Amused To Death
1- The Ballad Of Bill Hubbard
Written: solo
Running Time: 4:19
Rating: ****
Comments:  This is one of the most haunting albums of all time, so naturally, the first song is extremely haunting.  It's almost an instrumental, except for the words being said by the people on TV, and the monologue by Alf Razzle, a World War I veteran who tells about an experience that has haunted him throughout his life.  The music is chilling and beautiful, and the story is the same.  A perfect beginning to this outstanding album.
(no lyrics)
Words:
[Alf Razzle]: two things that have haunted me most are the days of when i had to collect the paybooks, and when i left bill hubbard in no man's land. i was picked up and taken into their trench, and no sooner had i taken two or three steps down the trench when i heard, "ho, hello razz, oh i'm glad to see you! this is my second night here," he said "i'm feeling bad." and it was bill hubbard, one of the men we'd trained in england, one of the original battalion. i had to look at his wound, rolled him over. i could see that it was probably a fatal wound. you could imagine what pain he was in, he was dripping with sweat, and after i'd gone about three shell-holes, traversed that, had it been, had there been a path or a road i could have done better. he pummeled me, "put me down, put me down, i'd rather die, i'd rather die, put me down." i was hoping he would faint. he said "i can't go any further, let me die." i said, "if i leave you here, bill, you won't be found. let's have another go." he said, "all right then." the same thing happened. he wouldn't...he couldn't stand it anymore and i had to leave him there...in no man's land...
2- What God Wants, Part I
Written: solo
Running Time: 6:00
RANKING (w/Parts II & III): #2  *******
Comments:  Some songs on this album are divided into parts.  All the parts of this song are absolutely great on their own, but together, they make up the best combination of tracks on the album.  This part starts off the narrative with some excellent lyrics, and an awesome rhythm.  Like all of the songs, this can be looked at on multiple levels, but it has lots of meaning either way.  This is probably the least strong emotionally of the three, but it has the best steady rhythm.
Lyrics:


what god wants, god gets, god help us all
what god wants, god gets, god help us all
(...god gets)
what god wants, god gets, god help us all
(what god wants, god gets)
what god wants, god gets
what god wants, god gets
what god wants, god gets

the kid in the corner looked at a priest
and fingered his pale blue japanese guitar
the priest said
god wants goodness, god wants light
god wants mayhem, god wants a clean fight
what god wants, god gets
what god wants, god gets

don't look so surprised, it's only dogma
the alien prophet cried
the beetle and the springbok took the bible from its hook
the monkey in the corner wrote the lesson in his book
what god wants, god gets
what god wants, god gets...

god wants peace, god wants war
god wants famine, god wants chain stores
what god wants, god gets
god wants sedition, god wants sex
god wants freedom, god wants semtex
what god wants, god gets
what god wants, god gets

don't look so afraid, i'm only joking
the alien comic lied
the jackass and hyena took the feather from its hook
the monkey in the corner wrote the joke down in his book
what god wants, god gets
what god wants, god gets...

god wants boarders, god wants crack
god wants rainfall, and god wants wetbacks
what god wants god gets
god wants voodoo, god wants shrines
god wants law, god wants organized crime
god wants crusade, god wants jihad
god wants good, god wants bad
(what god wants god gets)
(what god wants god gets...)

Words: [young person]: i don't mind about the war, that's one of the things i like to watch, if it's a war going on, cause then i know if our side's winning, if our side's losing...
3- Perfect Sense, Part I
Written: solo
Running Time: 4:16
Other Versions:
In The Flesh
Rating: *****
Comments:  This is a beautiful little song, with a nice, slow melody and very poetic lyrics.  Roger starts the song off, and then one of his back-up singers takes over the vocals and does an amazing job with them.  The music isn't very strong, but there is emotion here, and that's what makes this a truly great song.
Lyrics:


