| The Division Bell |
| 1- Cluster One Written by: Wright, Gilmour Running Time: 5:58 Rating: ***** Comments: This incredible album starts out with a sound effect of the actual earth's crust cracking, then gives way to a beautiful piano piece. The meaning of this song seems to be a combination of all the themes of this album. In particular, the division theme, which is enforced by the sound effect. This instrumental seems is very beautiful and sad, and the more you let it affect you, the more it will. (no lyrics) |
| 2- What Do You Want From Me? Written by: Gilmour, Wright & Polly Samson Running Time: 4:21 Other Versions: P*U*L*S*E Rating: ***** Comments: This song has a great beat and melody. The sounds seem to surround the lyrics and music, and the whole song has a strange quality that seems as if Gilmour is talking directly to you, through this music. Lyrics: as you look around this room tonight settle in your seat and dim the light do you want my blood? do you want my tears? what do you want? (what do you want from me?) should i sing until i can't sing anymore? play these strings 'till my fingers are raw? ooh, you're so hard to please what do you want from me? do you think that i know something you don't know? (what do you want from me?) if i don't promise you the answers would you go? (what do you want from me?) should i stand out in the rain? do you want me to make a daisy chain for you? i'm not the one you need what do you want from me? you can have anything you want you can drift, you can dream, even walk on water anything you want you can own everything you see sell your soul for complete control is that really what you need? you can lose yourself this night see inside, there is nothing to hide turn and face the light what do you want from me? |
| 3- Poles Apart Written by: Gilmour & Polly Samson, Nick Laird-Clowes Running Time: 7:04 Rating: ***** Comments: This is just another excellent song in an album filled to the brim with them. While the meaning of this song is somewhat unclear, it is touching, and inspires that same emotion of isolation that this album seems to convey so perfectly. There is an absolutely haunting instrumental within this song that may be one of the most chilling pieces of music ever written. Lyrics: did you know it was all going to go so wrong for you? and did you see it was all going to be so right for me? why did we tell you then you were always the golden boy then and that you'd never lose that light in your eyes? hey you, did you ever realise what you'd become? and did you see that it wasn't only me you were running from? did you know all the time but it never bothered you anyway? leading the blind while i stared out the steel in your eyes the rain fell slow down on all the roofs of uncertainty i thought of you and the years and all the sadness fell away from me and did you know...did you know...did you know...? ...i never thought that you'd lose that light in your eyes |
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| 4- Marooned Written by: Wright, Gilmour Running Time: 5:28 Rating: ***** Comments: This is one of the most beautiful and emotional instrumentals ever produced. This song sounds like a journey, but a journey to nowhere. It has the power to make you feel such painful emotions as loneliness and isolation. The emotions grow stronger everytime you hear it, and it affects you more deeply each time. This is powerful music, among the best ever written. The guitar howls out the pain, and the piano intensifies it to the maximum, until the emotion is so high that it almost feels as though you're unable to handle it. Any description of the emotion this piece inspires would not do it justice. People will have to feel it on their own, if they choose to let themselves. (no lyrics) |
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| 5- A Great Day For Freedom Written by: Gilmour & Polly Samson Running Time: 4:18 Other Versions: P*U*L*S*E Rating: **** Comments: Don't be fooled by the title, this is not a happy song by any means. The lyrics are chilling, and the music serves the emotion well. The emotion here is despair, and the heaviness of the music makes the emotion a heavy one. Lyrics: on the day the wall came down they threw the locks onto the ground and with glasses high, we raised a cry for freedom had arrived and on the day the wall came down the ship of fools had finally run aground promises lit up the night like paper doves in flight i dreamed you had left my side no warmth, not even pride remained and even though you needed me it was clear that i could not do a thing for you now life devalues day by day as friends and neighbours turn away and there's a change that even with regret cannot be undone now frontiers shift like desert sands while nations wash their bloodied hands of loyalty of history in shades of grey i woke to the sound of drums the music played, the morning sun streamed in i turned and i looked at you and all but the bitter residue slipped away...slipped away |
