Mother

Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb?

That's the first line of this absolutely amazing song! I've loved this song since the first time I ever listened to it. The song is to be found on the album from 1979, The Wall. During the last year, this album has been climbing high on my favourite album list. What Roger has been doing while touring, is wonderful. You get to experience the album in a totaly different way!!

The "Mother" dummy

"Mother" is written by Roger, of course, and we have both Roger and David on vocals, which is brilliant, and so very very beautiful! Roger is singing the verses, and David is singing the chorus. When Roger played on the "In the flesh" tour, he used a woman to sing the chorus, which suites the song perfectly, since it's supposed to be 'the voice of a mother'. But still, during the "The Wall" tour, I once again decided for myself that perfered that there were only men on the stage. Male singers has more suitable background voices for this kind of music, or at least, that's my opinion.

The song is about an overprotective mother, which we know Roger had. One of the points in this song is that if a mother is too overprotective, and over a long long time, it's just getting harder and harder for the children to get used to live without the mother, who takes care of you all the time, based on good and bad! As Roger Waters has said before: 

"Over-bearing-school teachers  will crush you down. Mind you, this is completely different because I feel very antagonist towards the teachers at my school who tried to put me down when I was a kid. I never felt like that towards my mother, although, I recognise certain things that she did may have made it harder for me to be myself as I grew up". 

From the movie "The Wall"

On the "The Wall" show that Roger is doing as we speak, he uses a big inflatable dummy of the mother! When I got to come with David Kilminster on the stage before my first show, the dummy was the first thing I noticed! She is not in the front of the wall as the wife and teacher, but she pop's out behind the wall, so you can't see all of the dummy.

A picture of me on the stage before a show!

Me and David Kilminster(lead guitar) on stage!

The animation of Mother is Gerald Scarfe's work. He said that he met Rogers mother once, and he didn't think she was similar to the Mother in the song, at all.

"My symbolic Mother is over-protective, clasping Pink to her bosom. The cradling, comforting, protecting arms which embrace the child turn into smothering, encircling walls which keep him captive, shutting him off from the real world. It does happen - take care, mothers everywhere".

This is what Gerald Scarfe said about the idea behind Mother in the book "The making of Pink Floyd The Wall"

Since I love this song so much, I'll put out more then one video today! I want you all to see a clip with the original song, from the album. I also want you all to see a clip from the movie "The Wall", where there is different lyrics, and it's almost a totaly different song, but it's still the same. And last but not least, I'll put out a clip from the song from Roger's live tour, where you can hear the absolutely amazing guitar solo by G. E. Smith. The solo that you can hear here, is the same solo they played on the "Is there anybody out there" - live shows from the early 80s. You'll find the lyrics at the bottom of this page!

Listen, enjoy and good night!

Listen to the Davids soft and fantastic voice at the chorus!

From the movie "The Wall"

From the live show "The Wall". The solo I'm talking, is not the one Snowy White is playing, but the solo right after!

Mother do you think they'll drop the bomb? 
Mother do you think they'll like this song? 
Mother do you think they'll try to break my balls?
Oooh, ahh
Mother should I build the wall?
Mother should I run for President?
Mother should I trust the government?
Mother will they put me in the firing mine?
Oooh ahh, 
Is it just a waste of time?


Hush now baby, baby, don't you cry.
Mama's gonna make all your nightmares come true.
Mama's gonna put all her fears into you.
Mama's gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing.
Mama's gonna keep baby cozy and warm.
Ooooh baby, ooooh baby, oooooh baby,
Of course mama's gonna help build the wall.


Mother do you think she's good enough, for me?
Mother do you think she's dangerous, to me?
Mother will she tear your little boy apart?
Ooooh ah,
Mother will she break my heart?


Hush now baby, baby don't you cry.
Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you.
Mama won't let anyone dirty get through.
Mama's gonna wait up until you get in.
Mama will always find out where you've been.
Mama's gonna keep baby healthy and clean.
Ooooh baby, oooh baby, oooh baby,
You'll always be baby to me.


Mother, did it need to be so high?