A Pillow of Winds

"A Pillow of Winds"
"A Pillow of Winds"
Song

"A Pillow of Winds" is the second track from Pink Floyd's 1971 album Meddle.^[1]^[2]

Music and lyrics

This soft acoustic love song^[3] may be quite uncharacteristic of the band's previous and future material. Guitarist David Gilmour composed the chord sequence, played in a series of arpeggios, and Roger Waters wrote the melody and lyrics.^[3] This song also features slide guitar work by Gilmour, as well as a fretless bass,^[3] played by Waters. The song begins and ends in the key of E major, with a darker middle section (following the lyric, "and the candle dies") in the parallel minor, E minor. Both the E major and E minor chords feature the ninth, making this song one of many Pink Floyd songs to feature a prominent E minor added ninth chord, "Em(add9)". Throughout most of the song, the bass line remains on E as a pedal point, creating a drone. A chord named "G#m/E" is more accurately called an E major seventh chord, "Emaj7", and a "Bm/E" is just as equally named an "E7sus2". In the instrumental interlude, however, the chords change completely to A minor and B minor chords, leaving the E bass drone for a time before returning to E major.^[4]

According to Nick Mason, the song's title originates from a possible hand in the game of mahjong, with which the band had become enamoured while touring.^[5]

The song's lyrics refer to an eiderdown, better known in the U.S. as a comforter. Two other known Pink Floyd songs make reference to an eiderdown, Syd Barrett's "Flaming" and Waters's "Julia Dream".

Personnel

David Gilmour – lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, electric & acoustic slide guitars, pedal steel guitar
Richard Wright – Hammond organ, piano
Nick Mason – hi-hats
Roger Waters – fretless bass, backing vocals^{[citation needed]}

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 Manning, Toby (2006). "The Albums". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 163. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.
^ Pink Floyd: Anthology (1980 Warner Bros. Publications, Inc., Secaucus N.J.)
^ Nick Mason, Inside out – A Personal History of Pink Floyd, Ed. Weidenfeld & Nicolson Illustrated, London, 2005

External links

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[1] Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.

[mabbett-2] Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.

[toby163-3] Manning, Toby (2006). "The Albums". The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd (1st ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 163. ISBN 1-84353-575-0.

[4] Pink Floyd: Anthology (1980 Warner Bros. Publications, Inc., Secaucus N.J.)

[5] Nick Mason, Inside out – A Personal History of Pink Floyd, Ed. Weidenfeld & Nicolson Illustrated, London, 2005

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