performed less frequently, but hopefully on the upcoming This Is Not A Drill tour.
@@michaelsullivan6854 yeah bro, thanks to them for k*lling brown people in a random country in order for the military industrial complex and oil barons could get richer!!
At the start of the song you hear the radio chatter of a WW2 bomber crew under attack. There's an explosion where it appears "The Gunner" is blown out of the plane. As he falls without his parachute (bomber gun turrets were so cramped that gunners had to leave their parachutes off) he imagines his own funeral, "after the service when you walk slowly to the car." He then imagines a world without war & violence, & hopes his death is not in vain & that we who come after can "Take heed of the dream." Bass player & singer, & composer of "The Gunner's Dream," Roger Waters lost his father in WW2. He was among British troops who died at the Anzio Landings, on the coast of Italy.
“When the Tigers Broke Free” is another very personal song off this album that is about losing his father in the war. It was featured in the movie version of The Wall.
It is upsetting that 70 years later we haven’t been able to honor the gunner’s sacrifice by realizing his dream. “A place to stay, enough to eat “Where you can speak out loud about your doubts and fears “You can relax on both sides of the tracks “And everyone has recourse to the law “And no one kills the children anymore.” All still a struggle for far too many people. Is it doomed to only be a dream?
I think every generation that has to carry the burden of war, hopes that their generation will be the last, the war to end all wars, and as a Soldier you have to believe that your working towards something greater, and that the death of your friends means something. People never change, so any gains are usually squandered away soon after. So, the cycle never ends. The dream is a good one, though.
I don't know about it being underrated. About a decade ago the journalists at the British magazine Uncut voted it Floyd's second best album (number 1 of course was Dark Side...)
I loved how much you folks picked up on this tune! I've been a huge fan of Pink Floyd my whole life. And from this LP, "The Final Cut", which was my favorite of there's. The song itself, The Final Cut saved my life........ " I held the blade in trembling hands, but never had the nerve to make The Final Cut.
Omg, finally someone other then die hard Floyd fans hears this intensely gorgeous song. I’ve had this cd since it came out and it stills gives me goosebumps and gets to me where few songs can. Simply masterful. How underrated this was and still is, to me it’s a perfect album.
“No one kills the children anymore” is in reference to the soldiers. The overwhelming majority were 17 - 20 years old. Him, now old, looks back and realizes they were children.
Agree. I’ve always said this is my favorite song of all time, too. Taken a lot of heat for it, too, as this is a much maligned album - for reasons that still confuse me. This song gets me EVERY TIME.
Kudos for tackling this one! Some rock is art, some art is brutal. Some of their albums like this one are really single complete pieces. The album Wish you were Here has some standalone songs, like “Have a Cigar”, or “Time” from Dark side of the Moon”. And of course mega hit “Another brick in the Wall Pt 2”. So many good deep songs, from those albums and more, “Shine on Crazy Diamond”, “one of these Days” from other albums, but now she knows what they’re capable of, start her with some of the pop classics and some David gilmour guitar
My favorite, other than The Wall...I have a special place in my mind & heart for The Wall movie & album, but 'Wish...' is where some of my fav songs reside. Especially "Have a Cigar," I love that they sing about being screwed over by the 'suits' in the music industry. 😁👍
Pink Floyd belongs to everyone. This truly brought tears to my eyes. I loved Floyd for 30 years. So good to see it being spread to others who might not normally hear it. Actually, you don't listen to Pink Floyd. You experience Pink Floyd.
The Final Cut has to be listened to through headphones with eyes closed. It’s a wonderful album. I remember Roger Waters mentioned that some woman came up to him in the street and thanked him for making such a moving album . I think this Woman lost her husband in the Falklands war.
Liked this before I even watched. You're digging into some awesome crossover art here: almost prose at times, but still prog rock Floyd. Gilmour's guitars are sparsely used (the division between him and Waters had grown wide and bitter at this point), but they have a huge impact when they come to the front--as you will have noticed in this song. Dig on the whole album sometime. It's an incredible concept follow-up to The Wall. My favorite line on the whole album: "I was just a boy then. / Now I'm only a man."
