Get your filthy hands off my desert

There were so many places I could have put this.

"Oi...Get your filthy hands off my desert!"
"What 'e say?"

Brezhnev took Afghanistan.
Begin took Beirut.
Galtieri took the Union Jack.
And Maggie, over lunch one day,
Took a cruiser with all hands.
Apparently, to make him give it back.

Those words were written by Roger Waters way back in 1982 or 83. But they still resonate across the globe to this very day. He could well rewrite them as history has repeated itself quite a bit since then.

Maybe
GDub, took Afghanistan,
and then he took Baghdad.
and now Fernández wants to remove the Union Jack.
Then William for a month or 2,
took a chopper and some friends.
Apparently to make Cristina rethink that.

The Russians had invaded Afghanistan. Israel had invaded Lebanon, and Argentina under Leopoldo Galtieri had invaded the Falkland Islands. In his defense...they are way closer to Argentina than the UK. But there are only about 3,000 people living there. And not much more than some sheep to fight over.

One of the most under-rated Pink Floyd albums ever in my opinion was often not even considered really a Floyd album. I'm referring to The Final Cut. There was the notable absence of Rick Wright who had already been fired during the Wall recordings. And a definite lack of input from David Gilmour and Nick Mason. Many people think it's actually Roger's first solo album. There are few guitar solos. Very little of Gilmour's singing and it was almost entirely written by Waters.

It's believed to be mostly about his father and his fathers death in WWII, but I think that's just the first half of the album. WWI was called the "War to end all wars." It didn't work. So we had a second one 30 years later. Surely that one would save the world. It's the second half of the album that is the important part here.

It's basically laughing at the world leader of then...or today. They are all crazy. A bunch of grown men and women who can't seem to live together in peace. Always have to be fighting over something or another. Even something as seemingly meaningless as the Falklands. Oh...the people probably could, but it's the "leaders" who are acting like children who can't.


He says they should all just be locked away in a "home." Where they can

...polish their medals and sharpen their
Smiles, and amuse themselves playing games for awhile.
Boom boom, bang bang, lie down you're dead.

Sadly, the wars aren't over. And now the mothers, wives, children...families are at the docks waiving their loved ones off to some battle or war again.

They disembarked in 45
And no-one spoke and no-one smiled
There were to many spaces in the line.
Gathered at the cenotaph
All agreed with the hand on heart
To sheath the sacrificial Knifes.
But now
She stands upon Southampton dock
With her handkerchief
And her summer frock clings
To her wet body in the rain.
In quiet desperation knuckles
White upon the slippery reins
She bravely waves the boys Goodbye again.

Part of the lyrics from Southampton Dock. All quoted lyrics here are courtesy of Roger Waters.

There are a couple more songs on The Final Cut. The title track which sounds in certain ways suspiciously like parts of Comfortably Numb.
It ends with the world ending....Two Suns In The Sunset...one being a nuclear explosion the narrator is seeing.

He reverses his dim view of the world a few years later "After Live Aid." with The Tide is Turning.

But then...as usual, it has turned again.

We're back at it. Right back where we were in 1983. Maybe some roles have changed. The players involved have mostly changed. But we are indeed again....fighting over deserts, sheep, rocky cliffs. Roger always seemed to ask why.

He ended up answering himself in another few years. Why? Well....
It all makes perfect sense. Expressed in dollars and cents. Pounds, shillings and pence....


There's oil in those deserts. IDK what's in those remote islands, but eventually...it is always down to that precious money. Hence the "filthy" hands....

hell yeah!

loved the final cut.

my fav was

The Gunner's Dream (Waters)

Floating down through the clouds
Memories come rushing up to meet me now.
In the space between the heavens
and in the corner of some foreign field
I had a dream.
I had a dream.
Good-bye Max.
Good-bye Ma.
After the service when you're walking slowly to the car
And the silver in her hair shines in the cold November air
You hear the tolling bell
And touch the silk in your lapel
And as the tear drops rise to meet the comfort of the band
You take her frail hand
And hold on to the dream.
A place to stay
"Oi! A real one ..."
Enough to eat
Somewhere old heroes shuffle safely down the street
Where you can speak out loud
About your doubts and fears
And what's more no-one ever disappears
You never hear their standard issue kicking in your door.
You can relax on both sides of the tracks
And maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control
And everyone has recourse to the law
And no-one kills the children anymore.
And no one kills the children anymore.

Night after night
Going round and round my brain
His dream is driving me insane.
In the corner of some foreign field
The gunner sleeps tonight.
What's done is done.
We cannot just write off his final scene.
Take heed of his dream.
Take heed.

reply to post by lonewolf10


Yeah....
I think "they" forgot to take heed of his dream way too many times....

Man, I LOVE the Final Cut.

It's funny to me how lots of Pink Floyd "fans" don't even know about this album!

Great post! Megathanks!!!

