Brain Damage (song)
Encyclopedia
"Brain Damage" is the ninth track from British
progressive rock
band Pink Floyd
's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon
. It was sung by Roger Waters
. David Gilmour
took over as lead vocalist when the band performed it live on the band's 1994 tour (as can be seen on Pulse). The band originally called this track "Lunatic" during live performances and recording sessions.
This song is often mistakenly referred to as "The Dark Side of the Moon" alongside "Eclipse
" because the two run together and are commonly played together on the radio, giving the impression that they are one song. The incorrect title is derived from the recurring lyric "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon", which is the title of the album.
leg of the Meddle
tour, Roger Waters brought with him a prototype version of "Brain Damage" along with other songs such as "Money". He had been playing the song during the recording of the Meddle album in 1971, when it was called "The Dark Side of the Moon". Eventually this title would be used for the album itself. The song seemed to be partially inspired by their former band member Syd Barrett
who had endured a mental breakdown. After road testing the new suite entitled "A Piece for Assorted Lunatics", the song was recorded in October along with "Any Colour You Like
". The piece represents Waters' association with acoustic-tinged ballads, and along with "If
" and "Grantchester Meadows", "Brain Damage" uses a simple melody and delivery. David Gilmour actively encouraged Waters to sing the song, even though at this time he wasn't particularly confident about his vocal abilities. In fact, the song is the only track on the album to feature Waters exclusively as lead vocalist. However, from this point onwards, he would be the main singer in the group. Richard Wright found the track overly simple, suggesting that the song was the album's "weakest link". The song was played regularly live throughout the rest of the decade, and Waters continues to play it in conjunction with "Eclipse" on every solo tour since 1984.
The song is somewhat slow, with a guitar
arpeggio
pattern similar to The Beatles
' "Dear Prudence
". It is in the key of D major
and features a recurring lyrical pattern and chorus.
's mental instability, with the line "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon" indicating that he felt related to Barrett in terms of mental idiosyncrasies. The line "And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes..." references Barrett's behaviour towards the end of his tenure with the band; because of his mental problems, there were more than a few occasions where Barrett would play a different song than the rest of the band in the middle of a performance. The song features a rather famous opening line, "The lunatic is on the grass...", whereby Waters is referring to areas of turf which display signs saying "Please keep off the grass" with the exaggerated implication that disobeying such signs might indicate insanity. The lyrics' tongue-in-cheek nature is further emphasised by Waters' assertion in the 2003 documentary Classic Albums: Pink Floyd – The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon that not letting people on such beautiful grass was the real insanity. Waters said that the particular patch of grass he had in mind when writing the song was to the rear of King's College, Cambridge
.
The German literary scholar and media theorist Friedrich Kittler
attaches great relevance to the song, referring to its lyrics as well as to its technological arrangement. For him, the three verses stage the (sound) technological evolution from mono to stereo, culminating in total, "maddening" surround sound.
with:
The uncredited manic laughter is that of Pink Floyd's then-road manager, Peter Watts
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon
The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...
. It was sung by Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
. David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
took over as lead vocalist when the band performed it live on the band's 1994 tour (as can be seen on Pulse). The band originally called this track "Lunatic" during live performances and recording sessions.
This song is often mistakenly referred to as "The Dark Side of the Moon" alongside "Eclipse
Eclipse (song)
"Eclipse" is the tenth and final track from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. It was sung by Roger Waters, with harmonies by David Gilmour...
" because the two run together and are commonly played together on the radio, giving the impression that they are one song. The incorrect title is derived from the recurring lyric "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon", which is the title of the album.