Roger water's father died in the second world war in Sicily. One of the songs in the album is about that battle. It is called "when the tigers broke free"
The gunner is blown out of the plane, and is falling to his death (gunners generally do not wear parachutes, they don't fit where they are), this is his dream when falling "in the space between the heavens and the corner of some foreign field") But bit before the sax is his funeral and his wife/girlfriend with a tear and someone takes her frail hand to confort her.
The song is about an old veteran leaving the annual remembrance service, with his wife. He recalls those he has lost, and asks what became of their dream. Theur dream of a just and fair society, "where old heroes shuffle safely down the street" A dream of a society where no-one kills the children anymore. And for the gunner? "In the corner of a foreign field, the gunner sleeps tonight. What's done is done. We cannot just write off his final scene. Take care of his dream. Take care of his dream." Without a doubt one of the most underrated albums ever, if not (at times) the bleakest.
The black and white stripes on the wings and fuselage are "D-Day stripes". A livery painted on Allied air forces to identify friendly forces. The paint scheme was kept secret till the last moment before the D-Day invasion of Normandy. May the memories of RAF Bomber Command & Fighter Command, US Army Airforce, and other allies be cherished.
The song is anti-war, it is about the rear gunner of a bomber whose plane has been hit...As he falls to earth maybe he remembers a poem written by Rupert Brooke about the first world war... " If I should die, think only this of me: That there’s some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware.... Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam; A body of England’s, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home. Next we move forward to the Gunners funeral and a wife & children left fatherless....His friends will never see him again..... What dream has she to hold? Maybe the same one her husband had... To be with the ones you love, to have enough to eat , the right to speak freely & question your government without being taken away in the middle of the night and never seen again. No terrorism.... Peace. Now we move forward, its us looking at what he dreamt about , what he fought for, and his dream of a perfect world, Freedom and no Wars... "Take heed of the dream Take heed!... Roger Waters (of Pink-Floyd) own father was killed when his regiment was overrun by German tanks and overwhelming odds after being told they could not retreat....It follows That you should now Listen to "When the Tigers* broke free" *Almost unstoppable German Tanks......
this album isn't an extension of any other PF music. Roger Waters lost his father in WW2, at Anzio. It shaped many aspects of the songs he wrote. Also check out the album "The pros and cons of hitchiking"....especially the song "Every Strangers' Eyes"
One of the most underrated albums of all time. This and The Final Cut on this album bring me to tears. The sax in the song I can't describe the feeling and sorrow it conveys. Some consider this album Roger Waters first solo album but it is one of the best albums ever written.
Love this song. HATE FAN VIDEOS LOL. Ignore the video and just listen to the song. The Gunner is a pilot, shot down. The song is his dying thoughts as his plane goes down.
Love it when peeps checkout music they may not have heard b4....we need more this...less...hate....good video guys...bless....u and the fam........ Matt D NJ
This is not an album you “sway” to, it’s a musical lesson that is to be learned from the experiences of Roger through his eyes. David didn’t want anything to do with this album.
So true I'm a massive floyd fan I'm from 🇬🇧 I'm going to roger waters 2022 in nyc final cut is probably my most listened floyd album totally overlooked album this unreal 👌
Hey, guys. Sorry I didn't comment on the last vids, but, awesome reactions. Yeah, this album brings out the demons in me, so I don't listen to it that often. Wish I knew she hadn't heard Floyd yet, I would've requested a different one. But, yup, more to come from me! :)
As an "older" Brit who grew up listening to Floyd. I would highly recommend two tracks Live at the Pulse Concert "Run Like Hell" & "Comfortably Numb" just for the audio / visual experience. If she wants to get into something with lyrics to really think about, then start with the album Dark Side of the Moon. I know doing an album sounds a little heavy but it's a concept album where tracks transition straight into each other so much better done in order. BTW DSotM sold over 45,000,000 units and charted for somewhere around 18 years, so not too shabby 😂
Nah... I hate that comfortably numb. Think they sing the whole thing wrong. Especially guy pratt... though I like him, just not in that. Best version now is Roger Waters The Wall concert when Dave appeared. That's awesome!
