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A Pink Floyd Primer (Even if You Don’t Need an Education)

Part I: 

The Dark Side of the Self:

Trauma, Isolation, and Cyclicality in “Brain Damage” and “Comfortably Numb”

Unfortunately, this post’s subtitle is misleading; I am not, in fact, well-versed in Pink Floyd’s music, their albums, or their lyrics’ themes.

All I know is that a lot of their songs seem to drag on and on forever. Oh, and most of them are probably best enjoyed stoned out of your mind.

Yet, Even though I’ve never really gotten into Pink Floyd’s music, I do know that The Wall is a movie and that the cover of Dark Side of the Moon is black—with a triangle prism reflecting light.

At the end of the day, I really have nothing insightful or interesting to say about Pink Floyd’s—other than some really vague stuff like “political and social commentary” or “concept albums” or stuff like that.

Lame.

When I listen to Floyd, I usually feel like I’m on a merry-go-round… moving in slow motion… while I’m drunk. Floyd’s music always seems a little bit dark to me. Whether I’m listening to “Have a Cigar,” “Time,” “Comfortably Numb,” or (undoubtedly) “Brain Damage,” Floyd always feels dark. It feels disorienting. And (of those that I can dig out from underneath those thick, British accents) Floyd’s lyrics always sound sinister.

Rather than chose to sit the proverbial next play out, I’ve decided to delve a bit deeper into the world of Pink Floyd’s music. You know, so I can satiate my hunger for music history… And maybe even bulk-up my flailing ability to make cohesive connections between art and society—whichever one (if either) proves to have come first…

Lesson One: “Brain Damage” is on Dark Side of the Moon.

Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon was released in 1973. It themes focus on money, corruption, greed, consumerism, the passing (and affect) of time on life… even mental illness.

Waters has said that the music on the Dark Side of the Moon takes its listeners through different types, forms, and levels of human experience—hence the faint heartbeat that precedes and completes each track—and that its overall drive is to create a sense of empathy in the music’s listener.

There’s nothing like some good, old-fashioned existential dread to really stir-up a concept album—or even a band’s repetition of themes no matter which of their albums is discussed. For the experimental rock band Pink Floyd, philosophical sentiment was at the root of their orchestration of their music and their lyrics as well. Their music always seems to whisper existential doom.

Lesson Two: “Comfortably Numb” is not on Dark Side of the Moon. “Comfortably Numb,” though is on The Wall.

Even though “Comfortably Numb” is on The Wall, and, even though I should have known better to know all of this without needing to Google it, “Comfortably Numb” and “Brain Damage” hold some conceptual parallels when their lyrics are stood-up against each another.   

Lesson Three: The Wall has to do with isolation from society (not the government).

Here’s the premise for Pink Floyd’s The Wall:

Each traumatic experience in Pink’s (the main character’s) life—ranging from the beginning of his childhood and continuing through his entire adult life—is just “another brick in the wall.” “The Wall” is what Pink has built up around himself—or, rather, what Pink’s experiences have forced him to build-up around himself for means of protection. “The Wall” is made up of the “bricks” from each of Pink’s painful experiences. “The Wall” isolates Pink from society—and even from himself. If destroyed, Pink believes—and almost realizes—that “The Wall”—his wall—would eventually be replaced by the painful—and eventually numbing—building-up of another.

The Wall takes an explicitly dark (and almost decaying) picture of the human experience.

Now, I’ve obviously never seen The Wall—or listened to Pink Floyd’s double-disc album—but, the connection I’m trying to make here is that both The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon have to do with the isolation of the individual from society and the individual’s (and society as a whole’s) inability to find sufficient enough means by which to escape the painful and traumatic events interwoven into the human experience.

Lesson Four: “Comfortably Numb” is about being medicated—with muscle relaxants—to help dull the painful symptoms of hepatitis.

Great.

Although “Comfortably Numb” was created with Roger Waters’ hepatitis treatment in mind, the specific purpose for its medicinal treatment is seemingly unimportant. Specific references to hepatitis are lacking within the lyrics of “Comfortably Numb.” Instead, the song’s lyrics focus on feeling painless—an experience so foreign and so indescribable that, in attempts to clarify this experience, allusions to memories of childhood maladies have to be made.

While “Comfortably Numb” does not appear on Dark Side of the Moon, I think that its lyrics contrast well with “Brain Damage.” “Comfortably Numb” was created with the concept of being numb—of lacking the “empathy” that Waters speaks of in reference to Floyd’s earlier album.

“Brain Damage”

Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path
The lunatic is in the hall
The lunatics are in my hall
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
And every day the paper boy brings more
And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon
The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me ’till I’m sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There’s someone in my head but it’s not me.
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes
I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon
“I can’t think of anything to say except…
I think it’s marvelous! (laughs)”

Source:http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/pink+floyd/brain+damage_20108608.html

“Comfortably Numb”

The Wall (1979)

Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone home?
Come on, Come on, 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’s 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.
(solo)
I have become comfortably numb.

O.K.
Just a little pin prick.
There’ll be no more aaaaaaaaah!
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’s 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.
but I have become comfortably numb.

