Saturday Morning Soundtrack #69: "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd (1979)

It's been a busy time here for me with my new job and with my brother's wedding, but I'm excited to be finishing up the 1970s (finally!). This was the year that Video Killed the Radio Star ushering in the 80s and an era of New Wave music, and there were some great songs released by a few of my favorite bands, but the top song of the year for me was also (I believe) the top song of the year on the Billboard charts. It remains Pink Floyd's most iconic song, and was the band's only single to top the charts in the U.S. and U.K. . . . .

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Saturday Morning Soundtrack @ Youtube

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"Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" by Pink Floyd (1979)

"Another Brick in the Wall" is, at its heart, a protest song. In both the album version and the video, it is paired with "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" and transitions seamlessly with bassist Roger Waters screaming "You! Yes, you! Stand still, laddie!" and a high pitched scream. 

What makes this song so magical to me is the way it manages to layer so many different elements in one space without it turning into some sort of high-production spectacle. You've got the iconic bass and drum lines which for a pseudo-disco beat, the distinctive guitar rhythm and its riffs in-between the chorus vocals (my favorite part!), the moody reverb guitar solo, voice over, and a full children's choir. That a lot for any song to manage. 

Of course, the song wasn't originally supposed to be that long, according to producer Bob Ezrin in a Guitar World interview in 2009:

"I said: 'Man, this is a hit! But it's one minute 20. We need two verses and two choruses.' And they said, 'Well you're not bloody getting them. We don't do singles, so fuck you.' So I said, 'Okay, fine,' and they left. And because of our two [tape recorder] set up, while they weren't around we were able to copy the first verse and chorus, take one of the drum fills, put them in between and extend the chorus. . . .

I said, 'Give me 24 tracks of kids singing this thing. I want Cockney, I want posh, fill 'em up,' and I put them on the song. I called Roger into the room, and when the kids came in on the second verse there was a total softening of his face, and you just knew that he knew it was going to be an important record."

The song (and its trippy video), of course, follows a simple plot: our young hero finds himself being tormented at his bording school by a sadistic teacher who steals the song lyrics he is absently scribbling in his notebook. The cruel teacher reads the lyrics aloud in front of the class, embarrassing the student, who then imagines him and his fellow students marching along in unison like a group of downtrodden workers. They enter a steamy industrial tunnel and emerge from the other end without any facial features. They are exact clones of one another, and they proceed to fall blindly into a giant meat grinder. Eventually, there is an uprising where the students regain their identities and they destroy the school, finally setting it on fire as they chant, "We don't need no education."

There is a steak punk vibe to the whole thing, and also notes of fascist imagery. It is not an optimistic view of the British education system, with its overt commentary on how this approach to education works to beat down individuality and creative thinking, and it remains resonant today with our ongoing teach-to-the-test educational culture that, more often than not, misses the mark when it comes to understanding what tools are actually necessary for future success.

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So what do you think? Did I get it right or miss the mark? Please, feel free to weigh in using the comments below. And, if you would like to write a Guest Entry for the "Saturday Morning Soundtrack" series where you creatively respond to one of your favorite rock songs, don't hesitate to contact me with queries.