Leaving just a memory
A snapshot in the family album
Daddy, what else did you leave for me?
Daddy, whatcha leave behind for me?
All in all it was just a brick in the wall
All in all it was all just bricks in the wall
When we grew up and went to school
There were certain teachers who would
Hurt the children any way they could
By pouring their derision upon anything we did
And exposing every weakness
However carefully hidden by the kids
But in the town it was well known
When they got home at night, their fat and
Psychopathic wives would thrash them
Within inches of their lives
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teacher, leave them kids alone
Hey, teacher, leave the kids alone
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers, leave them kids alone
Hey, teacher, leave us kids alone
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments, philosophical lyrics and elaborate live shows. They became a leading band of the progressive rock genre, cited by some as the greatest progressive rock band of all time.
Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals) and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). Under Barrett's leadership, they released two hit singles, "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play", and the successful debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). David Gilmour (guitar, vocals) joined in December 1967, while Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. Waters became the primary lyricist and thematic leader, devising the concepts behind Pink Floyd's most successful albums, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). The musical film based on The Wall, Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), won two BAFTA Awards. Pink Floyd also composed several film scores.
Following personal tensions, Wright left Pink Floyd in 1981, followed by Waters in 1985. Gilmour and Mason continued as Pink Floyd, rejoined later by Wright. They produced the albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994), backed by major tours, before entering a long hiatus. In 2005, all but Barrett reunited for a performance at the global awareness event Live 8. Barrett died in 2006, and Wright in 2008. The last Pink Floyd studio album, The Endless River (2014), was based on unreleased material from the Division Bell recording sessions. In 2022, Gilmour and Mason reformed Pink Floyd to release the song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
By 2013, Pink Floyd had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and these albums and Wish You Were Here are among the best-selling albums of all time. Four Pink Floyd albums topped the US Billboard 200, and five topped the UK Albums Chart. Pink Floyd's hit singles include "Arnold Layne" (1967), "See Emily Play" (1967), "Money" (1973), "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" (1979), "Not Now John" (1983), "On the Turning Away" (1987) and "High Hopes" (1994). They were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2008, Pink Floyd were awarded the Polar Music Prize in Sweden for their contribution to modern music.
"When we grew up and went to school
There were certain teachers who would
Hurt the children any way they could"
He isn't railing against education, he's railing against abuse.
In the late 90s, picking up my dad as he was released from prison, he graciously offered (on my behalf) to give a ride to 4 also-being-released-thugs (and I mean THUGS with affection) to Tacoma, about a 30 minute drive, in my little car with the badass car stereo, and as we pulled out of the DOC lot we absolutely BLASTED this track for all to hear. It was classic, what with 4 active PIRU members, all making my 6ft 200lb self look small, bumping to Pink Floyd. Of course we switched to Rap (NWA's Fuck the Police of course!) before long, and that was one of the best rides I've ever given to 1-too-many in my compact car (outside of the time when it wasn't all dudes.)
Long Live RP and kilowatt powered subwoofers!!
Reminds me of taking my 14-year-old daughter to the Australian Pink Floyd show last time they were in town. She thoroughly enjoyed the show, although she thought the crowd looked like a checkout line at Costco. She was definitely one of the youngest there. Before the show began she remarked to me, “Looks like you’re the only parent that brought their kid”. The 30-year-old next to us must have overheard her and laughed, and then pointed at the guy with the grey pony tail next to him “That’s my dad!”.
I don't believe I've ever heard Another Brick In the Wall Part 1 or Happiest Days of Our Lives on a classic rock station. I think it really helps to hear those songs before Part 2. Sets the mood instead of just diving into the catchy chorus.
I agree....hearing ABITW Part 1 first is essential now if I want to enjoy this brilliance
Halt ! Hammerzeit !
Most Euro lingos use double negatives, eg
Non ho fatto niente
Je ne regrette rien
The stunted creole called English is very much the odd one out.
“The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.”
A rating of 8.7 confirms that I’m one of the few people who doesn’t care for this album. It may have been partly due to the line “we don't need no education”. Like many others my route out of poverty was education and, to me, saying kids don't need it is thought disordered.
However each to their own, I’m glad so many people get pleasure from this song, but its ‘not my cup of tea’.
I'm shocked that you're only a few years younger than me, in Scotland, and you don't get it. They were critiquing how education was delivered to the working class. I was born in Glasgow 1955 and by the time I was 11 had been streamed by my social class to a lesser education. No exceptions allowed. The delivery of education not the quality was complete crap. Most teachers and headmasters were borderline sadists and excessive physical and emotional punishment was the norm. Fortunately for me we escaped to Canada in 1966. While not perfect, I was actually tested and given the opportunity to try. I was allowed to choose an advanced high school course which in turn led to post secondary education. The first in my family to do so.
I firmly believe that had I stayed in Scotland, I'd be dead or in jail. If not I would have continued the generational dance of under employment and unemployment as the system was designed to do. I'm not suggesting people can't beat the system but the deck was stacked and I had no role model. Maybe you were lucky or just very good.
You completely miss the point of these songs and the theme of the album IMO.
Yes, the Crime of the Century... what authorities are doing to our childern these days during Covid.
You are more amazing today then the day I bought you.
The Wall in its entirety certainly - as was the original live show/performance that went with it!
Couldn't agree more. I saw Roger Waters doing the Wall tour about two years ago, and it was an amazing experience. We were in the 5th row, and all I could think was "Wow, that is the guy who wrote The Wall standing right there."
Entire school assemblies devoted to explaining to us how we shouldn't be influenced by the evil lyrics, music teachers doing hour long sympathetic break downs of the song.
The thing is, it was basically just the truth and everyone knew it.
I was born in 1960 and have been blessed with a son later in life - he's now 13 and right in the middle of it all. What creeps me out is that this song still stands up today. When will the education authorities in the UK weed out the sadists? Or do they think they are still needed?