Fearless (Pink Floyd song)

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"Fearless"
Italian vinyl single
Single by Pink Floyd
from the album Meddle
A-side"One of These Days"
Released29 November 1971 (1971-11-29)[1]
Recorded9 May – 11 September 1971[2]
StudioAIR, Abbey Road, Morgan studios in London
Genre
Length6:08
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd singles chronology
"The Nile Song"
(1969) 		"Fearless"
(1971) 		"Free Four"
(1972)

"Fearless" is the third track on the 1971 album Meddle by Pink Floyd.[4][5] It is a slow acoustic guitar-driven song written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, and includes audio of football fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone". It was also released as the B-side of the single along with "One of These Days", and was praised by critics as one of the better songs from Meddle.

Recording[edit]

The song's slow tempo and mellow acoustic sound bear similarities to some of the other tracks on the first side of the album. Roger Waters performed the acoustic guitar parts[6] using an open tuning in G major, taught to Waters by former member Syd Barrett.[7]

Near the beginning and at the end of the song, a field recording of fans in Liverpool's Kop singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" is superimposed over the music.[8] This Rodgers and Hammerstein song became the anthem of Liverpool F.C. after Gerry & the Pacemakers had a number one hit with their recording.

Other releases[edit]

Although it was not released as a single in the UK and never played live, it was released as the "B-side" of the single "One of These Days" in 1971. Roger Waters briefly resurrected the song for a small number of shows in 2016, and the song was played by Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets on their tours in 2018, 2019 and 2022.[9][10][11]

This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd, but was ultimately rejected for inclusion.[12]

Reception[edit]

In a review for the Meddle album, Jean-Charles Costa of Rolling Stone described "Fearless" as "a clever spoof" that "leads up to a classic crowd rendition of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone"."[13] Classic Rock Review described "Fearless" as "the best overall song on the album and talks about meeting challenges in the face of adversity."[14] They went on saying "Fearless" is "highlighted by Gilmour’s calm yet strong guitar strumming and the odd beat from drummer Nick Mason."[14]

Personnel[edit]

with:

In popular culture[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Glenn Povey (2007). Echoes: The Complete History of Pink Floyd. Mind Head Publishing. p. 344. ISBN 978-0-9554624-0-5.
  2. ^ Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2017). Pink Floyd All The Songs. Running Press. ISBN 9780316439237.
  3. ^ Murphy, Sean (27 March 2017). "The 100 Best Classic Progressive Rock Songs: Part 1, 100-81". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.
  5. ^ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
  6. ^ a b Udo, Tommy (27 April 2012). "Interview: Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, Engineer John Leckie Discuss the Making of 'Meddle'". Guitar World. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. ^ The Amazing Pudding archive, The Pink Floyd Fan Club.
  8. ^ "The Hillsborough Tragedy". BBC. 16 June 2000. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Roger Waters Setlist at Desert Trip". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets Setlist at The Half Moon, London". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  11. ^ Bailie, Geoff (19 April 2022). "Concert Review: Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets - Ulster Hall, Belfast - April 14th, 2022". The Prog Report. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  12. ^ Guthrie, James. "James Guthrie: Audio: Building A Compilation Album". Pink Floyd. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  13. ^ Costa, Jean-Charles (6 January 1972). "Meddle". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Meddle by Pink Floyd". Classic Rock Review. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
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