The Gunner's Dream

The more I listen to this song the more the meaning becomes clear, to me. This is an amazing amazing song, one of my favorites, and I think one Pink Floyd's songs with the deepest story. The song goes into at least two to three different points of view depending how you look at it. I believe it starts off with the father of a family (possibly Roger's father) and his point of view as he is about to die in the war.

PRESENT Floating down through the clouds memories come rushing up to meet me now in the space between the heavens and in the corner os some foreign field I had a dream I had a dream

The first lyrics start off with him falling through the sky, probably being ejected from a plane that has been shot down, he knows he is going to die. Memories come rushing up to meet me now(your life flashes before your eyes.)But in the space between the heavens and the corner of some foreign field (further proof that he is floating to his eventual death.) I had a dream (he has a dream, the dream he is dying for, the reason he is fighting in the war.)

This either comes from the point of view of him visualizing his own funeral while he's falling or from his sons point of view.

THE FUNERAL goodbye Max goodbye ma after the service when you're walking slowly to the car and the silver in her hair shines in the cold november air you hear the tolling bell and touch the silk in your lapel and as the tear drops rise to meet the comfort of the band you take her frail hand and hold on to the dream

Goodbye Max goodbye Ma(he's saying goodbye to his son and his wife in his mind.)The middle lyrics speak solely of the funeral itself. And hold on to the dream (Remember what he died for. Always remember and always fight for what is right and hope that one day the world will be right. Don't let his death be a tragity, let it be further inspiration to strive for a peaceful world to live in. DON'T LET HIS DEATH BE IN VAIN.)

THE DREAM A place to stay enough to eat somwhere old heroes shuffle safely down the street where you can speak out loud about your doubts and fears and what's more no-one ever disappears you never hear their standard issue kicking in your door you can relax on both sides of the tracks and maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control and everyone has recourse to the law and no-one kills the children anymore and no-one kills the children anymore

These lyrics are the dream. The dream he fought to keep alive. That people will always have a home and food. Someplace where old heros who made this dream real are once again living their lives.A place where you can speak your mind without fear. A place where everyone follows the law and you don't have to live in constant fear that others will hurt you or your loved ones. A place where children live a full happy lifes that aren't cut short.

THE SON night after night going round and round my brain his dream is driving me insane

His fathers dream is driving him insane. He wants it to be real and true but how? He doesn't want his father to have died for something that will never happen. How could the world have strayed so far from what is good and right?

PRESENT in the corner of some foreign field the gunner sleeps tonight whats done is done

In some unknown foreign soil(He died away from everything and evreyone he ever loved and possibly his body was never found.)The gunner sleeps tonight (he is dead.)What's done is done (you can't change it.)

TO THE AUDIENCE we cannot just write off his final scene take heed of his dream take heed

We cannot just write off this final scene (You can't change what has already happened but you can do something about it, you can fight for the dream. You cannot forget what he lived for, what he died for. You cannot ignore the problems with the world. A quote that sums of this line perfectly is "Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace."-- Dalai Lama) Take heed to the dream. Take heed (make it a reality.)