Pink Floyd, Mother - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- Опубліковано 28 січ 2023
- #pinkfloyd #thewall #rogerwaters
The next logical step in Pink’s timeline is his parental relationship, which he views as yet another brick in the wall. Set to heart-breaking music, Pink’s potential is stunted by his mother’s hyper-protectionism which, again, paves the road for his future total isolation behind the wall.
Here’s the link to the original song by Pink Floyd:
• Mother
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by Pink Floyd
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As usual, please write here your questions only.
Did you like it?
I really love that you're listening to the entire album. Please consider doing this with other albums (Darkside of the Moon or Tom Waits' Nighthawks at the Diner!!). It's honestly why I subscribed, just to follow your "The Wall" listening journey. You're making me understand the album at a deeper level than I had before. My question is: have you listened to Tom Wait's Nighthawks at the Diner? haha sorry, it's my favorite album. Just listen to the first few songs and you'll understand what I mean. Thank you for your cool channel!
@@MrTimewilltell08 Yup, one of my favorite albums too. Great atmosphere and excellent lyrics. Amy's reaction would be cool to hear
What I loved to see was at the near end of the song you shaking your head ever so lightly. Denying the implications of the song. As sweet and simple you understood on a very emotional level the wrongness of it. My mom hated this song. She thought it was about moms when in reality it was the overbearing at times protectiveness but also the pedestal Pink put her as an authority figure. One of my favorite Floyd tunes. One of the most heartbreaking and disturbing. And seeing that subtle head shake signalling an emotional "no I reject" was beautiful.
It's important you review "When the Tigers Broke Free". It was left off the album but included in other versions. It is the explanation of what exactly happened to his father and really puts all this in succinct perspective.
The most touching and deepest part of this song is, “Mother did it need to be so high?” A child, who has a mother that taught him to be afraid of the world, who helped him build his wall, finally realizes that the wall is so high that he has totally isolated himself and cannot see beyond it.
I thought that meant something about drugs.
@@paradoxstudios6639 haha
I always loved this song, one of my favorites from the wall I never analyze it this much I knew what it was about when I was younger. I guess 30 years can really change a person.
@@paradoxstudios6639 A lot of people do
I disagree "mother will she tear your little boy apart"? "Mother will she break my heart "?
“I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.” - Tom Waits
This is a good example
"Mother, will they put me in the firing line?" gets me every time. He's singing at a fairly low tone up to that point, then BAM! Screams that lyric. Such emotional impact.
Heh, always heard this line as: “Mother do you think they’ll put me in the fabric mines?”
Roger Waters is a hell of a lyricist, he always amazes me.
I 100% agree, but he REALLY needs to work out his Daddy issues...
:)
@@DrNothing23 Yes a Socialist/ Commie at heart !! 🧐
@@ronniefarnsworth6465 what ?
He is one of the very best of all time. For certain.
@@nejaahalcyon - he's spoken out against Trump a bunch of times, so...
I was in the last year of high school when I watched this master piece in the theater. At that time, I was having a lot of conflicts with my parents, and I was getting very upset with the direction my mother was trying to steer me. At that time I was deciding what I wanted for college and I had found a lot of direction in my life from training martial arts.
When I heard the lyrics "momma is going to make all of your nightmares come true, mom is going to put all of her fears into you...", suddenly it stroke me. My mother was not trying to cause harm, it was her fears what were guiding her words and actions, she thought I needed her fears to protect me, so she was trying to put them in me.
From that moment on, I stopped being angry at her, I think I understood her better. I just ignored her advise and nagging, I was already doing it, but instead of getting upset at her, I just learned to be patient and try to understand her motivations, from time to time I was trying to reassure her I was going to be OK with the path I was choosing. I think without the realization I got from this song, the relationship could have been hurt beyond the point of repair, that's how I angry I was getting. I'm sure if she had heard the lyrics of this song she would have been horrified, but in actuality, it opened my mind to a concept that allowed me to have a great relationship with her until the day she died.
A wonderful insight and outcome for you. I have often commented online that the Mother character here is not a monster. She does not hate her child, she loves him, perhaps too much. I don't know what Roger Waters' relationship was like with his mother in real life, but I do know that she was widowed during the war and I suspect that what is being portrayed here is an over-protectiveness for the child or children that remain, a desperation not to lose them too, resulting in a suffocating love.
And so, when things do go wrong in life (as they inevitably do for everyone at some point), the instinct is to crawl back to that suffocating love, someone who is going to make it all go away, but the price to be paid is the loss of your adulthood, your autonomy.
My mother always said that up to a certain age you can tell your children what to do and beyond that you can only advise them what to do. The real trick is understanding at when that inflection point has arrived.
