Pink Floyd pushed boundaries within their work and tried to elicit a broader conversation about societal matters. It’s no secret that Roger Waters and David Gilmour don’t see eye-to-eye on many subjects, including messages they spread within their incredible work together as Pink Floyd.
For as long as music has existed in popular culture, bands have had the power to influence younger generations. Whether this is related to their aesthetic, such as a specific haircut, or a stance on a wider political issue, artists can change the opinion of the masses. Therefore, when they speak, they must understand the full weight of their voice.
However, not everything a band says within their art should be taken at face value, and Pink Floyd enjoyed injecting a hefty dose of satire into their work alongside a creative flourish. A notable example of this is ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)’. The song features a children’s choir singing, “We don’t need no education, We don’t need no thought control, No dark sarcasm in the classroom, Teacher, leave them kids alone.”
Many misconstrued this playful chorus as a call of arms by Pink Floyd to demand the end of education for Britain’s children, ironically missing the double negative bedded within the framework of the chorus. The song proved controversial, and according to Alun Renshaw, head of music at Islington Green School, whose students sang on the track, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher “hated it.”
Although the eradication of education would have put him out of work, Renshaw said of the track: “I wanted to make music relevant to the kids – not just sitting around listening to Tchaikovsky. I thought the lyrics were great – ‘We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control’ … I just thought it would be a wonderful experience for the kids.”
He even recorded behind the back of headteacher Margaret Maden, who was initially upset about the song’s lyrics. However, she later admitted, “On balance, it was part of a very rich musical education”.
Waters later addressed the misunderstanding surrounding ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)’: “You couldn’t find anybody in the world more pro-education than me. But the education I went through in boys’ grammar school in the ’50s was very controlling and demanded rebellion. The teachers were weak and, therefore, easy targets. The song is meant to be a rebellion against errant government, against people who have power over you, who are wrong. Then it absolutely demanded that you rebel against that.”
His bandmate Gilmour later discussed his issue with the track’s misconception and why Pink Floyd are responsible. Speaking to Andrew Marr on the BBC, he said: “Roger would say that it’s all in the context, and I suspect now, I’m not sure how good of an idea it was to put something out like that as a single.”
Gilmour continued: “We do need teachers, and Roger was talking about the type of teachers that were fairly common in schools in this country when we were growing up, but I think I wouldn’t put that out as a song right now.”
Although Gilmour would choose against releasing ‘Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)’ in this current climate, the song went on to become a vital part of the South African apartheid movement and clearly, Waters holds no regrets about the classic track and its message.
