Pink Floyd – Fearless

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You say the hill's too steep to climb
Climb it.
You say you'd like to see me try
Climbing.

You pick the place and I'll choose the time
And I'll climb
That hill in my own way.
Just wait a while for the right day.
And as I rise above the tree lines and the clouds
I look down, hearing the sound of the things you've said today.

Fearlessly the idiot faced the crowd
Smiling.
Merciless the magistrate turns 'round
Frowning.

And who's the fool who wears the crown?
And go down,
In your own way
And every day is the right day
And as you rise above the fear-lines in his brow
You look down, hearing the sound of the faces in the crowd.

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Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Track duration: 05:20

"Fearless" as written by Bernd Klimpel, Alexander Geringas, Charlie Mason

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., EMI Music Publishing, T.R.O. INC.

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Fearless song meanings
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84 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:You'll never walk alone is a song sung by Liverpool FC fans at games (which is what they've sampled). It's quite moving when you hear 40,000 people all singing it. Around that time the Floyd were using quite a few bits of tribal chanting and things like that in their songs. So although it does have some relevance to the lyrics of the song. I think it's inclusion was more for the overall sound of the song than any meaning.
    Flag joshenon January 30, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In due respect to the previous comment, I don't believe they were referring to Jesus. Not in the way you had in mind. I'm very respectful of religion. But Gilmour and Waters are atheists, this is about relying on yourself and setting the pace yourself, and not relying on some invisible man in the sky. You'll notice the line at the end of the song, "You'll never walk alone" is sung by the masses, almost like a soccer chant. Clearly a nod to self-reliance and relying on your brothers in arms - nothing else. Very inspirational song about finding your way - and not following clowns.
    Flag JJFriscoon January 02, 2013   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • -1
    General Comment:I didn't read all the comments, but a good number of them and no one has yet to explain how the ending of the song fits into their understanding of the meaning. I am referring of course to the part where there is singing "You'll never walk alone." I am an old (near 50yo) fan of Floyd and that being said, I am also a big Elvis fan. Elvis did a religious song with the same words "You'll never walk alone" and this would fit perfectly with Jesus, and I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but the references are undeniably strong in favor of this meaning. And there is nothing wrong with that!! Think about it... the beginning is relative to the application of religious faith in one's life...to give strength and courage to face life's struggles. The second verse tells of how Christ faced enormous horrible circumstances completely fearless. While at first "idiot" doesn't seem to fit, if you continue and put yourself back in the era of Christ, the people who didn't believe must have thought him an idiot. All he had to do was say that he wasn't the Messiah. Pontius Pilate, the Magistrate, didn't want to crucify Christ and was actually saddened when the "faces in the crowd" chose to set Barrabus free instead of Jesus, hence the reason why Pilate washed his hands of the whole thing and was "frowning" in the song. Then the association with Jesus gets even more obvious..."and who's the fool who wears the crown" this is referring to the initial reference to Jesus as an idiot and he did wear a crown...of thorns. This is contrasted with the Magistrate's crown, or the King's crown. And go down in your own way and every day is the right day. Symbolizes the crucifixion, death and entombment of Christ, but also is a reference to the Christian who Kneels "down in [his] own way" to worship and the "right day" to worship is "everyday," and "as you rise above..." No doubt this refers to the resurrection and ascension to heaven. Hearing the faces in the crowd I believe just means that Jesus was saddened by the whole ordeal-- not because the crowd had upset him, but because he knew that His Father would deal with them-- at least all those who hadn't believed in him. Finally "you'll never walk alone" just means if you accept Jesus into your life, you'll never walk alone. Could it be that Cid had talked of such things: death, fear, salvation, etc. and this was the remaining members' way of coping with these issues. It's really not a bad way to ease fear and stress. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. By the way I like all music except most country. I like TOOL and Led Zep, RUSH, The Cars, Iron Maiden, Metallica. Now someone explain for me Grantchester Meadows on Ummagumma....
    Flagged drmra4on November 07, 2012   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:Haha Liverpool FC fan here!
    Flag majid6565on October 06, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:'as I rise above the treeline and the clouds' obviously tells us the hill we have to climb is metaphoric, like rising above the material world and a vessel which appears to be on a trip out to sink. 'The body means nothing, you can float around, they've got you HYPNOTIZED' as the Fleetwood Mac's song goes...and like the dude says in the Gospel of Judas, using his best friend to call Rome out to the garden at Gesthemene, away from freed death row prisoner Marymeme and child; 'you will sacrifice the man who clothes me'...Why not take at face value that we can 'rise above the fear lines in (the) brow' of one facing the merciless law or crowd...why not be be unbowed by such tyranny?.
    Flag gregfromtrackson November 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:My Top 10 Floyd songs:

    1. Dogs
    2. Good Bye Blue Sky
    3. Fearless
    4. Echoes
    5. Shine on you Crazy Diamond
    6. Comfortably Numb
    7. Any Colour you Like
    8. Time
    9. A Pillow of Winds
    10. Sheep
    Flag gs12on October 25, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I'm really surprised no one has 'Good Bye Blue Sky' or 'Waiting for the Worms' or even 'Mother' in any of their lists of favorite Pink Floyd songs. I've had a lot of favorites of theirs, it's always changing of course, but these three are so powerful.. how could they be passed up in everyone's lists? Even the lists with 30 favorite songs? I just want to give a little love to these songs as they are very powerful and have a special place in my life :)
    Flag sanebydayon December 05, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I think "fearless" was Waters' way of telling everyone, "We can make it without Syd, it may take time but, we will do it."
    Flag Chrononaut666on July 18, 2010   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!
    Flag BriarRabbit555on June 30, 2010   Link
  • +1
    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.
    Flagged horafideon March 08, 2010   Link

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