Incredible story, Victor.
@@dctbass Maybe it's an even deeper point about the nanny state government.
@@dctbass Very inciteful. It does make one wonder about Waters' relationship with his mother.; yet, that may have nothing to do with the lyrics. One can propound about mother and child relationships without ever having an issue with them.
I found your words to be very touching. God bless.
As a mother myself I can attest to the tightrope you must walk while raising your child. The tightrope of keeping them safe and healthy while not coddling them or being overprotective. To be a parent is to have your heart walking around outside your body. You willingly have a child but the loss of that child will destroy you, and you know it. Overprotecting can be a type of self preservation for some parents, but it’s to the detriment of their child. I grew up on Pink Floyd, but this song took on a whole new dimension when I became a mother.
Getting the balance right is not always easy at least you had the prior insight that getting the right balance is important.
for that we say in germany: muttersöhnchen... and nearly every man is it... if he want or not...^^
My sentiments exactly Kiki!
Your mind was on another level growing up on Floyd. That’s like growing up on Beethoven and Mozart. Throw in a 🍄or 2 and this music teaches you stuff.
I think the minimalist music gives it a sense of intimacy. It feels incredibly personal.
I agree! The film version of this song does so even more with the “toy” xylophone and the heartbeat enhancing to the lullabye base of the song. And there is something about the pacing that reminds me of a mother rocking her baby.
I don't see how it's minimalistic. It's not a Bob Dylan song. It's a pretty common arrangement for a rock song, and compositionally it's quite dense. Also, there's some odd things going on with the time signature.
The musical elements are intended to feel like a lullaby. It lulls us, the listener, into a false sense of security and then abruptly takes all that away with the anxiety of the final line "Mother, did it need to be so high?"
I have always interpretate this warm, caring music contrasting the overprotective words, as a metaphor of how the parents try to keep a short leash on their children apparently undeterred, to keep the peace at home and the dangers away of their life, as if nothing were happening
Well he uses the "hush now baby don't you cry", - (mommas gonna to sing you a lullaby)
So I think Waters is using that to signal to you that this whole song really is a lullaby but he takes Parts where he wants to scream out at his mother he has the mother answering back all the time she heard her weather trying to calm him or to instruct him. And it ended up creating this wall, this way of living that was just impossible. Mother did it have to be so high?
I was visiting family in Mexico as a 11/12 year-old boy and I would go exploring the city on my own since I didn't know anyone there. One day, I was walking by a movie theatre and saw the movie posters for the double bill that was playing and on that alone I decided to take a dive. The double bill I speak of was Pink Floyd The Wall AND A Clockwork Orange. That screening altered my life and I was never the same. I won't lie to you and say that I understood what I was watching, but what I did understand was that I was witnessing something extraordinary.
That must have been like crossing into a parallel universe...
@@douglasgreen437 Pretty much. My mind was blown for sure. 🤯
@@TheEnnisfan Incredible..
That's one big double bill to digest...
@@LucSchots Indeed. 🙂
Roger Water's upper-register is such an incredible. desperate tone .. always gets me.
#rockOnAmy
Pigs On The Wing 1 and 2
Every time!
I think that's David Gilmore singing, not Roger Waters. Well except for the very beginning and end of the song.
My Mother and Father gave me this album for my sixteenth birthday in 1984. My Father was not a fan of R and R at all. Looking back it was one of the greatest gestures that required research and understanding of who I was becoming. My Father passed last February, and this is bringing tears to my eyes. So many things I should have said to him. Don't wait til it's too late, life is so short.
Your mother and father had good taste in music.
My father also introduced me to this album when I was a little me. When he passed a couple years ago, the world seemed like a less vibrant place. I'm sorry for your loss.
I also lost my mother last February. On my way home after leaving the nursing home my brother called me to tell me that she had passed. Wanting to hear some soft rock music, tuned my radio to the Pearl Jam channel. At that moment, Pearl Jam's lead singer was introducing the next song, their cover of Pink Floyd's Mother. I had not been a particular fan of Pink Floyd until that moment! I share in your pain brother and this music helps us heal.
It’s always too late. There is always more that needs to be said. I speak as someone in their later years. Try not to hold onto your regrets. Remember, when it’s your turn to leave this existence, that your children will have the same regrets, and take comfort in the knowledge this is not malicious, it is just human nature.
@@happilyeggs4627 I do recognize this as fact. I think I said it more as a reminder to those who haven't been able to open their hearts to the ones who really matter as they walk up and down, outside the wall.