It's not about him killing kids, It's about all the death he saw. There is nothing worse than seeing dead children as a soldier, you never forget it ever.
This is from P.F. last album with Roger Waters in the band. It's entirely Rogers Work, Even Rick Wright keyboards was hired outside the band. Which is just a few reason why there was a breakup.
I'm just getting into pink Floyd. My 41 year old is an expert. But I do enjoy a lot of their music I sit back with a cocktail and just listen.🥂💞💞 thanks for yalls reaction.
Great insightful reaction. What I always took from the line "no one kills the children anymore" was it was talking about the soldiers in general who were pretty young guys taken from their families to be sent to combat.
comfortably numb. echoes - live in pompeii. hey you. us and them. another brick in the wall II. time. great gig in the sky. shine on you crazy diamond. high hopes. welcome to the machine. atom heart mother (suite). careful with that axe eugene - live in pompeii. run like hell. dogs. louder then words. two suns in the sunset.
"Maniacs blowing holes in bandsmen by remote control"' is a reference to the IRA bombing of the band of the Royal Green Jackets in 1982 at Regents Park. The no warning bomb killed seven bandsmen and injured many more, no one has ever been charged for their murder. Celer et Audax, RIP comrades.
My favourite Floyd album. Done my own vid just with Falkland war pictures on my channel. First thing I did as soon as I found the editor thing was think of this song to do.
Play her "Time" with "Great gig in the sky" attached to it. And play it with the lyrics because the music is beautiful the guitar solo in Time is incredible but the lyrics are the main part of this song and they're deep, they grab everybody!
It's a concept album gotta listen to the whole album to understand it. Just my opinion, this is such a great musical experience. My understanding Roger's father was shot down in the war, it's why all the preferences
Try not now John. The guitar solo is fucking bad ass. David Gilmore never does a bad solo. That's the best thing about the final cut is David Gilmore's solos. My god.
I agree. I have loved Pink Floyd for 37 years now. (I am 49) and it is one of the best and most thought provoking Albums. Some of the criticism comes from the fact that it it vertually all Rogers art rather than a Pink Floyd Album
I can understand why. One of the issues is Roger's vocals. He is not a great singer and sometimes can be hard to listen to. A lot of the political references were too specific and became dated too quickly. Plus it's not really a Floyd album. It's a Roger Waters solo effort with guest appearances from mason and gilmour. It does have some great songs on it but not that many .
@@LordJuzzie exactly. No one I don't think really hates the music or the songs. However some of these comments remind me of people who actually say to me " I would much rather hear or see Waters do a Floyd concert than All of Floyd except Waters". That's utter stupidity. Roger Waters is a lyrical genius no doubt about it. But his voice is irritating and annoying after a couple of lines. Especially on his most popular works. My wife loves his songs she just hates him singing them. I think that's why he has so many guests performing with him when he does his barely attended never sold out only him Waters shows. He even knows that people aren't too keen on his voice come on guys. And I suppose that Floyd was better with Syd Barrett too right then they were when Roger Waters was writing the songs? This guy I worked with used to talk that s*** I remember going to see Floyd without Waters back in 94 I think at Giants stadium? And then he told me that oh he would much rather go to the concert he was going to with just Roger Waters and other musicians doing Floyd someplace in philly. It's odd but it's true now some people actually think that they're better without Gilmore, Wright and Nick Mason. It's just so high brow and hypocritical. Like because you are aware and listen to the songs that don't get played on the radio they must be way better than the songs that I know because everybody knows those songs. Nah not in this case. The best songs by Pink Floyd are the ones they play on the radio. And even more than that the best songs by Pink Floyd that they play on the radio are probably 80 to 90% sung by David Gilmour . Fact is fact.
@@vincentbasile1525 I don't agree at all that Roger's voice is annoying. He's not nearly as good a singer as David Gilmour, of course, but I think Roger sounds great singing his own stuff.
Okay, I subbed. Great conversation about a very heavy song. Also, I looooove Pink Floyd. Edit: BTW you should follow up with the title song The Final Cut.