Source: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Comfortably-numb-lyrics-Pink-Floyd/6F30EBDB86AD066C482568A100060594

Random Ruses….

Have no fear, EB readers – the End of the Block is back in action after a mini sabbatical to bring you the best in random material.

Speaking of which, I am suffering from an acute case of apathy and blasé to my work load. I know it’s there, it needs to be done, but I can’t seem to want to work on it. Or, I’ll actually get started on something, but I can’t find a way of finish it. Right now as I type this post, I’m experiencing excruciating thoughts about:

1. Am I conveying what I’m trying to say?
2. Do I even know what I’m trying to say?
3. Do people actually give a rat’s ass about my writer’s block?
4. This topic is only going to last me for another paragraph or so. What else could I possibly write about?

In all reality, it’s a wonder that I haven’t deleted everything and gone into my room, curling up in a fetal position up against my bean. Oh my goodness, I haven’t told you about my bean! It is this inflatable thing that blows up to shape of a three foot long bean, and the curvature of the shape is supposed to lend to a number of different body shaping moves. So far, I’ve used it as my centre for wallowing in my laziness, or as my trusty lounging device while playing Resident Evil 4.

Speaking of Resident Evil 4 – I have actually tried 4 times to write a blog post entirely devoted to the Resident Evil franchise. For those of you who have actually taken the time to research a game, it’s really a matter of weeding out nerdy little pustules’ opinions about the game or serious technical jargon that no common person could understand. So I only have my own opinions and thoughts to rely on.

Brutal. Absolutely Brutal.

First of all, screw the movies. This isn’t to say that I hated the movies (I haven’t actually seen them), but I’m only regarding the video games. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Resident Evil collection is one of the best series in the whole video gaming franchise. Any nerd reading this is probably picking his nose and saying, “Well, duh.” But for those who are not complete nerds let me just say this: The Resident Evil games are a mix of stunning visuals, crafty puzzles, with an ‘edge on your seat’ feel. This is where game meets horror – the kind where your video character could be walking down the hall and the next thing you know some horrific monster could burst through a wall and come after you. It’s enough to make you scream. The game play and story has changed over the years, but like any good thing, it needs to be constantly changed to stay fresh.

I’m not going to explain the entire story, but the one I’m playing contains a U.S. Agent named Leon. He is sent to this European country to extricate the President’s daughter who was kidnapped. He enters into a small village (which surprisingly for the modern day time setting, the residents live as though they’re in the early 1900’s). Cue villagers: they’re red-eyed ruffians of carnage! They come after Leon with their heavy blades, pitchforks and dynamite looking to kill the man for no good reason. They’re also resistant to bullets…even when getting shot square in the eyeball. These guys are no zombies, mind you. They’re quite agile and smart – able to run, climb over walls, use ladders, open doors, operate bow guns…..even chainsaws. This game brings artificial intelligence to a whole new level and making play extremely challenging. So yeah, try this game out.

You know what else is good? The 1966 film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf, with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Not so good? The 2009 film The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. You know what’s also crazy? That Scarlett Johannsen was the little girl in the Horse Whisperer. I learned the hard way…I made a bet with my mother, and now I’m in charge of doing dishes for the next 3 weeks.

Oh jeez…I’m freaking out again. One cup of coffee at 5:15 this evening and I feel the jitters, but I am still lacking the inspiration to go full fledged on a subject. I’m thinking in only bits and pieces…like a performer with Alzheimers or something. Still yearning to make good with the audience, just can’t remember my lines.

Did you know that cats only see in green? Or the phallus of a male cat actually has spikes when erect? Can you imagine? Can you imagine having sex with another with a dick like a cactus? Oh my goodness, I apologize.

Me--OW! Quit Poking Me with that Thing!

I’m beginning to think that I have a propensity for being shallow. Liking people for all the wrong reasons. Turning others away for the most petty of reasons. Nah, that can’t be true. I honestly give everyone a chance. But, I can admit that I’m a terrible judge of character. Which goes without saying, that meaningful relationships come with patience and time.

I’ll leave you now with my terribly impatient thoughts. Perhaps tomorrow I can update my story without this happening. Toodles!

REMEDY, Inc.: Making Sure Everyone Gets a Piece of the Pie

REMEDY, Inc.–an NPO based-out of Yale University that focuses on “hospital waste-stream reduction, cost-effectiveness and global medical aid“–is hosting its 19th ANNUAL PIE DAY on Friday, February 5, 2010.

PIE DAY is a big thank-you from REMEDY to everyone who has supported their program by feeding them–yep, you guessed it–free pie!   

Hey, sounds reasonable enough to me!  

REMEDY helps cut needless costs, eliminates unnecessary medical supply waste, and donates unused medical supplies to those who need it most.  

PIE DAY helps REMEDY recieve the funds it needs to continue on its medical mission.

If you would like to learn more about REMEDY’S 2010 PIE DAY event, please visit http://bit.ly/cJbO4J. 

If you’d like to learn more about REMEDY, Inc., please visit http://bit.ly/93KWRL. 

If you are interested in making sure everyone gets a piece of the pie, visit REMEDY’s SUPPORT US page http://bit.ly/dxQVCn. 

***Non-monetary support is not excluded.***