I've listened to this song for 40+ years, know all the background on the band, this song, the movie on top of a Pink Floyd fan lucky enough to see them on original tours...... and I've never thought about your take on this song. The part where you mention his questions get deeper as he gets older is a great observation and after all these years makes that song fresh again for me. That's pretty impressive from where I sit.
“Mother did it need to be so high”…..& your reaction of “wow!”……echo’s my reaction every time I listen to this song.
I always thought it was, " Mother didn't mean to be so high".
Lol
I used to wonder if the lyrics were "Mother, did it need to be so hard?"
@@granadosvm I'm french, discovered Pink Floyd at the age of 13, end of 80's early 90's, when internet was not available to the masses, and never doubt it was "high" for the height of "the wall"...
And @Richar Curley, yes, it triggers me too.
@@granadosvm That makes sense but I'm pretty sure it's "high". The final desperate question of asking why she shielded him so much.
You've really understood the lyrical concept so much better than anyone else I've seen attempting this piece on YT, not to mention the dichotomy of the gentle/comforting tone of the music set against the lyrical weight.
Well done. 👍
So how comes she completely missed the final part of the song - the bit that asks the most important question? You need to improve your attention span and so do the other 42 challenged persons who also jumped the gun and voted your half-baked comment.
Wow. Dead on.
@@apollomemories7399 Are you referring to the section @21:05 where she clearly discusses it (whilst underlining it in red) and nails the context of said question.... that final part/important question?
I look forward to your reply, and another of your Les Grossman impersonations.
@@Nui. I didn't mean missed as in terms of not discussing it, but in terms of her getting the meaning of it correct. And no, she did not get it right and doesn't really understand the underlying meaning.
She simply has zero idea as to why Pink is sitting there smashed out of his brains, having shut himself off from everything. There is no "wall" as such, as it's imaginary, and simply a metaphor for Pink's mental shutdown and the level of severity of that. The level of Pink's drug intake in getting completely out of it is relative to how deep-seated his level of despair and anxiety has got to - which is also manifested in how "high" this imaginary protection level need be if he is to effectively shut himself off from everything, as even he has realised it's going to take a great deal and a great deal more than that of which his mother could ever have provided for him way back when.
It took her to the absolute end of the song to even begin to realise that this was Pink thinking back.
She completely loses herself with saying things like @ 8:04 "without having to have the music putting ideas in our mind". That's just stupid talk. But hey, she thinks that's "really great". Lol.
@ 19:30 she states that the music is "so disturbing". Yet, there's hardly anything happening. She has some strange ideas indeed.
But, of course, we are led to believe that this is her "first listen and reaction" - my backside it is.
Of course Nui, what you could also do other than just follow this lady and swallow everything she says verbatim, is read the text on Wikipedia that folks such as myself and others contributed some years ago from the Pink Floyd UK based fanclub magazine, "Brain Damage", that a number of other so-called authors have subsequently harvested for their own needs. Basically, a large number of us are getting slightly tired of hearing newbies trying to reinvent the wheel on all things Pink Floyd. "Is it just a waste of time?" Yes, it is.
You're welcome.
@@apollomemories7399 If you dislike her that much then what are you doing sneaking around viewing her clips and reading the comments section for.... freaky stalker much?
You wrote:
"So how comes she completely missed the final part of the song - the bit that asks the most important question? You need to improve your attention span and so do the other 42 challenged persons who also jumped the gun and voted your half-baked comment."
So yes, you clearly did mean she missed it altogether... but hey, it provides some pretty hypocritical ("attention span") entertainment for the rest of us so you just keep back-tracking there lad, it's a really convincing act. 👍
Your paragraph of waffle hasn't uncovered anything new, and you'd know that if you'd actually bothered to listen to her entire 2-part discussion of this track, so I'm not sure why you felt the need to lecture anyone... other than to satisfy your own ego.
She's obviously not been much of a rock/pop listener in the past, and she tends to concentrate on the music (rather than the lyrics) for the most part, so why do you expect her to act as though she is privy to knowing the storyline - as though she had listened to it often previously, let alone mysteriously get everything 100% completely right according to your viewpoint?
That's what I enjoy about many of these reactions... it's interesting to see what someone thinks of a piece coming into it with fresh ears without studying the track beforehand.
I've been listening to PF for 5 decades now, and had a little bit to do with both DG & Rog in the past, so I couldn't care less what a strange fish "uber-fan" (like you) thinks.
Considering your pointlessly aggressive and childish attitude here, I won't be reading anything you've been part of... so you're most welcome.
(7:36) Genius always applies to Pink Floyd. I love hearing people talk about their feelings about Pink Floyd. There's something indescribable about their music and I learn a lot from people hearing it for the first time. Thank you.
