Lyrics for Childhood's End as interpreted by Demau Senae

Childhood's End Lyrics
You shout in your sleep
that's the price, it's just too steep
is your conscience at rest
it was put to the test
you awake with a start
just the beating of your heart
just one man beneath the sky
just two ears, just two eyes

You said, sail across the sea
long past thoughts and memories
childhood's end: your fantasies
merging harsh realities
and then as the sail is hoist
you'll find your eyes are growing moist
and all the fears never voiced
say you have to make the final choice

Who are you and who am I
to say we know the reason why
some are born, some men die
beneath one infinite sky
there'll be war and there'll be peace
but anything one day will cease
all the iron turn to rust
all the proud men turn to dust
so all things time will mend
so this song will end

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Salfordio
10-28-2009

Rated 0 
Wonderful track. Simple song about life hitting home as you age.

The title, incedently, is taken from the Arthur C. Clarke novel of the same name. Huge book among the late sixties movers and shakers. Pretty damn fine read, too.

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gma
10-11-2008

Rated 0 
oh yeah and its also a loose base on the novel childhood's end by sir arthur c. clarke i intend to read that shortly

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gma
10-11-2008

Rated 0 
I love Roger Waters and his lyrical ability as well, but guess what folks Gilmour wrote this one. In fact I heard Roger edited some of it out as well but you know all that is here-say anyway. or however the hell you spell that word.
It actually reminds me of what he is doing now, especially in the bridge where he has a written lead part (not exactly wirtten but pre-composed at least in his head or just what he felt should be there) and he tends to do that now adays, ie. listen to "blue" on on an island, he does a beautiful lead over the chord changes in the birdge. (personally one of my favorite rock bridges ever.... COlored in Bluuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeee)
also cant you tell the lyrics are a little less rhythmically inclined than what waters could dish out, but thats another little personal gilmour that comes out that introduces you to his musical tap. YEE SON! LOVE YOU RICK! HELL OF A RIDE HUH! REST WELL! GREATLY MISSED!

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DGisPF
07-11-2008

Rated 0 
They played this song a few times Live during the 72 tours. IT IS AMAZING LIVE! Anyone wants to hear it, EMAIL ME. fprlordworm@yahoo.com

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Unoriginal_Username
10-10-2007

Rated 0 
To the people above raving about Waters: This song was one of the few Pink Floyd songs written completely by Gilmour, with no contribution from the rest of the band.

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fitius
09-27-2007

Rated 0 
i think this song is about someone who went to war,perhaps in the navy.and is thinking back on the choice of going.either way its an awsome song very gritty and heavy for floyd.only one in a long list of greats. pinkfloydrulz@peoplepc.com

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whole_lotta_zepp
03-09-2007

Rated 0 
Man, this has taken over Wish You Were Here as my fave Pink Floyd song... my friend showed it to me in History 2 days ago, and i have fallen in love with the song.... in fact, i am listening to it rite now!
and it really sounds like time, but i like it way better

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Themactator
02-10-2007

Rated 0 
LOVE IT! Nuff said!

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Blizzaro
01-05-2007

Rated 0 
I really liked the book Childhoods end and to me, I can relate everyword of it to the book it just takes some thinking.

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sambennallick
10-27-2006

Rated 0 
the lyrics actually remind me of sorrow, read the first and last few lines, and it hit me like a pie in the face

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standingout
09-08-2006

Rated 0 
did anyone else relate this to Childhoods end by arthur clarke...like especially the "just one man beneath the sky? part

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inpraiseoffolly
09-07-2006

Rated 0 
Actually, cheeriokid and others, this was Gilmour's last lyrical contribution to the band for 15 years. So no, Waters did not write it.

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cheeriokid
06-19-2006

Rated 0 
Roger Waters is an amzing song writer this is probaly my second favourite floyd song, behind CWTAE, echoes, and pigs (three different ones) and tied with cymbaline. The book Childhood's End is amazing.

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heyjude55
05-14-2006

Rated 0 
Kick ass song, I like this song because the beat is so awesome and I'm not a huge Pink Floyd fan but I borrowed this CD from a friend to see some albums I hadn't heard of and this song projected from the album. Great number. Love that damn organ

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floydian18
05-12-2006

Rated 0 
Pure genius I dought even einstein could come up with this stuff. Roger Waters=God

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inpraiseoffolly
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
I forgot to close my last post. The point was, this album is right in the middle of what PF has done, and it is better than what most bands reach in their prime.