the monkey sat on a pile of stones
and stared at the broken bone in his hand
strains of a viennese quartet rang out across the land
and the monkey looked up at the stars, and he though to himself
memory is a stranger, history is for fools
and he cleaned his hands in a pool of holy writing
turned his back on garden and set out for nearest town

hold on, hold on soldier

when you add it all up, the tears and the metal burn
there's an ounce of gold and an ounce of pride in each ledger
and the germans killed the jews, and the jews killed the arabs
and the arabs killed the hostages, and that is the news
and is it any wonder that the monkey's confused?
he said, mama mama, the president's a fool
why do i have to keep reading these technical manuals?
and the joint chiefs of staff and the brokers on walls street
said, don't make us laugh, you're a smart kid
time is linear, memory's a stranger, history's for fools
man is a tool in the hands of the great god almighty
and they gave him command of a nuclear submarine
and sent him back in search of the garden of eden

Words: [backward message]: julia...however..in the light and visions of the issues of stanley, we changed our minds...we have decided to include a backward message...stanley...for you...and for all the other book partners
4- Perfect Sense, Part II
Written: solo
Running Time: 2:50
Other Versions:
In The Flesh
Rating: ****
Comments:  This has the same melody as the previous track, but it stands alone well as its own song.  The lyrics are so simple in their meaning, that the simplicity adds to the power.  That back-up singer from the previous track belts out the lyrics with high intensity, and is backed up by the voices of hundreds of people, shouting them.  This is just simple, powerful, beautiful stuff.
Lyrics:


can't you see? it all makes perfect sense
expressed in dollars and cents
pounds, shillings, and pence
can't you see? it all makes perfect sense

little black soul departs in perfect focus
(hold on soldier)
prime-time fodder, for the news at nine
(hold on, hold on soldier)
darling is the child, warm in the bed tonight

can't you see? it all makes perfect sense
expressed in dollars and cents
pounds, shillings, and pence
can't you see? it all makes perfect sense

can't you see? it all makes perfect sense
expressed in dollars and cents
pounds, shillings, and pence
can't you see? it all makes perfect sense

Words: [sportscast]: hi everybody, i'm marv albert, and welcome to our telecast, coming to you live from memorial stadium. it's a beautiful day, and today we expect a sensational match-up. but first, our global anthem...and here come the players! as i speak to you now, the captain has his cross-hairs zeroed in on the oil rig. it looks to me like he's going to attack...by the way, did you know that a submarine captain earns two hundred thousand dollars a year?...that's less tax, marv...yeah less tax, uh, thank you, emery...your welcome...now back to the game, he fires one. yes! there goes two, both fish are running, the rig is going into a prevent defense. will they make it? i don't think so!
5- The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range
Written: solo
Running Time: 4:43
Other Versions:
In The Flesh
Rating: *****
Comments:  This is just an awesome song.  It's got a great melody, a terrific beat, and downright amusing lyrics.  The meaning is clear, and it's expressed with that same poetic strength that Waters is so good at.  The strength of this song lies in the melody, which is one of the strongest on the album, making this one of the best songs on the album.
Lyrics:


you have a natural tendency to squeeze off a shot
you're good fun at parties, you wear a lot of masks
you're old but you still like a laugh in the locker room
you can't abide change with the home on the range
you open the suitcase, behind inner workings
to show off the magnum you deafened the canyon
a comfort, a friend, only upstaged in the end by the uzi machine gun
does the recoil remind you...remind you of sex?
old man, what the hell you gonna kill next?
old timer, who you gonna kill next?

i looked over jordan, what did i see?
saw a u.s. marine in a pile of debris
i swam in your pools, lay under your palm trees
i looked in the eyes of the indian
who lay on the federal building steps
and through the range finder, over the hill
saw the front-line boys popping their pills
sick of the mess they find on their deserts stage
and the bravery of being out of range
yeah, the question is vexed
old man, what the hell you gonna kill next?
old timer, who you gonna kill next?