Ms Graves, I'll be turning 54 in a month or 2. And I can honestly say I was listening to Pink Floyd 9 months before I saw the sun. They have literally been a part of every aspect of my life. Especially when I started coming of age. I was working at my family's print shop before I could walk. But remember like it was yesterday when this album ⁴⁴waks coming out like 79-80 and I told my brother I was going to buy that album. Today I still have that album. It was also one of the first releases to the US. Inside the plastic wrap but on the front of the cover was a clear plastic window sticker. After that release they (the record people) started putting white paper with Pink Floyd The Wall on it instead of the clear. But the album cover had o name written on it it was just a white brick wall. So then after that they just started printing it on the album. (No idea why I told you that) but the reason for my comment is recently I saw on UA-cam a video of David Gilmore announcing the disbanding of Pink Floyd. When I pondered on that it really hit home to him say there will be no more Pink Floyd.
Well The Wall is Roger Waters grand design.
It's so much better going to a Roger Waters gig after all he's the true genius behind this album the wall.
And in My opinion the new reworked version of comfortably numb by Roger Waters is so much better 👍
Then again it's all personal opinion but it's well accepted that The Wall was practically a Waters solo album 🤔
ua-cam.com/video/9JLN581QWxc/v-deo.html
She downgraded it to "insightful" in her next remark. She was correct the first time.
She should give a masterclass on listening, an art of its self
Saw Roger Waters in concert in 2018.He sang this song and the power of it was overwhelming
UA-cam showed the Chicago live "The Wall" concert show in 2013! Wow! If I knew back then Roger Waters "The Wall" tour I would have gone to it where his concerts are fantastic laser shows on his block bricks. I did have a chance with his 2022 "This Is Not A Drill" but I don't like to mix tracks and select only "The Wall" tracks he thought should have entered the show. The other Pink Floyd albums are a change up I have to be in the mood for. Besides David Gilmoure being separated from Pink Floyd doesn't excite me as maybe 1980+ Pink Floyd.
@@lawrencejelsma8118 I was there at the United Center. I was so good. They slowly built The Wall as the concert progressed.
Then Blew it up at the end. Fantastic!
Entering rock's core, where things get deep down and personal. I don't believe Pink Floyd ever recorded a single note (or uttered a single syllable) by chance. Their songs, although they stand on their own, are parts of an opus and the whole picture resides in an album's totality.
There are lots of notes recorded by chance on Ummagumma
When it comes to Pink Floyd, “genius” IS the right word
It's not possible to do more with a 31 second guitar solo than what David Gilmore does on this song.
"The Wall" is one of my favorite albums ever. It is so incredibly deep - Roger Waters masterfully builds this metaphor of how a person reacts to pain throughout their life by building a wall to protect themselves, but this wall also cuts themself off from human contact and can eventually drive them insane (in a nutshell). And it's powerful how he builds this metaphor both through metaphorical lyrics but also through subtle musical shifts. This song is a perfect example because it can sound so sweet and innocent but then this ominous tone will quietly, subtly creep in - the metaphor here is that the character's mother, by being overprotective, helped him build this wall that eventually drove him to insanity.
It's delightful to see a younger person approach a piece of work like this. This work is incredibly iconic and I appreciate you taking it seriously. When I was 17, I watched The Wall a thousand times. Not hyperbole. Before school, after school and later at night, everyday. Not sure if I regret it. But I do have a rewarding career in the concert industry to this day.
Roger waters will forever be one of the best lyricists to ever grace us with noble human feelings, ideas and consciousness. I remember watching his movie : the Wall - Roger Waters and how Pink floyd music relates to his personal life , his relationship with his father and the impact of the war on him and how it led to him being the man he is now. we were lucky enough that the premiere was in Tunisia as a gift to our NO to Dictatorship and our revolution. I can say that , as a teenager back in the time, Pink floyd healed me, helped me and made me evolve.
I still remember, a few years back, the local rock station played this song on Mother's Day. It immediately caught my ear, because this song NEVER gets airplay. I was blown away at the idea someone thought that THIS would be a happy mother's day song. I can only imagine they saw the title and that's it. Like, did you even listen to it? Yeesh...
Agreed, I have seen other reactions to this song where they see it as a celebration of a mother's love other than what it really is, "mom you really messed me up".
My mother took this song personally even though I assured her I did not resent her for ANYTHING! So I tried not to play it to much when she was around. She was a great mom. Lol
One of the finest guitar solos ever committed to vinyl
Comfortably Numb also has 2 of the best. Gilmour plays like a god
Truly one of my favorite songs
That last question was the saddest part of the song, "Mother did it need to be so high?" The wall is a prison that has kept him from the world and all the experiences that prepare you for life. One thing that she seemed to miss - and this is no criticism, as it can take many listenings to note all of the nuances to the Wall (and I'm sure I don't see all of them) - his mother always refers to him as Baby or Babe. This reinforces the statements she makes towards him that demonstrate her view of him as a baby no matter his age. (I happened to hear another reviewer say something like, oh how sweet, when it is anything but that.)
