"Mother" is 5:32 in length. The majority of the song is in G major, though the chorus is predominantly a plagal cadence in C major. The song is notable for its varied use of time signatures, such as 5/8 and 9/8.[3] Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason found these time-signature changes difficult to learn, and, with the band recording on a very tight schedule, ceded the drumming duties to session drummer Jeff Porcaro.[4]
The song begins quietly with solo voice and a single acoustic guitar, and gradually expands its instrumentation to include, by song's end, reed organ, piano, drums, electric bass, and electric guitar. The song has a short introduction, consisting only of a sharp inhalation and rapid exhalation before the first verses are sung by Roger Waters. The verse timing progression is: 5/8 - 8/8 × 4 - 5/8 - 8/8 × 8 - 6/8 - 8/8 × 2 - 5/8 - 8/8 × 4 - 5/8 - 8/8 × 8 - 6/8 - 8/8 × 3.
The chorus, sung by David Gilmour, starts on two measures of 4/4 before going into 6/8 (or "compound duple meter") for most of the chorus, in a narrative response to the first set of lyrics. There is also one measure of 9/8. A guitar solo follows over a chord progression in 4/4 time. Waters sings another verse, which is once more followed by Gilmour's chorus (with different lyrics). Finally, the song concludes with an arrangement stripped back down to one acoustic guitar and Waters's voice, and a ritardando in which Waters sings, "Mother, did it need to be so high?", a reference to the metaphorical wall constructed by the character Pink. The song ends on the subdominant, C major, which may create an "unfinished" or "dissatisfying" feeling.
Waters explained to Mojo magazine that the song is about "the idea that we can be controlled by our parents' views on things like sex. The single mother of boys, particularly, can make sex harder than it needs to be."[5] "Most of the songs I've written have always followed the lyrics," he noted. "I've often tailored the music to fit the words, especially something like 'Money' or 'Mother'."[6]
Plot
The Wall tells the story of Pink, an embittered and alienated rock star. As told through the song "Mother", part of Pink's sense of alienation comes from being raised by an overprotective single mother, who lost her husband, Pink's father, in World War II. The song narrates a conversation by Pink (voiced by Waters) and his mother (voiced by Gilmour). The listener learns of the overprotectiveness of Pink's mother, who is helping Pink build his wall to try to protect him from the outside world, evidenced by the line "Of course Momma's gonna help build the wall," spoken by Pink's mother. She insists that Pink stay by her side even after he grows up, and cannot stand it when Pink eventually grows older and falls in love.
Film version
For the film, the song was re-recorded completely with the exception of David Gilmour's guitar solo. One line of the lyrics, "Is it just a waste of time", became "Mother, am I really dying", as the original LP lyrics read. This change ties in with a brief subplot in the film where Pink contracts a fever after caring for a sick rat that died from it.
Personnel
David Gilmour – vocals (chorus), high strung acoustic guitars, electric guitar
Roger Waters – vocals (verse), acoustic guitar, bass guitar
One of the most prominent covers of this song was done by Pearl Jam on the show - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. This performance marked the end of The Pink Floyd Week celebrated on the show as a tribute to Pink Floyd.[8]
In 2003, A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd, a tribute album of Pink Floyd covers was released; it included a version of "Mother" by Quetzal called by AllMusic a "heart-ripping country rendition", and featuring a cajón, an accordion, and a violin solo.[9]
Natalie Maines covered "Mother" for her 2013 album, also titled Mother. According to critic Ann Powers, Maines' "interpretation of Roger Waters's lyrics helps the original becomes something new — something bigger".[10]
Amanda Palmer released her cover of the song, orchestrated by Jherek Bischoff, on November 15, 2017. The accompanying video was funded by her Patreon subscribers. She dedicated the song and music video to "the current administration". The single features a cello solo by Zoë Keating. The video was directed by Jordan Rathus.[11]
^"Roger Waters Covers Pink Floyd's 'Mother' In Isolation". Cosmic Magazine.
^Blake, Mark (1992). "Still Waters". RCD. No. Vol.1, No.3. p. 57.
^Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb — A History of The Wall 1978–1981, 2006, p.78.
^"Pearl Jam Cover Pink Floyd's 'Mother'". Rolling Stone. 3 October 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
^"A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
^Powers, Ann. "Hearing A Mother's Song After Tragedy". NPR: The Record. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
^"Amanda Palmer & Jherek Bischoff – Mother". The official website of Amanda Fucking Palmer. Yes it is - Amanda Palmer. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
^"'Legion' Series Finale: Noah Hawley Explains the Time-Bending Ending". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to The Wall.
