In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Mother, do you think they'll drop the bomb?
Mother, do you think they'll like this song?
Mother, do you think they'll try to break my balls?
Ooh, ah
Mother, should I build the wall?
Mother, should I run for President?
Mother, should I trust the government?
Mother, will they put me in the firing line?
Ooh, ah
Is it just a waste of time?
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry
Mama's gonna make all of your nightmares come true
Mama's gonna put all of her fears into you
Mama's gonna keep you right here under her wing
She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing
Mama's gonna keep baby cozy and warm
Ooh baby, ooh baby, ooh baby
Of course mama's gonna help build the wall
Mother, do you think she's good enough?
For me?
Mother, do you think she's dangerous
To me?
Mother, will she tear your little boy apart?
Ooh, ah
Mother, will she break my heart?
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry
Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you
Mama won't let anyone dirty get through
Mama's gonna wait up until you get in
Mama will always find out where you've been
Mama's gonna keep baby healthy and clean
Ooh baby, ooh baby, ooh baby
You'll always be baby to me
Mother, did it need to be so high?
Mother, do you think they'll like this song?
Mother, do you think they'll try to break my balls?
Ooh, ah
Mother, should I build the wall?
Mother, should I run for President?
Mother, should I trust the government?
Mother, will they put me in the firing line?
Ooh, ah
Is it just a waste of time?
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry
Mama's gonna make all of your nightmares come true
Mama's gonna put all of her fears into you
Mama's gonna keep you right here under her wing
She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing
Mama's gonna keep baby cozy and warm
Ooh baby, ooh baby, ooh baby
Of course mama's gonna help build the wall
Mother, do you think she's good enough?
For me?
Mother, do you think she's dangerous
To me?
Mother, will she tear your little boy apart?
Ooh, ah
Mother, will she break my heart?
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry
Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you
Mama won't let anyone dirty get through
Mama's gonna wait up until you get in
Mama will always find out where you've been
Mama's gonna keep baby healthy and clean
Ooh baby, ooh baby, ooh baby
You'll always be baby to me
Mother, did it need to be so high?
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by nasses321, gokrix
Mother Lyrics as written by Roger Waters
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Should I build a wall? Of Course mommas gonna help you build a wall.
Mother is overprotective, gonna check out all your girlfriends for you, momma wont let anyone dirty get through. the last line Mother did it need to be so high, is reffering to the wall that she helped him build, but being the way she is, she built the thing too damn high, and he has no way out.
I've never understood the last line but you made it so much clearer. I know Floyd doesn't write about drug use so I was really thinking I was wrong when all I could think or was a drug reference. Thanks
@regb thanks for that. i always thought this was a passive aggressive song, and i always felt a deep resentment of mother being spoken in this song. however i never quite got the final line as referring to the wall being high, that makes perfect sense. i always heard it as literal, did the song need to be so high (in octave or notes).
I don't think its so much about an over protective mother as it is about a mother who is teaching her son that life is all bad and that he should fear life. She puts all her fears into him. So he builds a wall to protect him from the evil world on the other side(with her help). His fear of life and his lonelyness leads him to insanity. The last line "mother, did it need to be so high", he comes to the realization that his mother has made his this way.
It's not entirely her fault though, since her world probably was very dark, having lost her husband to war and being left alone to care for her single child. This could understandably make her protective of her son (Pink), which is the closest to his father she will ever have again and who seems to be her only close family.
@ruarchitect What you are saying is the literal meaning of over protecting, it's indirect but severely affective!
I think the meaning is more literal...In the beginning of the song, child is asking his mother questions, from a child’s “a bit scared of the world” perspective. As the song goes on, and the child gets older, mother’s answers become creepy and controlling. It's about a parent not letting their child grow up to be independent.
Damn i love this song
Definitelt one of the most important lines in the album...
"Of course mama's gonna help build the wall."
It leads to a great guitar solo, too, so it makes it even cooler. :-D
as for the last line, "Mother did it need to be so high". this is, i think, pink looking back and realizing that the wall is so damn high that theres no way out, so hes asking his mom why it had to be like that. maybe.
My view of it was always a person caught on the east side of the Wall. A child, talking to his mother about the repression on the East side.
Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb - he was worried what russians would do.
Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls - If he dont do as he's told he'll be in trouble.
Ooooh aah, Mother should I build a wall - Should he become numb, stop having feelings.
Mother should I run for president - Should I stand up for what i feel is right?
Mother should I trust the government - exactualy what is says.
Mother will they put me in the firing line - Will they kill me if i speak up?
Is it a waste of time speaking up?
Mother consoles child. Controlling. By saying your nightmares will come true if you don't behave.
Mother will keep you under her wing,(Russia will keep you safe)
She wont let you fly, but she will let you sing, (Russia will control you).
The rest was always in my oppion about control till last verse where he asks
"Mother, did it need to be so high" meaning did u need to be so controlling?
This was always my picture of the song from when i was a child and the album was released. Maybe I was right in this, but personally i think now he wrote the song to have two meanings.
I like that alot. It could work for both sides of the wall though. I think that's what the last line references.<br /> <br /> "Mother, did it need to be so high." That could be the Berlin Wall.
@theMadCow To really over simplify it the boy in the show is British and it is WWII so it is the Germans he is referring to because his father was killed and it screwed him up and made his mother overprotective yet being that she is British still distant so he does not have the ability to relate or deal with women very well so builds a wall to protect himself and the same thing with men because he grew up with no father. He is asking her if they will send him to war to be killed to. I could go on and on seen this 1,000's of times went to the midnight movie in 1984 to see it as well :)!
@theMadCow He was British, he was worried about Germany/Hitler.
Mother, you may not like this song... Sorry.
In my mind, Mother is a representation of our government spying on us. It is overprotective of it's people, when even we know we are safe.
"Mother should I trust the government?" I find this line interesting. The "Mother" is saying it would be ok to go into the war.
"Mother will they put me in the firing line?" A question asked by Pink Floyd as this goes on. He wants to be home and safe, but his drama keeps him back. They say it is ok to be in war.
"Mother's gonna help build the wall!" The Wall is are borders from other countries and borders from things we may want to know.
The Wall is great, and I will try to figure out more of Pink Floyd!
I always thought "Mother" was authority in general. Could be parent, government, religion, depression/anxiety, whatever we allow to have power in our life.
Pretty bleak song. We want to know what to expect and what to do in this life, but the source that offers answers usually also has the power. If we want a certain future, we must relinquish personal freedom and control. Seeking reassurance in a world of uncertainty is a losing game.
Last line: the speaker wants to know why the wall of isolation/protection had to be built so high, but they are resigned to it. They are powerless by the end of the song.