Very true. Many people often mistake that line to be about drugs - and there may be an intentional nuance there that reflects that, but the line itself refers to the wall. Exactly.
Been waiting for this reaction since you started The Wall series. My favourite song on the album, and one of my favourite songs of all-time. The lyrics that hit the hardest for me are "of course mommy's gonna help build the wall", which delivers quite the gut punch as it's followed by the *jolt* of that awesome guitar solo. It's like the solo represents the actual construction of the wall - even the percussion in this section feels extra 'industrial' ... and the other lyric is the final one... "mother, did it need to be so high?" ... there's just something about the sound of utter desperation in his voice when he releases that final "hiiigh", like he's staring up at this gargantuan behemoth of a wall that his mother has built around him to shield him from the 'dangers' in her world. Truly an emotional piece of musical art,. Can't wait to watch your in-depth analysis!!
This is the first and only intelligent analysis of this particular song that I've experienced. Thanks!
I feel like I'm witnessing your enlightenment just like Pink Floyd has done to so many of us.
I just wanted to say I love the way you do this, and your attention to detail is impeccable! 👍🏼
From "Echoes" through to "Amused to Death" Roger Waters wrote fantastic lyrics which always made sense in the context the songs and had the added unique punch of feeling like a personal message to each listener. England's most interesting and aggressive lyricist bar none.
Did you notice the changing time signatures? The song has measures in 4/4, 5/8, 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8. Nick Mason couldn't play through those changes so they brought in a famous session drummer, Jeff Porcaro, to play on the tune.
@19:32 - "This is supposed to sound so reassuring and comforting... and yet it's sooo disturbing." Nailed it!
When Dave Gilmour comes in on his solo, after "Ooh Babe, of course Momma's gonna help build the Wall", I thought you were going to cry! That note......
It is an incredibly powerful moment and never fails to move me.
One of the most moving moments and solos in music history
And she needed to let it play on rather than stop and comment at that point.
@@benkyle76 no it isn’t
I must say, I just found you recently, I absolutely love Roger Waters, your analysis is fascinating.
For you young people. This whole album is a concept piece and it’s theme is social control and how it’s driven into us generation after generation. This song is a rage against how parents don’t encourage creative or non linear thinking or actions. It’s a continuation of the song “The Wall”. The wall is more about how education programs all of us. Rebellion not acceptable. When my son turned 18 he went to work in my company and I remember as we drove to work that first day I said to him “welcome to the machine son. He looked at me and asked what I meant, and when explained the song to him and the warning siren at the end he literally almost went pale. He looked at me and said, “dad, i don’t think I want to be part of the machine. He had won a scholarship at Juilliard, and was a guitar prodigy so I knew he had an amazing future ahead, but he needed to understand that you can fight the machine, throw some sand in the gears, but it never stops grinding the soul to dust. R.I.P Shawn Christopher Williams. You defied their rules and I loved you for it.
I think your post was intended for another video.
@@FuzzyFoot58 no it’s “mother” from the wall. The the song “welcome to the machine” which I referenced is from their album follow up to “dark side of the moon”. I do admit to wandering a bit, sorry.
@@chriswilliams5982 Welcome to the machine is from the album Wish you were here. And Pink Floyd never wrote a song called the wall; the whole album (and the movie) is titled The wall.
I assume you are talking about one of the three parts of the song Another brick in the wall?
And I would dare to say that the story of The Wall is an autobiography of Roger Waters to a fair degree, him using the character of Pink as an alter ego to tell his own story (and also part of Syd Barrets descent into mental illness). Alongside this narrative, there are songs which deal with societal nightmares, like the educational system in Another brick in the wall part 2 or racism and biggotry in Run like hell. But they certainly arent the focus of the albums big picture message.
@@FuzzyFoot58 it’s not a concept album like the wall which I think your referring to. “Wish you were here” is about Pink Floyd’s fallen leader Sid Barrett. Who burned out on acid. Thus the title. Welcome to the machine is clearly about being driven to succeed by society, and the chorus is welcome my son, welcome to the machine. Your not a kid anymore and it’s time to do something. He refers to childhood then he goes on to describe fancy cars and material wealth.
