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6 min read · Dec 18, 2018
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A British bassist, composer, and songwriter, Roger Waters was also the lead singer and co-founder of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd.
Roger Waters was born in 1943 to his father, Eric Fletcher Waters, and his mother, Mary Waters. His father was a teacher, a communist party member, a devout Christian, and the son of a coal miner and Labour Party activist. In early years of WWII, Waters’ father drove an ambulance during the Blitz. He later joined the Territorial Army, and was killed shortly after Rogers birth, when Roger was only 5 months old. Waters’ mother was also a teacher, and after the death of her husband, moved to Cambridge with her two sons. Waters attended high school alongside his future band member Syd Barrett, and the future guitarist, David Gilmour, lived nearby. He was originally enrolled in the University of Westminster for architecture, where he met future Pink Floyd founder members Nick Mason and Richard Wright. Waters never enjoyed school, and said “I hated every second of it, apart from games. The regime at school was a very oppressive one… the same kids who are susceptible to bullying by other kids are also susceptible to bullying by the teachers”.
Many people, when they hear the term “rock band”, do not think of philosophy or deep thinking. Although, Pink Floyd is often associated with psychedelia as well, which can easily link to philosophical thinking and experiences. Roger Waters has proven this in many different ways, specifically through Pink Floyd’s album, “Dark Side of the Moon”.
Roger Waters often addresses issues such as war, alienation, and the importance of open communication. One of the best known albums by Pink Floyd, “Dark Side of the Moon”, which Waters had a lot of input in, contains a combination of psychedelia, empathy, politics, and philosophy, as well as focusing on topics such as conflict, greed, death, mental illness, etc. At the last minute before producing the album officially, Rogers created cue cards with questions and gave them to roadies and other people he met. This meant anyone at Abbey Road, doormen, and members of the Wings, including Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney. There were about 20 different questions included, asking things like “Are you afraid of dying?” “When was the last time you were violent and were you in the right?” and “What does the phrase “Dark Side of the Moon’ mean to you?”. He then went through all the answers and included only the most spontaneous and interesting ones in the album. In the 43 minutes that is Dark Side of the Moon, there are 10 songs divided into two different parts. Each song in the first part is meant to reflect a different phase of human life, beginning and finishing with heartbeats, as well as exploring the nature of human empathy and experiences.
The first side of the album is essentially a story of a human being born, living, and dying with little purpose in life overall. The songs “Speak to Me” and “Breathe” both describe life situations. “Speak to Me” is mostly instrumental, but at a high enough volume, the quotes from the earlier mentioned cue cards appear. The quotes can also be heard throughout the other songs in the album. “On The Run” depicts stress and nervousness, or anxiety, as a result of trips, specifically Wright’s fear of flying. “Time” expresses the problems connected to the passing of life. “The Great Gig in the Sky” (a personal favourite) is used as a metaphor for death. The second part of the album is about what people do with their lives; chase money, fight wars, and eventually have a mental collapse or breakdown. It begins with the sound of coins or treasure in the song “Money” which relates to greed, and is also the most commercially successful, ironically enough. “Us and Them” handles problems of conflict, while “Brain Damage” evokes madness caused by fame and success. The final song on the album is “Eclipse” which was created for the listener to recognize the features common to all of humanity. The name “Dark Side of the Moon” refers to the theme of sun vs moon/light vs dark/good vs bad within the album. The image of the “dark side” is used to create links between people whom perceive themselves to be at odds with time, the world, and themselves.
Before the music begins in “Dark Side of the Moon”, there is a sound similar to an anti-rollback mechanism on a roller coaster as it ascends up the track. This sound is then followed by a psychotic like screaming, as if the roller coaster is descending down in terror. This is meant to symbolize a human life, always moving up and down.
In addition to “Dark Side of the Moon”, another well-known album from Pink Floyd is “The Wall”. This album is known as Roger Waters’ autobiography. The original idea came from the clear divide, or “wall”, that Waters’ noticed between the band and its followers. Although it also depicts the story of a characters life; representing how people build up mental walls within themselves, often blocking out friends, family, and anyone else around them. The “wall” does eventually come down, although it is unclear whether Pink Floyd (the portrayed character) is able to rejoin society as they once were since having this wall.
As for Roger Waters’ life away from Pink Floyd, he can still be viewed as philosophical. At age 15, Waters was chairman of the Cambridge Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (YCND), designing its publicity poster and actively participating in its organisation. Waters also became a spokesperson for Millennium Promise in June 2007. This is a non-profit organisation to help fight extreme poverty and malaria, and he also wrote an opinion piece for CNN to show support. In the July following, he was a part of the Live Earth concert, an international, multi-venue concert held to raise awareness about global climate change, which was also where one of Pink Floyd’s inflatable pigs appeared. The pigs were originally a symbol for Pink Floyd, although once Waters split from the band, he adopted it as his own. The pigs were initially meant only to represent releases of albums and concerts, although there were always messages written on them, often relating to political and social issues.
