The Show Must Go On (Pink Floyd song)
| "The Show Must Go On" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Pink Floyd from the album The Wall | ||||
| Released | 30 November 1979 (UK), 8 December 1979 (US) | |||
| Recorded | April–November, 1979 | |||
| Genre | Art rock, progressive rock | |||
| Length | 1:36 | |||
| Label | Harvest Records (UK) Columbia Records (US)/Capitol Records (US) |
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| Writer | Roger Waters | |||
| Producer | Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James Guthrie and Roger Waters | |||
| The Wall track listing | ||||
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"The Show Must Go On" (working titles "Who's Sorry Now", "(It's) Never Too Late"), a song by English rock band Pink Floyd, that appeared on their 1979 album The Wall.[1][2] It was written by Roger Waters and sung by David Gilmour.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Roger Waters wanted to create a "Beach Boys" type sound for the backing, and got Bruce Johnston to come and help create it, but this was only after The Beach Boys themselves were approached to provide the backing vocals and had agreed, only to cancel at the last possible moment (the morning of the session, 2 October 1979). The song also closely resembles chord patterns found in "Mother", "In the Flesh", and "Waiting for the Worms". The song strongly resembles Queen's music not only through the harmonising voices but through its lyrics and title. (Queen would record a song of the same name in 1991, which starts with the line "Empty Spaces", a song from The Wall).[original research?]
This track does not appear in the 1982 film version of The Wall nor in Roger Waters' post-Pink Floyd 1990 concert The Wall – Live in Berlin. It also has an extra verse that was cut from the studio album, but nevertheless appears on its sleeve.
Do I have to stand up
Wild eyed in the spotlight
What a nightmare Why!
Don't I turn and run
After this, the line "There must be some mistake..." starts.
The full song was performed live in concert, and as such appears on Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81.
It is the only song of the album on which Roger Waters does not perform, although his voice is audible on unofficially released recordings of the demo. He is heard singing a verse that was cut from the final version and has never been played live, located right before Gilmour's bridge.
[edit] Plot
As with the other songs on The Wall, "The Show Must Go On" tells a segment of the story of Pink, the story's protagonist. The song represents his conversation with his manager, or perhaps with himself, about if the show must go on. This song leads into "In the Flesh", where he performs in said show.
[edit] Personnel
- David Gilmour — vocals, guitars, bass guitar, roto toms[3]
- Nick Mason — drums[3]
- Richard Wright — synthesiser[3]
- Bruce Johnston — backing vocals[3]
- Bob Ezrin — synthesizer, piano[3]
- Joe Chemay — backing vocals[3]
- Stan Farber — backing vocals[3]
- Jim Haas — backing vocals[3]
- John Joyce — backing vocals[3]
- Toni Tennille — backing vocals[3]
[edit] Further reading
- Fitch, Vernon. The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia (3rd edition), 2005. ISBN 1-894959-24-8.
[edit] References
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.
- ^ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb — A History of The Wall 1978–1981, 2006, p. 103.
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