I understand mother is from the wall. I was pointing out the message in wish you were here. I suppose I just remembered my sons reaction and wrote it. Didn’t mean to create confusion
The thing with Pink Floyd is the space they give their music. The PF sound has room to breathe, and with that they have room to attack, to emphasize, and to integrate the emotion of the words and music.
Amy, you get it.Pink Floyd is not a flashy, over the top, in your face, bowl you over band. They are exquisitely delightful. listening to your interpretation was wonderful, thank you.
This man is pure genius and you do and excellent job analyzing his work
Mother laid the foundation for the wall. In my opinion this is in the top two Pink Floyd songs, and the two interchange with each other for me all the time. The other is The Great Gig in The Sky. One of if not the most beautiful songs I've heard.
I love how they switch to 3/4time for the mothers part. Really sets it off.
You have given the best reaction to this song I have seen.
Music can make a person feel the full range of human emotions from the deepest anguish to heavenly bliss !!
Man / Woman’s greatest creation “ Music “❤
Such a wonderful song ! The questions and answers lead to more self isolation and introversion.
It’s a joy listening to your perspective as you ‘re eloquent in conveying the emotions of these songs . I’ve heard this album literally over a thousand times over and to hear new perspective is great .
What an outstanding analysis of this song! Well done.
This was such a treat from Amy. All the same questions I had as teenage boy, Amy is skillfully addressing each one. I could have listened to this all day. Thank you.
"...tragically efficient manner." Absolutely brilliant.
Arguably their best ever work. This song alone* is the glue that binds the entire album together.
Always happy when receive the notification from your channel.
I am so drawn into your deep intelligent critiques of these wonderful songs. It makes listening to something that i have heard 468 times before seem fresh and new. thank you
This song is very simple as you said. Simple, but very to the point. The things we teach and instill into our children have everlasting effects on them. As a child of over-protective parents. Their fears really stunted my growth into adulthood, and caused me many problems and issues over the years. So this song really impacts me on a level that many will never fully understand. Yet another reason why The Wall is such a great album as a whole and not just per song.
A plaintive lullaby of isolation and paranoia. Great reaction Amy !
It is INCREDIBLY satisfying to see you reacting the same and drawing the same conclusions that I did as a 16 adolescent 40 years ago from this absolute masterpiece of an album. Thank you.
you are just a delight to listen too.... and your observations and assesments are just spot on.... thank you so much for reacting ... you do such a wonderful job with it.... i enjoy it so much.... i cant thank you enough.... but ... thank you.... peace ✌😊
The early songs on the album are less complicated. They do get more complicated as the story progresses. I've always attributed that to how complicated and chaotic the characters life has become. The music contrasts the innocence of childhood with the confusion and loss of control he feels in adulthood. This album has always struck a chord with me. IMO a masterpiece.
I think the reason the music sounds so supportive and comforting despite how disturbing some the things she's saying are, is because the mother's intention is to be supportive and comforting, but as the lyrics show, she is not going about it the right way. She doesn't mean to be smothering and over-protective, but that's what is happening.
I think you hit the nail on the head. A parent doesn't need to be deliberately cruel, neglectful, or physically abusive for their behavior to cause psychological harm. Sometimes even the most normal/standard of behaviors coming from a loving and attentive mother could hit a particular child in a terrible way (while perhaps even a sibling growing up with the same treatment may not be affected the same way). I think this song showcases that dichotomy between intention and result in a masterfully poignant way.
The wall is one them albums where it's portraid magnificently it has a great story behind it and is one of my favourite albums by pink floyd it's opera mixed with rock and it does impose some real life struggles people deal with on a daily basis
You need to watch the movie to get the full context of the songs. Parts of it, including Mother, come from WW2. One part in the movie shows a young boy digging through his mothers bottom dresser drawer to find a letter and narrates “Kind old King George sent mother a note when he heard that father was gone. And it was, as I recall, in the form of a scroll, gold letters and all. And I found it one day, in a drawer of old photographs, by the way. And my eyes still grow damp, as I recall how his majesty signed it, with his own rubber stamp.”
Then guitar starts and goes into Goodbye Blue Sky.
Watch the film and it will blow your mind. The layers with the visuals and the lyrics combined are one of the most powerful works of art in the last 100 years.
Yay! Thank you! Been binging your stuff but love that you doing this whole album!
This song has to one of the most emotional exhausting songs to hear, pure genius from Waters.
This song is intense...... But the version on the Movie, is the best..... The detachment, the isolation from both Pink and his wife.
In the movie, when that incredible guitar solo plays.... as it ends, it fades out, and Pink is sat at his piano, totally lost, his wife walks in and says ''Hello, hello........ is there anybody in there..... Remember me? I'm the woman from the registry office''.