If one delves into a deeper meaning, beyond a non-traditional idea or aspect, philosophy can be found in unexpected places. As mentioned previously, many do not think of rock bands as being philosophical, although the messages that Pink Floyd convey prove them to be very wrong. The simple definition of a philosopher is someone who studies life and/or the meaning of life. This is what makes Roger Waters a great philosopher. He studies life constantly, through mainly his own, and converts it into meaningful music for others to study and understand.
Bibliography:
Crew, H. (2018). The Story Of The Dark Side Of The Moon. [online] Hardwired Magazine. Available at: https://www.hardwiredmagazine.com/pink-floyd-story-of-the-dark-side-of-the-moon/?lang=en [Accessed 17 Dec. 2018].
DS40, A. (2018). Dark Side Voices & Original Question Cards | The Dark Side Of The Moon — Pink Floyd. [online] Thedarksideofthemoon.co.uk. Available at: http://thedarksideofthemoon.co.uk/2013/dark-side-voices-question-cards-73/ [Accessed 17 Dec. 2018].
Gachne, C. (2018). What was Pink Floyd’s connection to philosophy?. [online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/What-was-Pink-Floyds-connection-to-philosophy [Accessed 17 Dec. 2018].
Ilovephilosophy.com. (2018). ILovePhilosophy.com • Roger Waters. [online] Available at: http://www.ilovephilosophy.com/viewtopic.php?t=140510&p=1592721 [Accessed 17 Dec. 2018].
Kitchen, M. (2018). What Is Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Really About? An Introduction.. [online] Esquire. Available at: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a17945/what-is-dark-side-of-the-moon-about-15266894/ [Accessed 17 Dec. 2018].
Pink Floyd Roger Waters describing The Wall. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.pink-floyd.org/artint/98.htm
As a seasoned enthusiast with a profound understanding of the subject matter, let's delve into the captivating world of Roger Waters and Pink Floyd, particularly focusing on the philosophical underpinnings and the multifaceted depth of their iconic album, "Dark Side of the Moon."
Roger Waters, the British bassist, composer, and songwriter, stands as a pivotal figure in the history of progressive rock. Born in 1943 to Eric Fletcher Waters, a teacher and committed communist, and Mary Waters, a teacher herself, Roger's early life was marked by tragedy with the death of his father during World War II when Roger was just 5 months old.
Waters' trajectory into the realm of music intertwined with his education at the University of Westminster for architecture, where he crossed paths with future Pink Floyd members Nick Mason and Richard Wright. His disdain for traditional education is evident, claiming to have despised school, finding it oppressive, with a sentiment resonating with the themes of rebellion and nonconformity often present in Pink Floyd's work.
Pink Floyd, a band synonymous with psychedelic rock, goes beyond the stereotypical rock band image. Roger Waters, as the lead singer and co-founder, played a significant role in infusing philosophical depth into the band's work, notably exemplified in the album "Dark Side of the Moon." This masterpiece is a symphony of psychedelia, empathy, politics, and philosophy, addressing profound themes such as war, alienation, and the importance of open communication.
Waters took an innovative approach during the production of "Dark Side of the Moon," creating cue cards with thought-provoking questions and distributing them to various individuals, including doormen and even members of Wings like Paul McCartney. The spontaneous and intriguing answers to these questions found their way into the album, adding layers of depth and authenticity to the music.
The album, with its 43-minute duration, is divided into two parts, each song reflecting different phases of human life. The first part narrates the story of a human being's birth, life, and death, touching on themes of empathy and the human experience. The second part delves into the pursuits of life, including the chase for money, participation in wars, and the eventual mental breakdown. The album's title, "Dark Side of the Moon," serves as a metaphor for the universal dichotomies of light vs. dark, good vs. bad.
Beyond "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd's "The Wall" serves as Roger Waters' autobiographical expression. The album explores the psychological barriers individuals build, creating a metaphorical wall that separates them from society. Waters, both within and outside Pink Floyd, demonstrates a philosophical inclination, evident in his activism against nuclear disarmament during his youth and later involvement in humanitarian causes, such as supporting Millennium Promise and participating in the Live Earth concert to raise awareness about global climate change.
In essence, Roger Waters emerges not just as a musician but as a philosopher who intricately weaves profound reflections on life, society, and human experience into the fabric of Pink Floyd's music. The philosophical resonance of their work challenges preconceived notions about the nature of rock bands and showcases the transformative power of music to convey deep, existential truths.
