Songs of Protest: What is the True Meaning of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall?”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2,” one of the most well-known protest songs in the world, has been so overused that its original intended meaning has largely been lost. In spite of this, popular interpretations of the song can still be worth considering.
Music is one of society’s best teachers. In Songs of Protest, writers analyze some of music’s greatest hits, using their findings to make sense of the world around them.
Written by Caroline Pastrano
If you went up to anyone and asked them to name a Pink Floyd song, they would likely list “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2,” the only Pink Floyd song to ever hit the No. 1 position on US charts. In the years since, “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” has become one of the most well- known protest songs of all time, with its catchy disco-inspired sound and lyrics that speak out against abuses of the school system. However, as with any piece of art that begins to take on a life of its own outside the mind of its creator, this song’s message has also become warped throughout the years. The track was originally a singular piece of the story told in Pink Floyd’s 1979 rock opera The Wall, and loses much of its original meaning outside of this context. But still the fact remains that the majority of today’s audience experiences this song without knowledge of its original purpose, with radio stations and playlists often presenting the track as a standalone piece of music. How does this affect popular perception of the work?
The Wall tells the story of a fictional rock star named Pink who suffers many traumatic events throughout his life and eventually becomes paranoid and reclusive, isolating himself from society with a figurative “wall.” “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2” is included in the first half of the album, and, as its name suggests, is the second in a series of three songs, each of which details experiences throughout the protagonist’s early life that ultimately contribute to his building feelings of alienation. The track discusses Pink’s experiences in primary school with abusive teachers and systems that encourage obedience over learning, with lyrics like “we don’t need no thought control” and “hey, teacher, leave them kids alone!” The themes are further punctuated by including a children’s choir in the song’s second verse and chorus as well as sounds of children playing and adults yelling at them in the outro. Within the context of the full album, the phrase “another brick in the wall” refers to events in Pink’s life that serve as “bricks” in the construction of the metaphorical wall that isolates him from others. In this song specifically, the phrase also applies to Pink Floyd’s attitude towards the school system, in that it merely trains children to conform to society’s expectations and submit to authority without question. It also provides commentary on violence against schoolchildren, as the outro suggests teachers being physically and emotionally abusive towards their students.
These themes, aided by the catchy lyrics and infectious melody, struck a chord with many different audiences. At the time that The Wall was released, South African citizens were living under the system of apartheid, in which Black students were forced to attend schools that were inferior to those that white students attended. Protests began in these schools in the beginning of 1980, and lyrics from “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2” were used as a rallying cry, as South African students fought back against the subpar education that they were given. The song eventually reached No. 1 on South African music charts as a result of this, and was subsequently banned.
Pink Floyd was made up of four white, British men who all came from relatively privileged backgrounds. While the lyrics in their songs typically reflected their upbringing, the use of their music in these protests by Black South Africans proved that the ideas they expressed had universal significance. More likely than not, songwriter Roger Waters did not have race in mind when writing the lyrics to “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2”. In fact, upon hearing that this song was being used in protests, he claimed that it was not meant to espouse revolutionary ideals at all but was rather simply a reflection of his own personal experiences in grade school. The intended meaning of the song was insignificant to South African students who found a way to apply its themes to their own situations. The fact that the song eventually got banned was proof that they had made their voices heard.
In subsequent years, the song has taken on an even wider scope. It has notably gained attention on another side of the political spectrum, as Western conservatives have adopted it as a sort of anti-establishment chant. Waters has expressed great disapproval of this interpretation of the song’s message. He has recently denounced Donald Trump publicly and condemned those who were disappointed with this, stating that he has never supported the ideals embodied by Trump and other current conservatives, and that his political views have never been absent from his music. “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2” may not be explicitly political but much of Pink Floyd’s other music, including songs within The Wall, has clear messages against war and governmental corruption. The climax of the album comes when Pink’s dilemmas culminate in a mental break in the middle of a performance, during which he has a delusion of himself as a fascist dictator and begins spewing hate towards gay, Jewish, and Black people. This is specifically a commentary against people who come to cope with their problems by turning to hateful, extremist ideology, channeling their frustrations into violence towards other groups, and there is great irony in the fact that this message has been twisted by those very people into something they see as support for their views.
An argument can still be made that conservative Pink Floyd fans simply take the lyrics as they are and find ways for them to fit their purposes, and will continue to do so no matter how much the original artists may speak out against this. While it may seem wrong to interpret art in a way that is so far removed from the artist’s original intention, it is simply unavoidable with works that become as popular as “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2.” A majority of the song’s current audience may be unaware of the original context behind it, leaving them to be free to interpret it at face value and jump to conclusions that are truly off base. But once a piece of art enters the public sphere, the artist no longer has any say in how it comes to be seen, and this can ultimately have a far-reaching impact on the world, as has been the case for “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt.2,” and indeed, The Wall as a whole.