That cold question that he was so far gone, he didn't even recognise his own wife.
Like Roger said, that was a nod to Syd's state.
Then the song continues.
The Wall is a masterpiece, it is a hard listen, it is a even harder watch, but if you've never seen it, get it, watch it, crank up that volume and it will forever leave a mark on your soul.
It's the human experience in music. Beautifully crafted. Emotional stuff.
I loved your reaction. I appreciate your attention to the lyrics. I also liked how you pointed out how simple the supporting musical elements were, which was exactly what was needed to keep the emphasis on the lyrics, with their reflective mood and insight on the impact this relationship had on him.
The last line in this song always hits me so hard.
I am really enjoying your excellent The Wall reactions. Such insight and understanding. I eat these up and can't wait for the next one. Thank you so much!
Thank you for actually understanding this song. I've seen several where the women were in tears because they thought the song was about a mother's love for her child. Saying things like "She lovers her child so much she wants to keep him safe and clean" . Glad to have found an intelligent reactor. Subbed
If you're interested in something outside the box, I wonder if you've ever heard of Lindsey Stirling?
Classically trained violinist who has pretty much created her own genre by adding modern electronic and hiphop beats to her violin music all while dancing while playing.
Crystalize her first big hit - - - ua-cam.com/video/aHjpOzsQ9YI/v-deo.html
This is also wonderful - - ua-cam.com/video/DHdkRvEzW84/v-deo.html
Final recommendation - - ua-cam.com/video/sf6LD2B_kDQ/v-deo.html
after that you're on your own...
But in a way, it IS about a mother's love for her child.
And how terrible that can really be.
@@briansmith303 I've seen several of these reactions by other women though, they think it's a positive song celebrating the joy and tenderness of a mother's love, they don't listen closely enough to the words to realize the darker message or that there's more to it than what's on a Happy Mother's Day greeting card. They think it's sweet and cute and sappy, "awwww!"
@@zennenn sure. I understand where you’re coming from. But I think the reason the message is subtle is very probably that the Mother figure in the song doesn’t actually have any malicious intent whatsoever. In her worldview, this is exactly the right way to protect her child from the real dangers in the world. Though I’m sure that if she were a little less self-absorbed from her own trauma she might realize that she’s overstepping some bounds.
Hi Amy, with regard to your final comments at the end of the video....As a song writer and performer, I have a mantra which is "serve the song." I think Roger Waters is a master of this mantra. He writes the music that fits the message he's conveying. If the music is too complex, you begin to get away from the sentiment of mother being an overbearing, smothering and over protective person who, though well-meaning, is just as much of a contributor to the wall as the other elements in the opera. Love your analyses and cheers from Seattle!
I have a pavlovian response to this song that just makes me weep every time I hear it.
I am so impressed by the effort and nuance with which you listen to these songs. I appreciate you so much for this. Someone who respects art this much deserves all the recognition!
The point of the song is: all mothers want their children to become the best. But the pressure being put on the child is unbearable. For example: Mother expects me to become the President. That is where the final phrase comes from: "Why did it have to be so high?" Would mother have been happy if I had just become the president of the local social club? Would she have been happy if I had become the principal of a school? Every boy wants to fulfill the dreams of his mother, and that sometimes too much for a child to bear. And it usually leads to psychological issues in later life.
This series is amazing
The Wall has long been one of my favourite albums and I've listened to it countless times, but your musical analysis in particular has been fascinating for me - thank you! It's very rare for someone to be so insightful about such a meaningful work on the first listen. Also, I hope you don't mind me saying your voice is delightful!
This reminds me of a boyfriend I had in high school. His father had died in combat, and he was an only child. He came to my house several times, but I never saw his. We'd go out for dinner, and he'd hardly eat. Eventually he explained that his mom almost never cooked, but whenever he was taking me out to dinner, she'd cook a big meal for him, which he then felt obliged to eat, so he was never hungry when we went out. I definitely had the vibe that she regarded me as a threat.
In Part II, he broke up with me after 8 months, after concluding that I wasn't going to marry him. He really wanted to escape from his mother, I think. During our Senior year, a mutual friend told me he had gotten married to a girl who went to his church and who was pregnant, but not by him. That hyper-controlling mother-smother style does tend to backfire.
I used to play this for my mother because this was my mother in many ways. I'm ok now
I will never not stop to listen to a song from one of my favorite albums of all time. It never ever ever gets old.
Thank you, this was brilliant. You absolutely nailed this analysis of the lyrical meaning... It is a very powerful song in its meaning, I choked with tears slightly as you were realising the changing meanings as the song unfolded in front of you...
