A Deep Dive into The Wall, by Pink Floyd

Rock is a genre of music that cannot be defined with words, it’s defined by sound. When you hear the shrill cry of a guitar –  it’s rock. The beat of the drums and the thump of the bass – it’s rock. The assortment of loud noises that weave together to create a story is what rock and roll music is all about. 

To further understand what makes rock so great, we can do a deep dive into one of Pink Floyd’s most popular albums, The Wall. We look at their hit song “Comfortably Numb” and how the band uses wordplay and juxtaposition to address their character “Pink” and his struggles. 

In the verses, the band use minor scales when portraying Pink, overwhelmed by drugs, but switch to using major chords when his inner monologue breaks through, allowing the band to differentiate between the dreary and prominent parts of the song, almost embodying his internal conflict in the instruments, personifying them as a second voice. Moreover, the song has an amazing solo that paints an image of Pink getting up and remembering how to run again as it goes through a slow start, but gradually picks up and shines–melting your face off in the process.

Another example of the complexity and delight of The Wall is the brilliance of their lead singer Roger Waters. Waters had grown up without a father, who died in World War II when he was only five months old. While tragic, the death inspired Waters’ anti-war messages that are prominent in many of Pink Floyd’s songs. 

Waters  invokes great emotion and feeling, painting stories of just how devastating war can be. In his song “Goodbye Blue Sky,” Waters uses repetition paired with beautiful rhythm and vocals to tell the story of a young boy during the Second World War, who has to run and take shelter from the airplanes and falling bombs. He embodies his beliefs and all of the pain associated with his father’s death in his songs, allowing listeners to not only hear, but feel, his words. 

Overall, The Wall is an amazing album that embodies rock and roll music. The album is a double LP, meaning there’s twice as much music to love due to the size. The progression of character, use of imagery, and command over the instruments creates an ethereal listening experience guaranteed to blow your mind. No two songs are the same, but they all come together to create one story. The Wall is so much more than just music, making this album a 10/10 album.