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| 6- Wearing The Inside Out Written by: Wright & Anthony Moore Running Time: 6:49 RANKING: #8 ******* Comments: This is the best song on the album, the best song of post-Waters Floyd, and the single most underrated Pink Floyd song of all time. It's hard to hear at first, but the emotion in this song is so powerful and sad that it is far beyond any sort of description. The soft voice of Richard Wright, singing the most beautiful lyrics while the back-up singers pour even more emotion onto them with beautiful lyrics of their own. That saxophone at the beginning produces chills, and the emotion of the instrumental after the words is beyond comprehension. I simply cannot describe how amazing and beautiful this song is. It just inspires so much heavy pain, and you can physically feel it in your gut. This song is so powerfully soft, it can make your very soul ache. Lyrics: from morning to night, i stayed out of sight didn't recognise i'd become no more than alive, i'd barely survive in a word, overrun won't hear a sound (he's curled into the corner) from my mouth (but still the screen is flickering) i've spent too long (with an endless stream of garbage, to...) on the inside out (...curse the place) my skin is cold (in a sea of random images) to the human touch (the self-destructing animal) this bleeding heart's (waiting for the waves to break) not beating much i murmured a vow of silence and now i don't even hear when i think aloud extinguished by light, i turn on the night wear its darkness with an empty smile i'm creeping back to life my nervous system all awry i'm wearing the inside out look at him now he's paler somehow but he's coming around he's starting to choke it's been so long since he spoke well he can have the words right from my mouth and with these words i can see clear through the clouds that cover me just give it time, then speak my name now we can hear ourselves again i'm holding out (he is standing on the threshold) for the day (caught in fiery anger) when all the clouds (and hurled into the furnace, he'll...) have blown away (...curse the place) i'm with you now (he is torn in all directions) can speak your name (and still the screen is flickering) now we can hear (waiting for the flames to break) ourselves again |
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| 7- Take It Back Written by: Gilmour & Bob Ezrin, Polly Samson, Nick Laird-Clowes Running Time: 6:12 Other Versions: P*U*L*S*E (film) Rating: **** Comments: While the music is very strong here, the emotion just isn't at the same level. The lyrics seem to be about man's love affair with the earth, and how eventually, she will "take it back". This isn't something an average person can get too passionate about, so the lyrics have very little emotional impact. The music, however, is spectacular, and this is a very enjoyable track. Lyrics: her love rains down on me, as easy as the breeze i listen to her breathing, it sounds like waves on the sea i was thinking all about her, burning with rage and desire we were spinning into darkness, and the earth was on fire she could take it back, she might take it back someday so i spy on her, i lie to her, i make promises i cannot keep then i hear her laughter rising, rising from the deep and i make her prove her love for me, i take all that i can take and i push her to the limit to see if she will break she might take it back, she could take it back someday now i have seen the warnings screaming from all sides it's easy to ignore them, god knows i've tried all of this temptation, you know it turned my faith to lies 'till i couldn't see the danger, or hear the rising tide she can take it back, she will take it back someday she can take it back, she will take it back someday she will take it back, she will take it back someday |
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| 8- Coming Back To Life Written by: Gilmour Running Time: 6:19 Other Versions: P*U*L*S*E Rating: ***** Comments: This is another beautiful song, with a very powerful opening. Gilmour belts out beautiful lyrics such soft background music, and the effect once again goes deeper. The instrumental, however, is not nearly as powerful. This is a terrific song, even though it's not one of the best on the album. Lyrics: where were you when i was burned and broken? while the days slipped by from my window watching and where were you when i was hurt and i was helpless? because the things you say and the things you do surround me while you were hanging yourself on someone else's words dying to believe in what you heard i was staring straight into the shining sun lost in thought and lost in time while the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted outside the rain fell dark and slow while i pondered on this dangerous and irrestistable pastime i took a heavenly ride through our silence i knew the moment had arrived for killing the past and coming back to life i took a heavenly ride through our silence i knew the waiting had begun and headed straight into the shining sun |
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| 9- Keep Talking Written by: Gilmour, Wright & Polly Samson Running Time: 6:11 Other Versions: P*U*L*S*E Rating: ***** Comments: The melody isn't absolute beauty, but this song is excellent. It's got a terrific beat, simple yet good lyrics, and a sampling of Stephen Hawking's electronic voice. The obvious meaning of this song is the fear of speaking, but there seems to be a deeper meaning here as well. But that's true with all of the songs on this album, although it seems most apparent here. This song also features Gilmour's wailing on a voice box, which sounds really good against the strong instrumental. Lyrics: there's a silence surrounding me i can't seem to think straight i sit in the corner and no one can bother me i think i should speak now (why won't you talk to me?) i can't seem to speak now (you never talk to me) my words won't come out