Pink Floyd's "In The Flesh," a nightmare vision of modern-day fascism

[ChicagoRonin]

Like a lot of late 70s/80s-era kids, me and my friends discovered the band Pink Floyd in adolescence. Watching the movie "The Wall" was one of those rites of passage among my peers.

In the middle of the film appears this nightmare vision of modern-day fascism in the UK. At the time, I remember just regarding it as an edgy piece of pop culture, and we'd quote lines from the scene (despite most of us being nonwhite, and none supporting fascist or racist ideas).

Don't think I find it quite as amusing today.

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[True Dough]

1. Pink Floyd was a little before my time

but my wife grew up with their music so I've come to appreciate it to a degree. We went to a Brit Floyd concert earlier this year (a great cover band) and it occurred to me as a captive audience member just how many of their songs rail against the system. I don't know if they ever really posed many solutions to the crass commercialism/materialism/corruption/environmental degradation that they are vehemently opposed to, but they sure were prolific at cranking out tunes that condemned it!

[democratisphere]

2. The leader looks like Jr.

Scary stuff.

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. "Animals" is also much more relevant now than it was then.

"Harmlessly passing your time in the grassland away;
Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air.
You better watch out,
There may be dogs about
I've looked over Jordan, and I have seen
Things are not what they seem.

What do you get for pretending the danger's not real.
Meek and obedient you follow the leader
Down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel.
What a surprise!
A look of terminal shock in your eyes.
Now things are really what they seem.
No, this is no bad dream."

Sheep



"Hey you, Whitehouse,
Ha ha charade you are.
You house proud town mouse,
Ha ha charade you are
You're trying to keep our feelings off the street.
You're nearly a real treat,
All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused?
.....! .....! .....! .....!
You gotta stem the evil tide,
And keep it all on the inside.
Mary you're nearly a treat,
Mary you're nearly a treat
But you're really a cry."

Pigs (three different ones)

[ChicagoRonin]

4. I need to re-listen to that one

I was too young to realize what they were talking about when I first heard this. They're talking about Mary Whitehouse, a conservative activist who was the scourge of the BBC with her constant campaigning against anything she deemed improper (Including, improbably, the old "Doctor Who" series).

[Ferrets are Cool]

5. I feel badly that I did not know this factoid. Thank you for

filling me in.

[gvstn]

6. +1