Jack's Music Box - Pink Floyd: Comfortably Numb
Hi Guys!
Welcome to another installment of Jack’s Music Box! Today we are going to be taking a look at Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd.
About the Artist
Pink Floyd are a band that needs no introduction, they are one of the most popular British bands of all time.
The band was formed in the early 1960s going through a variety of names before settling on the name ‘Pink Floyd’ in 1965. At this point the band consisted of Syd Barrett as lead guitarist and singer, Roger Waters on bass, Nick Mason on drums and Richard Wright on keyboards.
Throughout the mid 60s the band became a fixture in London’s underground music scene. With the band’s lengthy instrumental solos and colourful visuals, Pink Floyd quickly became associated with the emerging ‘psychedelia’ movement.
In 1967 the band signed with EMI and released their first single Arnold Lane. This was quickly followed by See Emily Play which reached number 6 on the UK charts and gained the band a larger following.
Later in the year the band released their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. The album would go on to become one of the most influential psychedelic albums of all time.
Around this time frontman and principal songwriter, Syd Barrett began to have a mental breakdown due to his heavy LSD use. As Barrett became more and more unstable the band decided to replace him with David Gilmour.
In 1968 the band released their second album A Saucerful of Secrets. The album continued to build on the psychedelic themes of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the album also featured the last appearance of Syd Barrett on a Pink Floyd album.
Throughout the remainder of the 1960s Pink Floyd continued to tour and release experimental albums. 1971s Meddle signaled a departure from the avant garde with it’s much more accessible sound.
In 1973 the band released what many fans consider to be their greatest album: Dark Side of the Moon. With this album the band crossed over into the mainstream. The album reached number 1 in the USA and stayed in the charts for 14 years!
Throughout the rest of the 1970s the band released a string of commercially and critically successful albums, such as Wish you Were Here, Animals and The Wall.
About the Song
Today we are going to be looking at the song Comfortably Numb, from the band’s 1979 album The Wall.
Comfortably Numb is one of the band’s best well known and contains one of the most famous guitar solos of all time.
The song’s lyrics refer to a time when Roger Waters needed to be injected with tranquilizers for his stomach cramps before a show.
The Lyrics
Hello
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now
I hear you’re feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again
Relax
I’ll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I’ve got that feeling once again
I can’t explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb
I have become comfortably numb
O.K.
Just a little pin prick
There’ll be no more aaaaaaaah!
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it’s working, good
That’ll keep you going through the show
Come on, it’s time to go
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb
Interesting Vocabulary
Nod: To move your ahead up and down in agreement.
Ease: To decrease pressure.
Receding: Diminishing or Disappearing.
Numb: An absence of feeling.
Pin Prick: The sharp pain of a needle.
Fleeting: Something that doesn’t last very long.
Glimpse: A partial view.