hey bartender, over here
two more shots and two more beers
sir, turn up the t.v. sound
the war has started on the ground
just love those laser-guided bombs
they're really great for righting wrongs
you hit the target, and win the game
from bombs three thousand miles away
three thousand miles away

we play the game with the bravery of being out of range
we zap and maim with the bravery of being out of range
we strafe the train with the bravery of being out of range
we gain terrain with the bravery of being out of range
we play the game with the bravery of being out of range
6- Late Home Tonight, Part I
Written: solo
Running Time: 4:00
Rating: ***
Comments:  This is the first of two combined tracks that make up the weakest link of the album.  There is no strength the the music, and the lyrics aren't all too powerful either.  Still, it has a nice melody, and there is a definite meaning to the lyrics.  It serves the narrative well, and makes for a nice break from the serious first few songs.
Lyrics:


standing at the window, a farmer's wife in oxfordshire
glances at the clock, it's nearly time for tea, she doesn't sea
the phantom in the hedgegrow dip its wing
doesn't hear the engine sing
but in the cockpit's techno glow behind the ray ban shine
the kid from cleveland, in the comfort of routine
scans his dials and smiles
secure in the beauty of military life

there is no right, no wrong
only tin cans and cordite and white cliffs and blue skies
and flight, flight, flight
the beauty of military life
no questions, only orders and flight, only flight
what a beautiful sight in his wild blue dream
the eternal child leafs through his war magazine
and his kind uncle sam feeds ten trillion in change
into the total entertainment combat video game
and up here in the stands, the fans are going wild
the cheerleaders flip when you wiggle your hip
and we all like the bit when you take the jeans from the refrigerator
and the bad guy gets hit
and were you struck by the satisfying way
the swimsuit sticks to her skin
like bb gun days when knives pierce autumn leaves?
but that's okay, see the children bleed
it'll look great on the t.v.

and in tripoli, another ordinary wife
stares at the dripping tap, her old man hadn't time to fix
too busy mixing politics and rhythm in the street below

Words: [woman (in arabic)]: ...and then what? why don't you ever help me? you all the time leave me alone at home and go join your fat friends in your endless useless discussions. i work for you and your family frim dawn to dusk, and you don't give a damn! i badly need to rest, i just wish the devil's angel will soon come and take me with him.
7- Late Home Tonight, Part II
Written: solo
Running Time: 2:13
Rating: ***
Comments:  This continuation of the previous song is the weakest on the album.  The lyrics may have a slightly higher level of meaning, but the melody that made the first part of the song good is gone here.
Lyrics:


hark the wire service sing
clear the sattelite line, check the machine
hold the lead story boys, there's some great pictures coming in
now the pilot's heartbeat slow, palms dry out
no questions, only orders
and the f-1 glides in, nose up through the cloudbase
and the ground crew cheers as he puts down his landing gear
hey boy, you're a hero
take this cigar
and back home in cleveland, all the papers and the local tv stations
will be calling your ma
and the farmers wife shoos the cat off the chair
she says, sit down my dear, was the milking all right?
our american friends are late home tonight
8- Too Much Rope
Written: solo
Running Time: 5:47
Rating: ****
Comments:  It may start out slow, but this song turns into something great.  The lyrics are among the most simple, yet they are some of the most meaningful on the album.  The music isn't particularly strong, but it is quite good.  If you listen carefully, you'll hear "Syd's Theme" (the repeated 4-note sequence from "Shine On You Crazy Diamond") sampled several times throughout the song.  Roger does some of his patented shouting here, and gives power to the lyrics.
Lyrics:


when the sleigh is heavy
and the timber wolves are getting bold
you look at at your companions and test
the water of their friendship with your toe
and they signifigantly edge
closer to the gold
each man has his price, bob
and yours was pretty low

