You say the hill's too steep to climb
Chiding
You say you'd like to see me try
Climbing
You pick the place and I'll choose the time
And I'll climb
The hill in my own way
Just wait a while, for the right day
And as I rise above the treeline and the clouds
I look down hearing the sound of the things you said today

Fearlessly the idiot faced the crowd, smiling
Merciless, the magistrate turns 'round, frowning
And who's the fool who wears the crown
Go down in your own way
And everyday is the right day
And as you rise above the fear lines in his BROW
You look down
Hear the sound of the faces in the crowd


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by frashpikass, rcedison, shinzon, Elin01, pendraggon

Fearless song meanings
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96 Comments

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  • +9
    My Interpretation

    I think the two verses in the song are two separate illustrations of what it means to be "fearless"

    Clearly the first verse is about taking on seemingly impossible tasks and the nay-sayers that come with it, and fearlessly rising to the challenge.

    The first time I heard this song (~15 years ago), I pictured the magistrate as some political figure - a court official, a judge, or similar. I believe the fool is being unjustly hanged to death. The magistrate's intention is to strike fear in the heart of the fool and the people watching - thus, solidifying his position of great authority. Somehow the fool manages to smile because he knows he is the righteous one. This empowers the people in the crowd and belittles the magistrate. Now the fool is the one with the REAL power "the fool who wears the crown".

    "Rising above the fear-lines" is when the rope is pulled tight, pulling the fool up by his neck, and he hears the crowd's uprising as he "goes down in his own way" (the situation obviously didn't go the way the magistrate wanted it to).

    It has some similarities to Christ theory, but I think it's more Floydian to mock political authority than it is to draw reference to Christianity. Dying without fear is the ultimate illustration of fearlessness.

    horafideon March 09, 2010   Link
  • +6
    General Comment

    Which football team is being cheered at the end? I can hear both Liverpool and Everton; Was it recorded at a Mersyside derby, and are the boys having a little 'fun' with us? Seriously, though, the 'idiot' is the same fool which Ian Anderson found when he wrote the Jethro Tull classic, 'Minstrel In The Gallery'; the wise and foolish self / non-self (delete as applicable) within us all. The song is about self-reliance, self-determination and the will to question authority to the point of dissent. This is not a Syd tribute, and Jesus? Let's stick to what is before us, and not play that game where Jesus, Krishna or the Great Prophet Zorquan can be found in any piece of text.

    Libraquariuson October 17, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think this song is simply about overcoming fear. Stepping out from the norm and facing the crowd and fearlessly finding your own path. (Im not to good with words at describing things, just listen....the music says it all)

    Streamer6639on July 29, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    ROFL at all of you! Except those few decent comments at the front. This song definantly has multiple themes and aims. The Syd Barret theory is highly possible, the Jebus one fits but its highly doubtful, especially knowing the band at that point in their career. In Floyd's early years up until dark side, their lyrics were highly ambiguous. waters had not yet found his passion lyrical directness seen in dark side through the final cut and he had not yet "taken over the band's songwriting." With all that said this song, like almost all of meddle and obscured by clouds is highly transcendental. Thats what i think people miss when they read floyd lyrics. Most look for a tangible or situational meaning. Why not metaphysical? The songs flow so much better when you look at them as thoughts not words or actions. Thats why they seem (especially on this album excluding seamus) to take you away into another realm. And what super awesome about this song is for the first time they were able to put more concrete ideas into words. Anyways, now to say some concrete shit of my own. the themes i see as obvious are self reliance, intimacy with rebelion, determination and drive of a dream (the first stanza for sure), idealistic monism (though thats more of a beatles thing i still see it in the last stanza), and a highly romanticized alienation - which definantly makes me think about waters views towards barret. I don't really think its about coming over obsticles specifically. I do think thats part of determination but i see the character described more as just a free spirit doing his thing than a man taking on a challenge. Anybody agree with any of this or have i done too much cid for the day?

    POOPINYOFACEon July 27, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Interpretation is always a personal thing, as most of us will never know what the author was thinking at the time. Having said that, I think the over all interpretation of the meaning of this amazing song is simply living your life on your own terms, not restricted by social conventions. Pursuing your dreams and desires regardless of how many people may say that you are a fool, and that it is an impossible waste of time. It's about living for yourself. In regards to the last verse, it occurs to me that it could be a metaphor for Freud's personality theory. The idiot is the id, the magistrate the ego, and the fool who wears the crown is the super-ego. This verse could be about overcoming the limitations that we place on ourselves, and delving to the core of who we are as a person. But, you know, whatever, just some random thoughts on a truly GREAT song!