right (what are you thinking?) i feel like i'm drowning (what are you feeling?) i'm feeling weak now (why won't you talk to me?) but i can't show my weakness (you never talk to me) i sometimes wonder (what are you thinking?) where do we go from here? (what are you feeling?) (why won't you talk to me?) i feel like i'm drowning (you never talk to me) you know i can't breathe now (what are you thinking?) we're going nowhere (what are you feeling?) we're going nowhere (why won't you talk to me?) (you never talk to me) (what are you thinking?) (where do we go from here?) Words: for millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. then something happened, which unleashed the power of our imagination: we learned to talk...it doesn't have to be like this; all we need to do is make sure we keep talking...it doesn't have to be like this...all we need to do...is make sure...we keep...talking |
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| 10- Lost For Words Written by: Gilmour & Polly Samson Running Time: 5:15 Rating: ***** Comments: This is one of the simplest yet most meaningful songs ever produced by Pink Floyd. The acoustic guitar plays a beautiful melody at the beginning, then the electric comes in and adds to it. The lyrics are so simple, yet they say their message so perfectly. This is one of the best songs on the album, and it is also very underrated. When you think about it, it's very depressing, but the melody is so up-beat that it almost doesn't seem that way. Whatever the mood of the song is, it is done perfectly. Lyrics: i was spending my time in the doldrums i was caught in a cauldron of hate i felt persecuted and paralysed i thought that everything else would just wait while you are wasting your time on your enemies engulfed in a fever of spite beyond your tunnel vision, reality fades like shadows into the night to martyr yourself to caution is not going to help at all 'cause there'll be no safety in numbers when the right one walks out of the door can you see your days blighted by darkness? is it true you beat your fists on the floor? stuck in a world of isolation while the ivy grows over the door so i open my door to my enemies and i ask could we wipe the slate clean? but they tell me to please go fuck myself you know you just can't win Words: ...four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...ladies and gentlemen, the winner, by a knock out... |
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| 11- High Hopes Written by: Gilmour & Polly Samson Running Time: 8:32 Other Versions: P*U*L*S*E RANKING: #15 ****** Comments: This is a chilling song about lost youth and dreams that have not come true. This song has the power to move me to tears, and it has a few times. The power here lies equally in the lyrics and the music. The lyrics produce all sorts of images of things you loved and left behind, while the music, particularly the instrumental at the end, puts emotion up against those images. This is a truly chilling and beautiful song. It's power is seldom matched by any other Pink Floyd song. Lyrics: beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young in a world of magnets and miracles our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary the ringing of the division bell had begun along the long road, and on down the causeway do they still meet there by the cut? there was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps running before time took our dreams away leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground to a life consumed by slow decay the grass was greener the light was brighter with friends surrounded the nights of wonder looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us to a glimpse of how green it was on the other side steps taken forwards, but sleepwalking back again dragged by the force of some inner tide at a higher altitude with flag unfurled we reach the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world encumbered forever by desire and ambition there's a hunger still unsatisfied our weary eyes still stray to the horizon though down this road we've been so many times the grass was greener the light was brighter the taste was sweeter the nights of wonder with friends surrounded the dawn mist glowing the water flowing the endless river forever and ever Words: [man]: hello...[boy]: what?...[man]: is that charlie? hello, charlie...<click>...great...<click> |
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| Released: 1994 by Columbia Records Running Time: 66:27 Ranking: #3 out of 14 studio albums Album Highlight: Wearing The Inside Out Album Weak Point: Take It Back Average Song Rating: ***** Comments: The songs of this album are enshrouded by emotion and mystery. Each song has an emotion behind it, and a meaning, usually very powerful, but according to the Publius Enigma, the album is a puzzle with a designed solution. Whether the solution is the meaning of the album, or something else, you do not need to know it to enjoy these songs, each of which works perfectly on its own, yet ten times better in context. I believe that the meaning lies in the album's structure, and that when played in the "butterfly" sequence (1, 11, 2, 10, 3, 9, 4, 8, 5, 7, 6) the result is an inner dialogue between the inner spirit and the outer persona, flowing through reminiscence, arguments, silence, and finally coming together as one in the middle, as the soul is "Wearing The Inside Out". |
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