now history is short, the sun is just a minor star
the poor man sells his kidneys in some colonial bazaar
que sera sera, is that your new ferrari car?
nice, but i think i'll wait for the f50

you don't have to be a jew
to dissaprove of murder
tears burn my eyes
moslem or christian, mullah or pope
preacher or poet, who was it wrote?
give any one species too much rope
and they'll fuck it up

and last night on tv
a vietnam vet takes his beard and his pain
and his alienation twenty years
back to asia again
sees the monsters they made
in formaldehyde floating 'round
meets a gook on a bike, a good little tyke
with the same soldier's eyes

what does it mean, this tearjerking scene
beamed into me home?
that is moves me so much, why all the fuss?
it's only two humans being
it's only two humans being
tears burn in my eyes
what does it mean? this tender tv? this tearjerking scene?
beamed into my home?

and you don't have to be a jew
to dissaprove of murder
tears burn my eyes
moslem or christian, mullah or pope
preacher or poet, who was it wrote?
give any one species too much rope
and they'll fuck it up

Words: [man at the beginning]: ...and this one woman, she was twenty-three or twenty-four, and she was laying on the bed, and she knew she was going to die...and uh, we gave her a bottle of shampoo...[television at the end]: oh my god...dammit...get help...no, they're only children!...oh my god, cathy, what have you done?...the children, have you both gone mad? he was sh...
9- What God Wants, Part II
Written: solo
Running Time: 3:41
RANKING (w/Parts I & III): #2  *******
Comments: This is the most powerful of the awesome "What God Wants" group of songs on the album.  It starts off with a televangelist spouting religious propoganda, then gives way to the haunting melody, and Roger comes in singing the first lyrics.  After several lines, he breaks from the soft singing into loud shouting, and it really has a powerful effect.  It is one of the strongest moments on the album.  This song has the same type of power as the powerful "What Shall We Do Now?" from The Wall.  It is a beautiful, meaningful, and incredibly powerful piece of music.
Lyrics:

what god wants, god gets, god help us all
(what god wants, god gets)

god wants dollars, god wants cents
god wants pounds, shillings and pence
god wants guilders, god wants kroner
god wants swiss francs, and god wants french francs
god wants escudos, god wants pesetas
don't send lyra, go don't want small potatoes
god wants small town, god wants pain
god wants clean-up rock campaigns
god wants widows, god wants solutions
god wants tv, god wants contributions!

what god wants, god gets, god help us all
(what god wants, god gets)
what god wants, god gets, god help us all
(what god wants, god gets)

god wants silver, god wants gold
god wants his secret never to be told
god wants gigolos, god wants giraffes
god wants politics, god wants a good laugh

what god wans, god gets, god help us all
(what god wants, god gets)

god wants friendship, god wants fame
god wants credit, and god wants blame
god wants poverty, god wants wealth
god wants insurance, god wants to cover himself

what god wants, god gets, god help us all...
(what god wants, god gets...)

Words: [televangelist]: do you believe in the better day? do you have faith in a golden way? if you do then we must come together this day; come together as one united television audience, brought together by the sound of my voice...united! united financially, united socially, united spiritually, and all possible ways through the power of money, and the power of your prayers!
10- What God Wants, Part III
Written: solo
Running Time: 4:08
RANKING (w/Parts I & II): #2  *******
Comments:  This is the most haunting portion of the song, and it is also the most different.  Instead of shouting a list of what god wants, this song continues the narrative about the aliens and the monkeys.  This song does a lot to sum up the main issues of the album, and convey the underlying meaning.  It is very powerful, and contains a very emotional instrumental portion.  Every part of this song is brilliant, and incredibly strong.
Lyrics:


don't be afraid, it's only business
the alien prophet sighed
the vulture and the magpie took the cashbox from its hook
and the monkey in the corner wrote the figures in his book

