The history and meaning of the song Hey You by Pink Floyd

Few concept albums can match the greatness of the "The Wall." Pink Floyd. Released in 1979, the album was a completely new direction for the band, exposing the world to the more experimental side of rock 'n' roll. At first, the record was met with skepticism: some critics found the album difficult to understand, and they were right, because Floyd's music in general is not for everyone! However, this work so hooked the public that it became a classic, whose meaning is close to every third person on Earth... Having topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, this release became known as one of the most innovative concept albums in rock history.

Among the many strong and philosophically profound tracks on it are. "Hey You.", a powerful ballad performed by the protagonist, stands out in particular. In it. Pink finally completes his wall that shields him from the world - so cruel and treacherous... And though it has been his life's work, he suddenly panics and tries to break down the barrier for fear of being cut off from society forever. In the 1982 film adaptation of The Wall, the song was filmed as Pink's surreal immersion into madnessbut was eventually cut from the movie. Nevertheless, it is considered to be one of the most important parts of the whole album....

So what does a song with a loud and succinct title tell us "Hey, you."and what kind of painful real-life experience participants behind it? We propose to talk about it below.

Lyrical meaning and vivid references to myths and biblical images

"The Wall" tells a story PinkHe is a rock star who becomes increasingly withdrawn from the world and disillusioned with his own life as he grows up. As a child, he lost his father, who died fighting in World War II. That was the first blow. Then there was a brutal school, a failed marriage and much more... Amidst constant betrayals and cruelty from even his own wife, who cheated on him, Pink loses faith in the world and people, and simply isolates himself deafeningly a metaphorical wallthat grows taller and thicker with each new blow...

"Hey You." unfolds just as Pink discovers his wife is having an affair. Distraught, he lays the final bricks in the emotional and mental wall he has built. But suddenly he falls into a panic. He feels afraid of his ultimate isolation from the world. In desperation, he tries to call out to the people outside, but they don't hear him. Then he tries break down the barrierbut it's too high and too strong. Finally, he gives up and succumbs mental decay…

"The wall was so huge,
That you can't distinguish its summit.
And no matter how hard he tried,
He couldn't get free.
And the worms were digging into his head..."

The last line hints that Pink is surrendering to the power of oblivion, comparing the "psychic death." with bodily death. Some people may have noticed that the lyrics of this song make extensive use of images from various of myths and biblical imagery. A prime example is the reference to to the myth of Sisyphuswho was doomed to roll a boulder up a mountain as his eternal punishment:

"Hey, you!
Help me move this stove!
Open your heart..."

Another interesting reference that fans have discerned is a reference to the to the Gospel of Matthewwhere Jesus urges his disciples not to "hide their light under a cloud."

"Hey, you, don't help them bury the light,
Don't give up without a fight..."

According to Waters, the song alludes to the fact that people can carry the your burden only when they do it together.

"Hey, you!
Don't convince me there's no hope at all!
Together we stand, apart we fall."

Painful experience

It's no secret that in many ways. "Wall" (and the song "Hey You" in particular) is inspired by his own Roger Waters' painful experience. He lost his father in the war, he didn't like school, and his wife cheated on him while he was away from home. Like Pink - he started building a wall, hiding "in a cocoon", which he finally realized during another concert where he spat at a fan... As for the "Hey, you."Waters once said:

"It's about the breakup of my first marriage and all the heartache and pain and what it's like when you're on the road and your woman announces over the phone that she's fallen in love with someone else. It's a total disaster, especially if you're like me. I was floating on the stormy sea of female power... I was actually hopeless, there was nothing I could do but close myself in a cocoon and cry. But the song is also partly an attempt to connect with other people, to say that maybe if we get our act together, some of the bad feelings will go away. There is comfort in community. It's a call to come closer to me so we can help each other..."

A significant part of the inspiration for "The Wall" was also Pink Floyd's reaction to the increasingly bored fans. The band members felt that the audience was no longer interested in the deeper meaning of their songs: thus, they wanted to encourage them to get rid of their mental "decay" and experience the music on a deeper level. We think they did it very well. And what's the song from this album "your personal favorite."and why? Share your favorite tracks in the comments, maybe we'll come back to this record and discuss the meaning of the rest of the tracks.