I always loved .bring the boys back home' such a sad unique and a hint of patriotism to this song
which is so unusual for Waters, the mention of Vera L:ynn is heart stopping!
This is the same reaction I had the first time I listened to this. My emotional response to this song is still very similar to what I just witnessed in you.
Every Floyd fan needs to see this video. You are amazing. I am feeling these emotions with you.
Music is so visceral. I have tears right now 🤣
The video for Mother was one of the best parts of the film. We see Floyd transitioning away from his mother and into his marriage, with more bricks in the wall to follow.
The first Pink Floyd song I ever (consciously) listened to and, though it may sound clique, it really did change my life. It inspired me as a musician during my late teens/twenties and now been a massive Floyd fan for getting on 30 years. They’ve been a major part of the soundtrack of my life … and it all started with this song.
Your reactions are marvellous. Your insight/depth are second to none.
Got here by watching your Wall playlist from the beginning. At present the list ends here. What an excellent series of analyses!! Looking forward to the series continuing. As others have said, I have learned a lot of things about The Wall that I never noticed or thought of on my own. But also, back when I was a student I wondered why Music Appreciation classes existed. Never took one because I figured I could appreciate music just fine without any classes. This series has shown me a new level of appreciation that I was unaware of, so thank you, my Music Appreciation Teacher!
I love your analysis. Here is my take: this is Pink writing as an adult and reflecting upon his experiences as he looks within while the wall is being assembled around him.
This was the first song I learned to play on guitar. I played it one night for the first time in front of relatives and friends. They were stunned. This song is easy to play but has tremendous dramatic impact..
Wonderfully eloquent reaction,I love your insight and understanding of these songs!!
Great reaction and analysis. I have seen quite a few people react to this song and completely miss how disturbing and over protective the mother is in this song.
Jeff Porcaro played drums on this track. If not familiar with this name, please do yourself a favor and research him. His loss sent shockwaves and he’s very much missed. So very talented he was.
Your reaction and responses are so insightful. I hope the artists who's music you listen to watch your channel!
You've correctly picked up that the reason this song is a masterpiece, is its intimacy and spareseness. Had it been any more musically busy, it wouldn't have worked nearly so well.
I'm new to this woman's channel. As I was watching I started thinking to myself "wow who is this woman"? Very knowledgeable and intelligent. I will say the same about many of the people who left comments here. Must be that she attracts intelligent people!
Totally nailed it with the comment that the lyrics are all about it being comforting, when in reality it is anything but. disturbing is a great way to describe the song's lyrics
Strangely, people often confuse this as a loving tribute. The direction of the whole album was dictated by Roger Waters, his father was killed in ww2. The split in the band really happened over The Wall and Animals. Waters has some excellent solo stuff, I recommend Perfect Sense or Every Stranger's Eyes. Lyrically, they're mostly his songs.
It seems most people only listen to the feel of the music and ignore every word he is saying along with the rest of the album. Thinking is real hard. Feeling is much easier; it requires no effort.
Yeah, she's the first reactor I've seen actually catch the darker meaning in the song
That explains why Pink Floyd in the 1980s and 1990s were bettered by other rock bands. Roger Waters inspired Animals and The Wall to keep up with heavy metal rock other artists becoming interesting also. Led Zeppelin was already there. Peter Frampton led to David Gilmoure's use of the voice box also in "Pigs" of Animals. Foreigner came out also in 1977 with their splash hard rock tune "It Feels Like The First Time" and some other tracks good in their first album. Van Halen also came out to turn up the notch from Rolling Stone Magazine telling Pink Floyd after their 1975 album "Wish You Were Here" format David Gilmoure planned to follow. Roger Waters had to answer Pink Floyd had Heavy Metal aspects to their band that would sound monotonic as other one or two hit rock bands. Pink Floyd magically became relevant in 1977 with Animals making teenagers say, "Where did that come from, unexpectedly really great!" ... Then again in 1979 fall: Double Album "The Wall" was so great older Pink Floyd fans didn't appreciate how artistically brilliant Roger Waters became for Pink Floyd deserving of his Pigs On The Wing extra track in Animals.
"Go fishing" has all, music and lyrics.
The Final Cut is what you're thinking of.
I never watch these type of videos from anybody else. Her genuine reactions and explanations about the lyrics is so moving to me. After she heard "for me"that expression just got to me.
Listening to these songs after so many years is wonderful; made more so by watching your face and eyes that live what you are hearing. Great work !
Thanks for your wonderful insights into this powerful song.
Drums on this are amazing
If I remember correctly, it isn't Nick Mason who recorded the drums on this song.
@@booli8542 correct: it’s Jeff Porcaro from Toto.
one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs. just a classic and beautiful