crazed, the checkout lady's fingers flash across the till
and the captain posts the menu of the day
and in banks across the world
christian, moslem, hindu, jew
and every other race, creed, colour, tint, or hue
get down on their knees and pray
the racoon, and the groundhog neatly make up bags of change
and the monkey in the corner
well, he's slowly drifting out of range

christ, it's freezing inside!
the veteran cried
the hyenas break cover and stream through the meadow
and fog rolls in through his bottle of gin
so he picks up a stone that looks like a bone
and the bullets fly, and the rivers run dry
and the fat girls sigh, and the network anchor persons lie
and the soldier's alone in the video zone
but the monkey's not watching, he slipped out to the kitchen
to pile the dishes and answer the phone

[voice on phone]:
wait till the sun shines, nellie
and the clouds have drifted by
we shall be happy, nellie
by...

Words: [man's voice]: ...and this area is loaded with gold. look at the future, gold mines are on fire!
11- Watching TV
Written: solo
Running Time: 6:07
Rating: *****
Comments:  This has the most up-beat melody of all the songs on the album.  It takes a little while to grow on you, but once you know the lyrics, you can't help but sing along.  This song features Don Henley singing back-up, and his voice works surprisingly well with Roger's.  This song has the most lyrics, and they are all quite amusing.  They have little meaning themselves, but between every lines lies the message of this song.  This is a high point of the album, and some much needed relief from the heavily serious songs of the past few tracks.
Lyrics:

we were watching tv, watching tv
we were watching tv, watching tv

in tiananmen square, lost my baby there
my yellow rose in her blood-stained clothes
she was a short order pastry chef
in dim sun dive on the yangtze tideway
she had shiny hair, she was the daughter of an engineer
won't you shed a tear for my yellow rose?
my yellow rose in her blood-stained clothes
she had perfect breasts, she had high hopes
she had almond eyes, she had yellow thighs
she was a student of philosophy
won't you grieve with me, for my yellow rose?
shed a tear, for her blood-stained clothes
she had shiny hair, she had perfect breasts
she had high hopes, she almond eyes
she had yellow thighs, she was the daughter of an engineer
so get out your pistols, get out your stones
get out your knives, cut them to the bone
they are the lackeys of the grocer's machine
they built the dark satanic mills
that manufacture hell on earth
they bought the front row seats on calvary
they are irrelevant to me
and i grieve for my sister

we were watching tv, watching tv
we were watching tv, watching tv

she wore a white bandana that said freedom now
she thought the great wall of china would come tumbling down
she was a student, her father was an engineer
won't you shed a tear for my yellow rose?
my yellow rose in her blood-stained clothes
her grandpa fought old chiang kai-shek
that no good, low down, dirty rat
who used to order his troops to fire on the woman and children
imagine that, imagine that
and in the spring of forty-eight
mao zedong got quite irate
and kicked out old dictator chiang
out of the state of china
chiang kai-shek came down in formosa
and they armed the island of quemoy
and the shells were flying across the china sea
and they turned formosa into the shoe factory called taiwan

and she is different from cro-mangon man
she's different from ann boleyn
she's different from the rosenbergs
and from the unknown jew
she is different from the unknown nicaraguan
half superstar, half victim
she's a victor-star, conceptually new
and she is different from the dodo
and from the kankabono
she's different from the aztec
and from the cherokee
she's everybody's sister
she's symbolic of our failure
she's the one in fifty-million who can help us to be free
because she died on tv

