Pink Floyd — Us And Them

edit

Hidden Song

[[C: War context of the song]][[P: Personal, different take on it]]

*Us and them
And after all, we're only ordinary men*[[C: Both sides are the same. Just men, just human.]][[P: Seeing yourself and your fellows, compared to the rest of the world, being the same, being human.. But that doesn't mean you have to be 'ordinary'. It would really suck to lead an 'ordinary' life.]] 
Me and you
*God only knows, it's not what we would choose to do*[[C: Many are forced to take place in a war that benefits the interest of a few people not part of it.]][[P: Sometimes in life, circumstances like culture and religion ends up shapeshifting your desires and actions, one is almost never completely free to choose what to do]]

Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
The General sat, and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side

Black and blue
*And who knows which is which and who is who* [[C: Its a mess, a bunch of people, and just that, people, casualties on both sides. Nobody can really tell who are they against of]][[P: Who are you really? Who am I really? Which is our real purpose?]]
Up and down
And in the end, it's only round and round and round

*Haven't you heard it's a battle of words* [[C: The physical war is an extent of a word war. Its a forceful validation of a statement. Of a conviction, or a thought]][[P: With humans all comes down to words. Everything devolves from an argument]]
The poster bearer cried
*Listen son, said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside* [[C: You can be saved if you come with us. Its not really about killing the other. Its really about having the most people supporting some sort of statement. The killing comes for those who disagree with them]] [[P: You are the man with the gun. You are the threatener. You are the one constantly living wary of others. Yet, there is room inside of you, for who you really are]]

''They're maybe gonna kill ya. So like, if you give 'em a quick, short, sharp, shock, they don't do it again. Dig it? I mean he get off light, come to think. Of rationalising it, once. It's only a difference, but why go and ruin it? I mean good manners don't cost nothing, do they, eh?''

Down and out
It can't be helped, but there's a lot of it about
With, without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about

*Out of the way, it's a busy day
I've got [[*a lot of*]] things on my mind*
For want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died

[1][2]

Us and them
And after all, we're only ordinary men[3][4]
Me and you
God only knows, it's not what we would choose to do[5][6]

Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
The General sat, and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side

Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who [7][8]
Up and down
And in the end, it's only round and round and round

Haven't you heard it's a battle of words [9][10]
The poster bearer cried
Listen son, said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside [11] [12]

''They're maybe gonna kill ya. So like, if you give 'em a quick, short, sharp, shock, they don't do it again. Dig it? I mean he get off light, come to think. Of rationalising it, once. It's only a difference, but why go and ruin it? I mean good manners don't cost nothing, do they, eh?''

Down and out
It can't be helped, but there's a lot of it about
With, without
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about

Out of the way, it's a busy day
I've got [13] things on my mind
For want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died

[1] C: War context of the song

[2] P: Personal, different take on it

[3] C: Both sides are the same. Just men, just human.

[4] P: Seeing yourself and your fellows, compared to the rest of the world, being the same, being human.. But that doesn't mean you have to be 'ordinary'. It would really suck to lead an 'ordinary' life.

[5] C: Many are forced to take place in a war that benefits the interest of a few people not part of it.

[6] P: Sometimes in life, circumstances like culture and religion ends up shapeshifting your desires and actions, one is almost never completely free to choose what to do

[7] C: Its a mess, a bunch of people, and just that, people, casualties on both sides. Nobody can really tell who are they against of

[8] P: Who are you really? Who am I really? Which is our real purpose?

[9] C: The physical war is an extent of a word war. Its a forceful validation of a statement. Of a conviction, or a thought

[10] P: With humans all comes down to words. Everything devolves from an argument

[11] C: You can be saved if you come with us. Its not really about killing the other. Its really about having the most people supporting some sort of statement. The killing comes for those who disagree with them

[12] P: You are the man with the gun. You are the threatener. You are the one constantly living wary of others. Yet, there is room inside of you, for who you really are

[13] a lot of

Share this song:

Check out zubieta's notes on:
Carl Orff — Carmina Burana
Giuseppe Verdi — Dies Irae
Pink Floyd — Learning To Fly