Pink Floyd Echoes

Pink Floyd Echoes

For me this is the greatest songs of all time from the Master of space rock. It's like telling a story that no one can comprehend, but at the same time telling a strange tale of human contact through the mind and soul. Pink Floyd are an English rock band who formed in the in the 1960 and achieved international success in for their psychedelic rock and later on went on to progressive rock.  They sold over 200 million albums worldwide including 74.5 million in the US which made them one of the best selling artists of all time. Initially there was five members in the band but as time progressed what became the real pink Floyd, the out of this world music that all pink Floyd fans  love was made by David Gilmour(lead guitar, vocalist, writer), Richard Wright(accord, vocalist, writer) and Nick Mason(drummer).   

In the first verse of this song I think they are trying to explain how life before it evolved had nothing to leave but echoes in their fight to survive.

Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
and deep beneath the rolling waves
in labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant tide
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine.

In this verse they sound like they describe something where people or the world they lived upon was totally free and there is no oppression by others. You are woken only by the rising sun and are not bound to anyone or anything. No one lies or tries to deceive you, or hide anything from you. And the fact that this song is called Echoes tells me that this land does not actually exist anymore, i.e. there remain only echoes of it.
And no-one called us to the land
And no-one knows the where’s or whys
But something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb towards the light

The third verse in this song is difficult to interpret, unless taken literally, in which case the song is just describing a scene, with catchy and smooth lyrics. The "Strangers passing in the Street by chance...." line probably sums up what most of this song is about. It’s about understanding humanity with empathy, not antipathy (Roger Walters). In this sense, I can further expand and argue that the rest of this song, including the first verse, has to do with appreciating the very simple things in life which we so often forget to even acknowledge how they enrich our lives. Whether such thing can be an ocean and coral caves, or simply appreciating and acknowledging the fact that other people in this world are alive and imagining ourselves in their shoes, taking the time to even think about it makes Echoes an amazing song.

Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me
And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand the best I can

And no-one calls us to move on
And no-one forces down our eyes
And no-one speaks and no-one tries
And no-one flies around the sun

On the final two verses I believe it’s a sign of how every day God calls us to rise through the sun light and no one is there to help us in our struggles. The end I believe is really   thoughtful too in a sense where there is always help when praying to god and giving up is not the answer but trying to make it in life even though when we are in our darkest moments there is still good in us that wants to come out and reach to others to help them stand up to sing them lullabies and make them believe that life is not worthless but is a precious gift given to us. Personally this song got me through a lot when I needed a place to escape from all the troubles we face but then again there was others inviting and inciting me to rise, like family, friends and more importantly having the will and believing in god that there will be better days ahead were cloudless skies and sunlight comes falling upon my waking eyes.

Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes
inviting and inciting me to rise
And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning

And no-one sings me lullabies
And no-one makes me close my eyes
And so I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky

Watch the video and you’ll know what I’m talking about….

Sources used

http://classicrock.about.com/od/bandsandartists/p/pink_floyd.htm

http://www.pink-floyd-lyrics.com/html/echoes-meddle-lyrics.html

http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/Pink-Floyd/Echoes