Words: [woman]: oh darling, you really must keep in touch, only bears hibernate, you know...[salesman]: power door-locks, power mirrors, am/fm cassette, air conditioning...[woman]: i made this as sharp as is practically possible, so this cuts off the flow of liquid...[television]: whatcha doin' man?...diamond cutting, madam...did you find any?...you've heard of the hope diamond?...oh yes, i know about that...[television]: i've been sound in my policy escape from the icehouse...[man (in chinese)]: according to the ministry of national affairs...[television]: it's fine mama, welcome to the jukebox jamboree...[girls voice (in chinese)]: people of china, do remember, do remember, the kids that struggled in those days, long live the republic...[the band]: did we do anything after this?...i've a feeling we did...
12- Three Wishes
Written: solo
Running Time:  6:50
Rating: *****
Comments:  For such a haunting song, it has such a catchy melody in the refrain.  This is the song that will stick in your head from this album.  It has a beautiful steady rhythm, with the lyrics serving as more of a backup to the beat.  The lyrics are great, and the refrain will have you singing along.  This doesn't seem like much at first, but it can quickly grow to become one of the best songs on the album.
Lyrics:


...and i grieve for my sister

reached back for the bottle
rubbed against the lamp
genie came out smiling like some eastern tramp
he said "hey boy what's happening?
what is going on?
you can have three wishes
if you don't take too long
if you don't take too long"
i said, well i wish they were happy in the lebanon
wish somebody'd help me write this song
and i wish when i was young, my old man had not been gone
genie said "consider it done"

there's something in the air
and you don't know what it is
you see someone through the window
who you've just learned to miss
and the road leads on to glory
but you used up your last wish
your last wish
and you want her to come home, home
bring her home
genie said, "i'm sorry
but that's the way it goes
where the hell my lamp, sucker?
it's time for me to go, bye"

there's something in the air
and you don't know what it is
you see someone through the window
who you've just learned to miss
and the road leads on to glory
but you used of your last wish
your last wish
and you want her to come home, home

Words: [woman]: i went and buy a gas bottle. at first i wanted to buy a big one but i hadn't got enough money so i had to buy a smaller one. and i think if i bought a bigger one, then it would have been the way i wanted it. and then we went down and i put the children to bed and i tidied the flat and everything then. and they were asleep and everything was a kind of at night. i made a bed in the bathroom. i carried them there and put on the gas bottle. but today when i think back, about that if god did take me, then i would have been in hell because i wasn't right...i go there um, sometimes twice a year now, and sometimes only once, and sometimes when i feel like crying i just go there.
13- It's A Miracle
Written: solo
Running Time: 8:30
Other Versions:
In The Flesh
Rating: ****
Comments:  You can say this to describe every song on this album, but this is the most haunting track of them all.  The eerie melody and the the soft yet strong lyrics go together to create a chilling piece.  At the very end of the song, the synthesizers blare out, accompanied by the voice of a choir, sending an incredible chill down your spine, and leading you into the final masterpiece of the album.
Lyrics:


miraculous, you call it babe
you ain't seen nothing yet
they got pepsi in the andes
they got mcdonald's in tibet
yosemite's been turned into
a golf course for the japs
and the dead sea is alive with rap
between the tigris and euphrates
there's a leisure center there
they got all kinds of sports
they got bermuda shorts
they has sex in pennsylvania
a brazilian grew a tree
and a doctor in manhattan
saved a dying man for free
it's a miracle, it's a miracle
it's a miracle, another miracle
by the grace of god almighty
and the pressured of the marketplace
the human race has civilized itself
it's a miracle

we've got warehouses of butter
we've got oceans of wine
we've got famine when we need it
we've got designer crime
we've got mercedes
we've got porsche
ferrari and rolls royce
yeah, we've got choice
she said meet me in the garden
of gethsemane my dear
the lord said, peter, i can see your
house from here
an honest man finally
reaped what he had sewn
and a farmer in ohio
has just repaid a loan
it's a miracle, it's a miracle
it's a miracle, another miracle
by the grace of god almighty
and the pressures of the marketplace
the human race has civilized itself
it's a miracle

we cower in the corner
with our hands over our ears
lloyd webber's awful stuff
runs for years and years and years...
an earthquake hits the theater
but the operetta lingers
then the piano lid comes down
and breaks his fucking fingers
it's a miracle