    BriarRabbit555on June 30, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    In the beginning of the song I picture a row of endless people walking in a straight line. Everyone in the line looks exactly the same and are in complete and utter conformity. Looking more closely though you'll see 2 oddly shaped people completely different of the crowd walking the opposite direction. One of them is a female while the other one is a male. The girl tells the the boy, "The hill's too steep to climb." Brief pause sets for a few seconds then the girl speaks again saying, "I'd like to see you try climbing!" The boy then replies with a simple, "You pick the place and I'll choose the time." "How about now-" the girls voice is interrupted as the boy quickly grabs her arm and jots up the hill with her dragging behind her. On top of the hill is possibly the most beautiful scenery ever witnessed by a human being. Bees and Butterflies of all sorts of majestic colors whip through the air. Trees extend to all colors of the spectrum of the rainbow. The grass is crawling with families of unimaginable insects that are harmless with every cell. The couple find a group of ten people that are all creatively different from any other creature imaginable. They are comforted by the group and given food, water and shelter. Trouble emerges from the bottom of the hill as the king and his drones climb approach the peaceful group. The leader of the peaceful group approaches the king/magistrate and stands straight with a smile. The King turns around with a frown on his face. The Peaceful Leader says to the King, "And who's the fool who wear's the crown?" The king then uses his staff to shoot a cannon of fire at the group. The Peaceful group are vaporized and killed within 10 seconds. During the final seconds of the vaporization the boy and girl's hand touch and they group both eachother's hands. The Leader of the group becomes a messiah and the chant that you here at the end of the song are his followers 300 years after his death chanting in a church.

    Nostalgia59287on February 03, 2015   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Very underrated song

    I think its just about, well, being fearless. doing what you want without worry. i think this song is pretty literal as far as Pink Floyd goes. someone is reprimanding someone else for doing a task that seems too hard. they would "like to see them try" in the sarcastic sense. the other person responds saying that theyll do, just name when and wait for the right day. then, when the time comes, they accomplish the task and look back on all those who said they couldn't do it.

    next, someone deemed an idiot faces a large crowd, without fear. some high power is displeased, probably because they wanted the idiot to fail. really, the powerful figure is the fool. do whatever works best for you and you can accomplish anything, and everyday is the right day to do it (callback to the first stanza.) all you have to do is rise above the fear of doing it. when you look back, you will see that most people were rooting for you the whole way (fade to a cheering crowd)

    creamboyon May 21, 2017   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is one of my favorite Floyd songs, but I seem to have a different interpretation than most folks here.

    I read the first several lines as a bit of comic dialog between Gilmour and his wife / girlfriend. She calls his bluff about wanting to climb a hill and he "cops out", saying he'll pick the time. I interpret that line as meaning that the time will never come.

    Given that interpretation, the lines about what he sees and hears at the top of the hill are his fantasy of what he'll experience on that day.

    The second half with the fool and the magistrate suggests some sort of historical setting to me, like an Arthurian era public gathering at a castle. The fool's actions reveal the magistrate to be the real fool.

    Both sections end with a sense of tenderness toward others balanced by a commitment to acting in a way true to yourself, even though it may well be frightening.

    briandashhansenon February 01, 2019   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    To understand and interpret this song one must understand the connection between the lyrics and the singing/chanting at the end of the song by the Liverpool fans. Why was this included in the song although none of the band members were (reportedly) Liverpool fans? The secret to this lies in the history of the LFC and key cultural aspects of the club - such as the Kop (where the fans recorded are sitting) and the song You’ll never walk alone. The iconic stand at Merseyside: the Kop, is named after the battle of Spioenkop during the Anglo-Boer war (1899 - 1902). The word Kop means hill in Afrikaans (the language of the Boers). During this battle a full battalion of English soldiers from Liverpool was wiped out. This was probably the worst war trauma the city has ever suffered. The bravery of these soldiers is celebrated till today by Liverpool fans - through the naming of the stand and singing of the song You’ll never walk alone. And of course in the aftermath of this war the poor decision making by commanders was blamed for these deaths.

    Against this background I interpret the song as (i) a tribute to all soldiers who have died in wars and through that have demonstrated their fearlessness and (ii) an indictment of politicians/leaders/commanders who (from a safe distance) can litterally send people to their death.

    Although these leaders/politicians/commanders (the magistrates) have power and authority (through the crown) over ordinary people (the idiots) they are ultimately proven to be the idiots while the ordinary people are celebrated as heroes.

    Griekwaon July 23, 2022   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The fear left the narrator when he reched the top. He was trying to prove something to someone who didn't believe he could do it.

    babybear005on May 05, 2002   Link

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