Composition
When the band reconvened after the AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
leg of the Meddle
Meddle
Meddle is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. It was released in October 1971.The album was recorded at a series of locations around London, including Abbey Road Studios...
tour, Roger Waters brought with him a prototype version of "Brain Damage" along with other songs such as "Money". He had been playing the song during the recording of the Meddle album in 1971, when it was called "The Dark Side of the Moon". Eventually this title would be used for the album itself. The song seemed to be partially inspired by their former band member Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
who had endured a mental breakdown. After road testing the new suite entitled "A Piece for Assorted Lunatics", the song was recorded in October along with "Any Colour You Like
Any Colour You Like
"Any Colour You Like" is the eighth track from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. It is instrumental and was written by David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, making it one of two songs on the album that Roger Waters did not contribute to, and...
". The piece represents Waters' association with acoustic-tinged ballads, and along with "If
If (Pink Floyd song)
"If" is a song by Pink Floyd on their album Atom Heart Mother. Written and sung by Roger Waters, it is about self-analysis. Like "Grantchester Meadows" before it, "If" carries on a pastoral and folky approach, but instead deals with introspection and self-deprecation.The song was performed live, at...
" and "Grantchester Meadows", "Brain Damage" uses a simple melody and delivery. David Gilmour actively encouraged Waters to sing the song, even though at this time he wasn't particularly confident about his vocal abilities. In fact, the song is the only track on the album to feature Waters exclusively as lead vocalist. However, from this point onwards, he would be the main singer in the group. Richard Wright found the track overly simple, suggesting that the song was the album's "weakest link". The song was played regularly live throughout the rest of the decade, and Waters continues to play it in conjunction with "Eclipse" on every solo tour since 1984.
The song is somewhat slow, with a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
arpeggio
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
pattern similar to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Dear Prudence
Dear Prudence
"Dear Prudence" is a song written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released by The Beatles as the second track on their 1968 double-disc album entitled The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album.-Composition:...
". It is in the key of D major
D major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
and features a recurring lyrical pattern and chorus.
Themes
Roger Waters has stated that the insanity-themed lyrics are based on former Floyd frontman Syd BarrettSyd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
's mental instability, with the line "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon" indicating that he felt related to Barrett in terms of mental idiosyncrasies. The line "And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes..." references Barrett's behaviour towards the end of his tenure with the band; because of his mental problems, there were more than a few occasions where Barrett would play a different song than the rest of the band in the middle of a performance. The song features a rather famous opening line, "The lunatic is on the grass...", whereby Waters is referring to areas of turf which display signs saying "Please keep off the grass" with the exaggerated implication that disobeying such signs might indicate insanity. The lyrics' tongue-in-cheek nature is further emphasised by Waters' assertion in the 2003 documentary Classic Albums: Pink Floyd – The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon that not letting people on such beautiful grass was the real insanity. Waters said that the particular patch of grass he had in mind when writing the song was to the rear of King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
.
The German literary scholar and media theorist Friedrich Kittler
Friedrich Kittler
Friedrich A. Kittler was a literary scholar and a media theorist. His works relate to media, technology, and the military.-Biography:Friedrich Adolf Kittler was born in 1943 in Rochlitz in Saxony...
attaches great relevance to the song, referring to its lyrics as well as to its technological arrangement. For him, the three verses stage the (sound) technological evolution from mono to stereo, culminating in total, "maddening" surround sound.
Alternative and Live versions
- It was performed by Pink Floyd from 1972–1975 and during the 1994 post-Waters Division Bell tour.
- On the Pulse concert DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, the song is sung by David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
instead of Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
. - In the Flesh – Live features the song, on which it was played along with "EclipseEclipse (song)"Eclipse" is the tenth and final track from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. It was sung by Roger Waters, with harmonies by David Gilmour...
", which was segued into as on the album. Roger also performed the song along with "Eclipse" during the 1987 Radio K.A.O.S. TourRadio K.A.O.S. (tour)The Radio K.A.O.S. tour was a concert tour performed by Roger Waters in 1987 in support of the album Radio K.A.O.S.. The shows included material from the album as well as songs from well known Pink Floyd albums such as The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon...