Words: [television]: sergeant, gimme the flashlight...we'll only be left with nothing but that oil lamp...you don't need it, i need all the help i can get out there, now let me have it...
13- Amused To Death
Written: solo
Running Time: 9:06
Other Versions:
In The Flesh
RANKING: #1 ********
Comments:  This is the final track on this masterpiece of an album, and it's the best song on the album.  It starts out so soft, and begins to build very slightly, but then just soars up of the maximum intensity in one of the most brilliant lyrical verses ever written. This song brings all the concepts of this album together into one powerful climax, with a clear resounding message.  You can't explain the power of this song in words.  You just have to hear it to understand.
Lyrics:


doctor, doctor, what is wrong with me?
this supermarket life is getting long
what is the heart-like of a colour tv?
what is the shelf-life of a teenage queen?
ooh, western woman, ooh, western girl

news hound sniffs the air when jessica hahn goes down
he latches onto that symbol of detachment
attracted by the peeling away of feeling
the celebrity of the abused shell, the belle
ooh, western woman, ooh, western girl
ooh, western woman, ooh, western girl

and the children on melrose strut their stuff
is absolute zero cold enough?
and down in the valley warm and clean
the little ones sit by their tv screen
no thought to think, no tears to cry
all sucked dry, down to the very last breathe
bartender, what is wrong with me?
why am i so out of breath, breath?
the captain said, excuse me, ma'am
this species has Amused itself to Death
Amused itself to Death
Amused itself to Death

we watched the tragedy unfold
we did as we were told, we bought and sold
it was the greatest show on earth
but then it was over
we oohed and aahed
we drove our racing cars
we ate our last few jars of caviar
but somewhere out there in the stars
a keen-eyed lookout spied a flickering light
our last hurrah, our last hurrah
and when they found our shadows
grouped round the tv set
they ran down every lead
they repeated every test
they checked out all the data on their lists
and then the alien anthropologists
admitted they were still perplexed
but on eliminating every other reason for our sad demise
they logged the only explanation left
this species has Amused itself to Death
(Amused itself to Death, Amused itself to Death...)

no tears to cry
no feeling left
this species has Amused itself to Death
Amused itself to Death
Amused itself to Death...

Words: [television]: we own this at four hundred dollars. you've got to be kidding me! seven, eight, nine hundred dollars! tell you what, while it was seventy five, eighty maybe, cut the price. cut it and give it away to end the day, to end the day out there! it's incredible, not even worth selling...[Alf Razzle]: ...years later, i saw bill hubbard's name on the memorial to the missing at arras...and i, when i saw his name i was absolutely transfixed. it was as though he was now a human being instead of some sort of nightmarish memory that i'd had of leaving him all those years ago...and i felt relieve, and every since then i've felt happy about it, because always before, whenever i thought of him, i was always searching myself, was there something else i could have done..."put me down, put me down, i'd rather die, i'd rather die, put me down"...and that always sort of worried me. but having seen him, and his name in the register, as you know in the memorials there's a little safe, and there's a register in there with every, with every name. and seeing his name and his name on the memorial, it sort of lightened, lightened my heart if you like...[interviewer]: and when was it you saw his name on the memorial?...[Alf Razzle]: ...ah, when i was eighty-seven, ah, that would be the year nineteenf, eighty-four, nineteen eighty-four.
Released: 1992 by Columbia Records
Running Time: 72:30
Ranking: #1 out of 7 solo albums
Album Highlight: Amused To Death
Album Weak Point: Late Home Tonight, Part II
Average Song Rating: *****
Comments:  This is one of the most haunting albums of all time, and almost every song demonstrates that.  There is a wide range of types of songs, all dark in meaning, but some lighter and sarcastic in nature, and some very dark and depressing.  There are certain moments of power on this album that can give you chills, whether it be by loud shouting or by a simple lyric that strikes a chord.  This is Waters's most ingenious lyrical work since "The Final Cut" and while not as emotional, it is every bit as powerful.