This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Big man, pig man
Ha, ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel
Ha, ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You're nearly a good laugh
Almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin
Saying 'Keep on digging'
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find
Down in the pig mine?
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry
Bus stop rat bag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You fucked up old hag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass
You're nearly a good laugh
Almost worth a quick grin
You like the feel of steel
You're hot stuff with a hatpin
And good fun with a hand gun
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry
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 got to 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
Ha, ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel
Ha, ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You're nearly a good laugh
Almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin
Saying 'Keep on digging'
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find
Down in the pig mine?
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry
Bus stop rat bag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You fucked up old hag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass
You're nearly a good laugh
Almost worth a quick grin
You like the feel of steel
You're hot stuff with a hatpin
And good fun with a hand gun
You're nearly a laugh
You're nearly a laugh
But you're really a cry
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 got to 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
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Mellow_Harsher, mattedcustardI, floydfan199406, irae, seesaww
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So here's the definitive explanation of these lyrics: In 1977 the British Prime Minister was a rather corpulent, somewhat unattractive bloke called James Callaghan (left-wing) - hence "Big man pig man" - big 'cos he was big, and also PM, and pig 'cos... well... And at the time there was some sort of hoo-haa about the mining industry which I was too young to remember, hence "...head down in the pig-pen singin keep on diggin" "pig stain on your fat chin probably refers to having 'egg on his face'. The "bus stop rat bag" was of course Maggie Thatcher (The Iron Lady) waiting to get on the bus in the general elections of 1979 - a truly "FUOH" who "radiated cold shafts of broken glass" due to her icey-cold nature. "hey you Whitehouse" was indeed a direct mention of Mary Whitehouse, an advocate for censorship and utter anihilation of anything that was 'just not cricket'- sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and pretty much anything else to do with modern society.
"Ha ha charade you are" is a play-on-words of an oh so common lyrical interjection "ha ha shawa-doowa" or however you spell it, with the double meaning of "you are a charade" i.e. false. Hope this clears up a few points. PS great site!
@karkarinus It took 15 years for at least one person to say thank you! This is probably the most help I've had on trying to find the meaning.
@karkarinus Oops 12 years my bad I can't maths right<br />
@karkarinus I have been wondering about the Bus stop rat bag line. Perhaps your explanation is correct. Its the best one Ive heard but how do you explain the fact that the song was written in 76? Your reference is from 79. They were working on the Wall at that time.
@bill110798 Well, it's only taken me 4 years to answer, and you've probably already found your answer, but here I am! In answer to your question, Maggie was leader of the Conservative Party from 1975, hence she was waiting to "get on the bus" when Animals was written.
Three different pigs. The first are the rank and file politicians. They're just puppets, well heeled big wheels. They're just worried about staying on the gravy train. They put their hands on their hearts, as to say that they really care about the people, but in reality they only care about themselves.
Haha, charade you are.. basically these people are all frauds. Frauds serving their own interests and those above them, while feigning love and support for the people.
Unless Mr Waters had a time machine then this song has nothing to do with Thatcher. It has nothing to do with Thatcher's mad privatizations and nor does it have anything to do with her war in the Falklands all of which are literally years away.
"Animals" is a great album that doesnt get the credit it deserves. This song is about the people in society who Roger considers "Pigs". The ones who control others but don't know as much as they let on. Cool song. Actually ehard it on the radio one time. Rare for an 11 minute song.
comon guys, you all must be like...young, I remember whne this came out, roger did an interview, it's watergate folks, these pigs are john erlichman, martha mitchell and richard nixon, the whole album is about watergate, dark side is about what goes on inside your mind, wish you were here is about the recording industry, the wall is the slow deterioiation of sid barrett, and the final cut is what is inside rogers mind.<br /> just check old interviews. and listen to the music!!
Wish You Were Here (the song) is about Sid Barrett, as is Shine on You Crazy Diamond, so I don't know if you can say one album is specific to one idea or criticism. It's like....music man.
@micha2l58 I believe you are incorrect on some of your information. Dark Side of the Moon is about the things in modern society that can drive people towards lunacy. Wish You Were Here is about the recording industry, but I feel that the more important message WYWH was saying was directed towards Syd. It was about how the industry can really cut you up, and leave you like Syd. The Wall has very very little to do with Syd, it's about Rogers detachments he felt towards his fans and was a bit of an autobiography, though not as much as the Final Cut. The Final cut is basically Roger's political views and his own feelings. <br /> <br /> Also, don't discriminate towards the young, I'm 15 and appear to have more knowledge about this subject than you.
Everything he said. ^^
Or she?
@SongMeanings <br /> <br /> Sorry Mischa3158, the "Whitehouse" referred to was Mary Whitehouse. She was a constant moral critic in Britain and was constantly calling for the banning of tv shows, movies and music. She was the force behind NVALA, a rating system somewhat similar to the MPAA but much more moralistic and polemic.<br /> <br /> She managed to get Alice Cooper banned from TOTP, went after the producers of Dr. Who etc. etc... <br /> <br /> Mary Whitehouse. Not THE Whitehouse.
Roger waters was raised as a socicalist so te first part of this song is about the "evil" capitalist people who will do anything to get to the top. the second verse is about the current British Prime minister Margret Thatcher. the final verse is about a british advocate for music censorship named Mary Whitehouse who always seemed to pick on the Pink Floyd for there 60's ideals of free love and drugs. I think this song is great it's got a great harder rock feel while still keeping that pink floyd sound
@azreal Definitely not about Thatcher as she hadn't taken office yet.
Mary Whitehouse was a British politician who wanted to censor sex on TV
two words: ANIMAL FARM
Yeah ,George Orwell ..Good novel though
yeah, animals isn't based on animal farm. its just very, very similar to it.
Yeah, this album reminds me so much of George Orwell's political parody, Animal Farm. When the pigs take over the political system and treat other animals like slaves. You can really feel the anger in this song. It's a great album. This song is so political. correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he's also somewhat aluding to the fable with the 3 little pigs. He has three pig songs. One for the left, which would be the straw house, one for the middle, which is this one, with the brick house, and the one on the right which is brick. The dog might be aluding to a wolf in fables? I don't know. But I think that the houses represent the three types of government. The right and left wings are too strict or loose (capitalism/communism). I'm not sure.
To understand any of the songs fully, you need a full understanding of what the album is about So here it is, even though some of it may be obvious.
Animals ----Capitalist nations are nations made up of sheep that are owned by pigs, and competed for by dogs
Dogs Cutthroat businessmen and always in vicious competition like dogs fighting for scraps that the masters (pigs) give them Either end up "sad old men dying of cancer" or "pulled down by the stone" All that competition actually give them no fulfillment in the long run The stone -- dirty tricks the pull and bad things they do to others to get ahead (conscious?) Probably not conscious -- more like getting caught breaking the law -- Enron or Bernie Madoff
Pigs (3 different kinds) Heads of society who pull the strings and control all the dogs and especially the sheep
Sheep Play on the bible: The Lord is my shepherd (but not primarily a religious commentary) Pigs: the "good" shepherd We are all just sheep in the flock mindlessly feeding on grass ignorant of our masters controlling our every move Dogs/wolves competing to pick off the sheep but we are ignorant until it is too late
yea they play this in my city philly sometimes during 20 song pink floyd marathons - 2 hours of heaven haha