. - An alternative mix version of the song can be found on the compilation album WorksWorks (Pink Floyd album)Works is a Pink Floyd compilation album released in 1983 by their former American label, Capitol Records, to compete with their then-current album The Final Cut...
. - Was played by Roger Waters in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the environment-awareness concert Live EarthLive Earth-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
. - The film Pink Floyd: Live at PompeiiPink Floyd: Live at PompeiiPink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a 1972 film featuring Pink Floyd performing six songs in the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy. It was directed by Adrian Maben and recorded in the month of October using studio-quality 24-track recorders without a live audience.The performances of...
shows David Gilmour in the studio, apparently trying out some lead guitar riffs to add to the transition from verse to chorus. However, the recording of The Dark Side of the MoonThe Dark Side of the MoonThe Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in March 1973. It built on ideas explored in the band's earlier recordings and live shows, but lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their work following the departure...
was in fact finished, the album then in the mixing stages, so there was no chance that these guitar riffs would turn up on the record. The band staged the studio scenes in the film to show how they worked. - The Austin Lounge LizardsAustin Lounge LizardsThe Austin Lounge Lizards are a band from Austin, Texas formed in 1980. The band includes founding members Hank Card and Conrad Deisler, along with Darcie Deaville and Bruce Jones...
perform a bluegrassBluegrass musicBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
version of the song on their 1991 live album Lizard Vision. - An orchestrated version, arranged by Jaz ColemanJaz ColemanJeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
and performed by the London Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Philharmonic OrchestraThe London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
conducted by Peter Scholes, appears on the 1995 instrumental album Us and Them: Symphonic Pink FloydUs and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd- Chart position :...
. - Bim Skala BimBim Skala BimBim Skala Bim, formed in Boston, Massachusetts, was a third wave ska band that started in 1983 and remained active until 2002. They were influenced by the bands in England's 2 Tone movement, as well as bands such as the Clash, UB40 and Bob Marley...
perform a skaSkaSka |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
version of the song on their album Bones. - An early version of the song was released on the 2011 Immersion Edition of The Dark Side of the Moon, part of the Why Pink Floyd...?Why Pink Floyd...?Why Pink Floyd...? is an exhaustive re-release campaign of the entire back catalogue of the English rock group Pink Floyd scheduled for 2011–12. It will entail various incarnations of the band's material in multiple formats. The music will be presented newly remastered, featuring unreleased tracks...
re-release campaign by EMI.
Personnel
- Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
— music, lyrics, bass, lead vocals - David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
— electric guitar, backing vocals on chorus - Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
— Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
and EMS Synthi AEMS Synthi AThe EMS Synthi A was a portable analog synthesizer made by Electronic Music Studios Ltd in 1971.... - Nick MasonNick MasonNicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...
— drums, percussion
with:
- Lesley DuncanLesley DuncanLesley Duncan was an English singer-songwriter, best known for her work during the 1970s. She received a lot of airplay on British radio stations such as BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, but never achieved great commercial success.Duncan was born in Stockton-on-Tees...
— backing vocals - Doris TroyDoris TroyDoris Troy was an American R&B singer, known to her many fans as "Mama Soul".She was born as Doris Higginson in The Bronx, the daughter of a Barbadian Pentecostal minister. Her parents disapproved of "subversive" forms of music like rhythm & blues, so she cut her teeth singing in her father's choir...
— backing vocals - Barry St. John — backing vocals
- Liza Strike — backing vocals
The uncredited manic laughter is that of Pink Floyd's then-road manager, Peter Watts
Peter Watts (road manager)
Peter Anthony Watts was an English road manager and sound engineer who worked with Pink Floyd.-Biography:Watts was born Peter Anthony Watts on 16th January 1946 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, the son of Jane P. G. and Anthony Watts. Watts had one older brother, Michael, and one younger sister,...
.
Further reading
- Manning, Toby. The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd. ISBN 1-84353-575-3.