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inpraiseoffolly
05-02-2006

Rated 0 
I love this song a bit. Odd, but it has a lot of things going for it, hence I love it, but it has too many weak points, hence the a bit.

I would like the song so much more if the las two lines went like this:

so all things time will mend
and so we reach childhood's end

I actually wrote a song (well, lyrics actually, I can't write music, unfortunately) called Childhood's end, about much of the same as the this song, but with the "so we reach childhood's end" line as my ending.

OBC deserves a lot more credit than it gets, and it's sad. While this CD has no standouts, it has a very solid lineup:

Obscured by Clouds: a very good instrumental 4/5
When You're in: another good instrumental 4/5
Burning Bridges: a beautiful song about nuclear warfare (Hiroshima/Nagasaki specifically (at least that is what I think) 4.5/5
The Gold It's In The...: Not my favorite style of music, but then again, PF makes me like almost everything they do. 4/5
Wot's...Uh The Deal: If nothing else, you've got to love the title, and the lyrics, and the music, and, well, just about everything. 4.5/5
Mudmen: an instrumental version of Burning Bridges, longer, but not as good. 4/5
Childhood's End: About, well, I'm not sure, but it's very good. 4.5/5
Free Four: My personal favorite on the album. I love me a good song about death set to the happiest tune out there. 4.5-5/5
Stay: I'm not sure about this song, but it is loaded with potential, so I'll give it a tentative 4/5
Absolutely Curtains: Another good instrumental closer. I love the title. 4/5

It is very hard to find a Cd with a more consistent lineup than this. It's one of five albums I can think of with no weak songs (others being Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, Animals, Wish You Were Here, notice a trend anybody).

Pink Floyd is the best band not only because of the heights their best work reached, but because the quality of the stuff in the middle of their catalogue is equal to the highs of most other bands, if not much better.

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wolfzr2
01-28-2006

Rated 0 
Incredible song from a vastly underrated and overlooked CD. I have to confess that I have been a PF fan since 1994, and I'm kind of "re-discovering" them now as I approach 30. Old staples are set aside, and I'm delving more into albums that collected dust for a few years as well as more of the solo stuff. Anyway, this song is very powerful to me, since I'm at a time where childhood is behind me, and the long haul of life stares me in the face. Good stuff.

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bbbcswr
01-05-2006

Rated 0 
i love how this song calls on you to question your own personal opinion. "who are you and who am i, to say we know the reason why......." its quite ironic on a site like this one. This song pushes you to think way outside the box, a characteristic of most floyd songs. It blows my mind how many people are unaware that this song exists. i love this song because of that reason. i dont know why, but it seems more special and personal to me( like only a handful of people know it, and i get to be one of them, yessss!)

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phloyd
12-13-2005

Rated 0 
this song is seriously great. it is definitly wicked underrated and really intriging because it sounds like...American Classic Rock...while floyd was over the seas psychedelic experimental rock. either way besides the genres...this song is fuckin great!

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JuliaDreamer
10-29-2005

Rated 0 
I havent seen La Vallee but I have seen More and im not willing to stick my neck out to find it after that first B-rated hippy movie (not that hippies are bad). U cant really rent More or La Vallee so to see them u or someone u know has to buy it. But this song is really good. This combined with Echoes are the roots to DSOTM. They merge to form this dreamy sound about life. Good stuff.

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Cymbaline212
05-17-2005

Rated 0 
p.s. i havn't see La Vallee but i heard its very low budget film about a group of hippies that live with a tribe and experience nature. ive heard good reviews but i dont think this film would really spark my interests. id love to see it for the floyd music though

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Cymbaline212
05-17-2005

Rated 0 
the meaning is basically in the lyrics. other than that its a great song. very few people know this album and isnt very appreciated. people forget this is the album right before dsotm and you can hear the similarities in the music. if anyone has the oppritunity, find an old bootleg of this song. there are very few performances of it but floyd often jams out on this song for 10 plus minutes!....its great

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AnotherBrick
05-11-2005

Rated 0 
I loved this song before, but I love it even more now that I know what it is about. I feel this song and "Time" go very well together.

Good question there, dasquien. So has anyone seen La Vallee?

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dasquien!
05-09-2005

Rated 0 
you awake with a start
just the beating of your heart
just one man beneath the sky
just two ears, just two eyes

some of my favorite floyd lyrics

have any of you guys actually seen la vallee?

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