Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)
From Pink Floyd
| The Wall | ||
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| The Happiest Days Of Our Lives | ||
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Song Name: Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)
Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) (Single), The Wall (Disc One), Shine On, Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd
Run Time: 4:00
Year: 1979
Track Number: 5
Sung By: David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Islington Green School
| Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd | ||
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| The Happiest Days Of Our Lives | ||
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| Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) | ||
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| Echoes (Abridged) | ||
Written By: Roger Waters
Info:
- Pink Floyd needed a school choir, and approached music teacher Alun Renshaw of Islington Green School, around the corner from their Britannia Row Studios, in the middle of a lesson. The choir were not allowed to hear the rest of the song after singing the chorus, and were let down, as they wanted to hear Gilmour's solo. The chorus was overdubbed 12 times to give the impression that the choir was larger. Though the school received a lump sum payment of £1000, there was no contractual arrangement for royalties. Under 1996 UK copyright law, they became eligible, and after choir members found each other through the website Friends Reunited, they sued. Music industry professionals estimated that each student would be owed around £500.
- "Part II" gave Pink Floyd a Grammy nomination for Best Performance by a Rock Duo or Group and lost to Bob Seger's "Against the Wind".
- In 1980, the song was adopted as a protest anthem by black students during the "Elsie's River" uprising in South Africa, protesting against the racial propaganda and bias in the official curriculum. On May 2, it was banned by the government.
- In the album version of The Wall, "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" transitions in from track four, "The Happiest Days of Our Lives", with a trademark scream from Roger Waters (Waters screams like this most notably on the track "Careful with That Axe, Eugene"). The two songs are usually played one after the other on the radio because of how the songs merge together. The song has strong drums and distinctive guitar parts in the background with a smooth yet edgy guitar solo. The song also features a school choir for lead vocals in some sections and back up vocals in other sections. As the song ends you can hear a school teacher (Actually, Roger himself) yelling in a Scottish accent "Wrong, do it again" followed by "If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" then with "You... Yes, you behind the bike shed... stand still laddie!" and ends with kids screaming and yelling on what sounds like a playground or outside area. You can also hear a faint connecting line signal from a phone with a deep sigh at the very end. The "bricks" are different traumatic events that make up the mental "wall" created by the protagonist.
- The kids in Pink's school begin to protest against their abusive teachers. This causes Pink to continue to become more isolated from society.
- Following "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" Pink starts to daydream during his class, he imagines several students marching towards a large machine, then appearing out the opposite ends, dressed with masks and sitting at leaflet desks. Afterwards, the kids are then seen marching single file, throughout corridors. The teacher is then seen in the middle, dressed in a gown, screaming commands. The children are seen in small rectangular enclosures, singing the chorus, it then segues to the teacher, yelling commands once again. It then quickly cycles back to scenes of children singing, and Pink being scolded. Near the end of the song, the children are marching towards a large, metal bin. They fall into it one by one. Panning down, they are seen being extruded into a thick meat-like substance, symbolising being "fit for society." During the final guitar solo, the children break out, grabbing fire axes and destroying desks and chairs. Some students grab sledge hammers and break down walls. Finally at the end, the school is seen on fire, a massive bonfire ablaze on the exterior of the school, the school teacher is also seen being carried off by students. Pink is then seen, still sitting at his desk, not paying attention.
- Prior to the film, the first video for the track depicted students running in a playground and the teacher puppet from The Wall concerts was used. Also, depicted some animated scenes which were used in The Trial and this clip was directed by Gerald Scarfe.
- In 1980, The Barron Knights recorded a humorous version as part of a Christmas single entitled "Never Mind the Presents" with lyrics including "Hey, Santa, leave the booze alone".
- In 1998, for the film The Faculty, "Part II" was covered by the "Class of '99", which featured Layne Staley (Alice in Chains, singer), Tom Morello (RATM, Audioslave, guitar), Stephen Perkins (Jane's Addiction, drums), Martyn LeNoble (Porno for Pyros, The Cult, Jane's Addiction, bass) and Matt Serletic. A cover of "Part I" also appeared on the soundtrack album.
- In 1999 the song was parodied by The Bloodhound Gang in their song "Right Turn Clyde", with the a line "All in all you're just another dick with no balls". Due to copyright infringments, this song was excluded off most releases of their Hooray for Boobies album. Interestingly, Roger Waters did see the humour of the parody.
- In 2001, on D12's debut album Devil's Night, at the end of "Revelation", comes the "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat??!!" ending from "Part II".
- In 2002 the pop/electronica group, Dirty Vegas, released a self titled album which included a prominent sample of Part II in the song "Simple Things, Part 2".
- In 2003, the music of Part II was used in the video clip "Чёрный Карлис" (Chorny Karlis, meaning Black Karlis) of Russian School Defense Staff
- In 2004 the nu metal band Korn covered the three parts of "Another Brick in the Wall" as well as "Goodbye Cruel World" for their album Greatest Hits, Volume 1; they frequently perform it in their live shows.
- In 2005, pop group Girls Aloud played a portion of "Part II" as an introduction to their song "No Good Advice" during their UK "What Will the Neighbours Say?" theatre tour.
- In 2005, Belarusian rock group Parason made a cover version of "Part II" named "Ваша школа" (Vaša škoła, it means Your school in Belarusian)
- Lounge/comedy group Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine covered "Part II" on their 2006 album The Sunny Side of the Moon: The Best of Richard Cheese
- In 2006, dance producer Eric Prydz remixed "Part II" for the single "Proper Education", credited to Eric Prydz vs. Floyd.
- Stahlhammer covers the song on their Killer Instinkt album.
- Zug Izland covered the song as an exclusive download on their official website.
- Gnarls Barkley opened with this song on their tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers from January-March of 2007.
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