February 08, 2023
mother, pink, floyd, song, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, mother, pink, floyd, song, news, newspape. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Mother Pink Floyd song news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Mother is a song by Pink Floyd 1 It appears on The Wall album released in 1979 2 Mother Song by Pink Floydfrom the album The WallPublishedPink Floyd Music Publishers LtdReleased30 November 1979 UK 8 December 1979 US RecordedApril November 1979GenreProgressive rockLength5 32LabelHarvest UK Columbia US Songwriter s Roger WatersProducer s Bob Ezrin David Gilmour James Guthrie Roger Waters Contents 1 Composition 2 Plot 3 Film version 4 Personnel 5 Cover versions 6 Further reading 7 References 8 External linksComposition Edit Mother is 5 32 in length The majority of the song is in G major though the chorus is predominantly a plagal cadence in C major The song is notable for its varied use of time signatures such as 5 8 and 9 8 3 Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason found these time signature changes difficult to learn and with the band recording on a very tight schedule ceded the drumming duties to session drummer Jeff Porcaro 4 The song begins quietly with solo voice and a single acoustic guitar and gradually expands its instrumentation to include by song s end reed organ piano drums electric bass and electric guitar The song has a short introduction consisting only of a sharp inhalation and rapid exhalation before the first verses are sung by Roger Waters The verse timing progression is 5 8 8 8 4 5 8 8 8 8 6 8 8 8 2 5 8 8 8 4 5 8 8 8 8 6 8 8 8 3 The chorus sung by David Gilmour starts on two measures of 4 4 before going into 6 8 or compound duple meter for most of the chorus in a narrative response to the first set of lyrics There is also one measure of 9 8 A guitar solo follows over a chord progression in 4 4 time Waters sings another verse which is once more followed by Gilmour s chorus with different lyrics Finally the song concludes with an arrangement stripped back down to one acoustic guitar and Waters s voice and a ritardando in which Waters sings Mother did it need to be so high a reference to the metaphorical wall constructed by the character Pink The song ends on the subdominant C major which may create an unfinished or dissatisfying feeling Waters explained to Mojo magazine that the song is about the idea that we can be controlled by our parents views on things like sex The single mother of boys particularly can make sex harder than it needs to be 5 Most of the songs I ve written have always followed the lyrics he noted I ve often tailored the music to fit the words especially something like Money or Mother 6 Plot EditThe Wall tells the story of Pink an embittered and alienated rock star As told through the song Mother part of Pink s sense of alienation comes from being raised by an overprotective single mother who lost her husband Pink s father in World War II The song narrates a conversation by Pink voiced by Waters and his mother voiced by Gilmour The listener learns of the overprotectiveness of Pink s mother who is helping Pink build his wall to try to protect him from the outside world evidenced by the line Of course Momma s gonna help build the wall spoken by Pink s mother She insists that Pink stay by her side even after he grows up and cannot stand it when Pink eventually grows older and falls in love Film version EditFor the film the song was re recorded completely with the exception of David Gilmour s guitar solo One line of the lyrics Is it just a waste of time became Mother am I really dying as the original LP lyrics read This change ties in with a brief subplot in the film where Pink contracts a fever after caring for a sick rat that died from it Personnel EditDavid Gilmour vocals chorus high strung acoustic guitars electric guitar Roger Waters vocals verse acoustic guitar bass guitarwith Bob Ezrin harmonium Hammond organ piano Jeff Porcaro drumsPersonnel per Fitch and Mahon 7 Cover versions EditOne of the most prominent covers of this song was done by Pearl Jam on the show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon This performance marked the end of The Pink Floyd Week celebrated on the show as a tribute to Pink Floyd 8 For the 1990 The Wall Live in Berlin concert vocals by Sinead O Connor backed by Rick Danko amp Levon Helm accordion by Garth Hudson acoustic instruments by The Hooters Roger Waters and many others In 2003 A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd a tribute album of Pink Floyd covers was released it included a version of Mother by Quetzal called by AllMusic a heart ripping country rendition and featuring a cajon an accordion and a violin solo 9 Natalie Maines covered Mother for her 2013 album also titled Mother According to critic Ann Powers Maines interpretation of Roger Waters s lyrics helps the original becomes something new something bigger 10 Amanda Palmer released her cover of the song orchestrated by Jherek Bischoff on November 15 2017 The accompanying video was funded by her Patreon subscribers She dedicated the song and music video to the current administration The single features a cello solo by Zoe Keating The video was directed by Jordan Rathus 11 In the final episode of the FX cable TV series Legion Mother was sung by Dan Stevens as David Haller and Stephanie Corneliussen as Gabrielle Xavier 12 Further reading EditFitch Vernon The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia 3rd edition 2005 ISBN 1 894959 24 8 References Edit Mabbett Andy 1995 The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd London Omnibus Press ISBN 0 7119 4301 X Strong Martin C 2004 The Great Rock Discography 7th ed Edinburgh Canongate Books p 1177 ISBN 1 84195 551 5 Pink Floyd The Wall 1980 Pink Floyd Music Publishers Ltd London England ISBN 0 7119 1031 6 USA ISBN 0 8256 1076 1 Vintage Pink Floyd Interview Archived 13 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Classic Rock magazine Roger Waters Covers Pink Floyd s Mother In Isolation Cosmic Magazine Blake Mark 1992 Still Waters RCD No Vol 1 No 3 p 57 Fitch Vernon and Mahon Richard Comfortably Numb A History of The Wall 1978 1981 2006 p 78 Pearl Jam Cover Pink Floyd s Mother Rolling Stone 3 October 2011 Retrieved 28 October 2019 A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd AllMusic Retrieved 8 May 2014 Powers Ann Hearing A Mother s Song After Tragedy NPR The Record Retrieved 15 January 2013 Amanda Palmer amp Jherek Bischoff Mother The official website of Amanda Fucking Palmer Yes it is Amanda Palmer Retrieved 18 November 2017 Legion Series Finale Noah Hawley Explains the Time Bending Ending The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 13 August 2019 External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to The Wall Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mother Pink Floyd song amp oldid 1137283580, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