~philthy

Pink Floyd has been my all time favourate band of all time! I used to have over 10gb of material from them! (sadly, that was several years ago, and i've had different computers since and lost most of them ) That 10gb collection had so much, alot of unreleased, early demos, mix's ect ect.

I have a link for the full final cut film, definatly worth a watch for those who haven't yet (i'm guessing the OP has, with a clip from it)



Back to more on topic issue, I completly agree about being back in the 1980's, just look at the comparisons (UK)

1. Kenny Dalgleish (sp) back in Liverpool
2. Torries back in power.
3. Unemployment skyrocketing.
4.Increase in privatisation (NHS)
5.A lot of re-made films released in the last couple of years, many from the 80's (loose connection,lol)
6.The Falklands

And sadly, 7. Maggie Thature still being alive, and ironicaly it has been settled that she will receive a state funeral


Oh if only we could have Rik and Vivian back.

Originally posted by Trolloks007


Back to more on topic issue, I completly agree about being back in the 1980's, just look at the comparisons (UK)


5.A lot of re-made films released in the last couple of years, many from the 80's (loose connection,lol)

I'll get myself off topic for a minute...the release of films from the 80...lol. I had been wondering why they keep remaking those,...can't they think up new material...then I saw the Ferris Beuler Super Bowl commercial...lol

reply to post by webpirate

The only thing wrong with The Final Cut is that relations were so badly strained between Roger and David that I don't think they were ever in the studio at the same time to record the tracks. I could be wrong but I thought I read that somewhere. It was in any case the last album with all 4 members.

2 Suns in the Sunset and Not Now John are my personal favourites from that album although most of the tracks did have a good message. It's not my favourite album of theirs though. I think that would probably be DSOTM, Obscured By Clouds and Animals. I saw Roger here live twice fairly recently. Great concerts and still using quadraphonic sound for the audience (hence the price of the ticket was a little more than your average artist) to give a great sound. I think it will be a while before a band that good comes along again.

reply to post by LightSpeedDriver


Yeah...actually..Rick wasn't on the album at all. And on only parts of the Wall. He was credited with all of it. he was actually "hired" on as a session artist for The Wall concerts...the funny part of that is...the production costs of that tour were so enormous...Rick was the only one of the 4 to actually make a profit!

And you're right...if they were..Dave and Roger weren't together if at all for the recording of that.

It's funny you mentioned quadrophonic. It was actually Pink Floyd who basically invented that for their concerts. It was the predecessor to surround sound....so in a way...Floyd helped to develop surround sound.

reply to post by webpirate


I think the remakes are because of the writers strike a while back, they get basically smeg all compared to how much money their films rake in. So they just re-make the classics, with improved graphics/3D, and they know they will make a quick easy profit, with no need to pay the writers because they already own the rights. Hollywood has gone down hill rapidly over the last 10 years, IMO it is for this reason.

As for the Final Cut, I believe that the several posts above me are right in that roger and david was never in the studio at the same time, they couldn't stand each other at that point. Glad someone pointed out Atom Heart Mother, one of me favs. I do like final cut, but I prefer the other stuff with more David, he is my favoured guitarist, and as a guitarist myself, I just can't help but pick a David heavy album. Delicate sound of Thunder has to be my best, I know its a live album but the solo for comfortably numb on that track is just phenomenal, and Dogs of War is just jaw dropping.

reply to post by Trolloks007


Add in that they recently made the movie "Iron Lady" about Thatcher.

One more Final Cut fan here. I didn't miss Gilmore a bit.

Have NOT heard the Final Cut in Years! Been forever, since I heard Fletcher Memorial!
Saw Floyd in 85 in Atlanta! It was right before Waters left! The most memorable concert I have
seen! Thanks for the memories!

It is truly frightening when you compare the similarities of now and then!

S&F

Pax

Thanks Ya old Pirate!!! I'll check this out tonight

reply to post by Asktheanimals

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
reply to post by Trolloks007

 

One more Final Cut fan here. I didn't miss Gilmore a bit.

Gilmour was on The Final Cut. Those are his guitar solos, even though Roger Waters pretty much wrote every note he played. Dave Gilmour also sang the song "Not Now John" on that album.

I'm a fan of the album, also. Even though Waters' control at every level is apparent, I think it's a well made recording.

Originally posted by musicjunkie
reply to post by Asktheanimals

 

Gilmour was on The Final Cut. Those are his guitar solos, even though Roger Waters pretty much wrote every note he played. Dave Gilmour also sang the song "Not Now John" on that album.

I always found that slightly amusing too. That Dave sang that song and not wrote it....cause when I first heard it and before I knew Roger wrote it and not Dave...I took it as almost a jab at Dave to Roger.....

[snip] all that we gotta get on with this.

Like it's Dave saying...you're doing your own thing here, but the rest of us still gotta get on with Pink...lol

Just my 8 cents worth on that song. Even though I do like it!