Pink Floyd - Speak To Me/Breathe
Copyright - 1973 Capitol Records
"Speak to Me" is the first track from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, on which it forms an overture. Drummer Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit for the track; Roger Waters subsequently claimed this was a "gift" to Mason, one which Waters came to regret after his acrimonious departure from the group. The song itself features no lyrics (although it contains parts of the conversation tapes that Pink Floyd recorded, as well a short snippet of Clare Torry's vocal performance on "The Great Gig in the Sky"), and consists of a series of sound effects. It leads into the first performance piece on the album, "Breathe". As a result, they are usually played together on the radio.
Noticeable sound effects include:
Heartbeat; this can also be heard at the end of "Eclipse"
Clock ticking; reflecting the song "Time"
Manic laughter; reflecting the song "Brain Damage"
Cash register; reflecting the song "Money"
Helicopter noise; reflecting the song "On the Run"
Wailing/screaming; reflecting the song "The Great Gig in the Sky"
Synthesizer note; goes into Breathe
Spoken parts:
" I've been mad for fucking years, absolutely years. I've been over the edge for yonks. It's working with the band so long, I think... "
" I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us are. It's very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad.
Breathe:
"Breathe" is the second track from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. The writing of this song is credited to David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. The song is slow-paced and rich in texture, deploying David Gilmour's skilled multitrack performances of slide guitar and lead vocals in gentle, warm timbres. On the original Dark Side of the Moon album, it is a single track that is preceded by "Speak To Me". The song is considered to be a representation of birth, with a relief from labour. Its lyrics, composed by Roger Waters, beseech the listener to pause in their seemingly-endless labours and take notice of more meaningful pursuits in life. Approximately three minutes in length, it is the first song on the album, preceded only by wordless screaming and sound effects found across the album in "Speak to Me." Since this sound collage segues directly into "Breathe" via the use of a sustained backwards piano chord, they are usually played together on the radio and the two are conjoined on most CD versions of the album.
Lyrics:
Breathe, breathe in the air
don't be afraid to care
leave but don't leave me
look around, choose your own ground
for long you live and high you fly
and smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
and all your touch and all you see
is all your life will ever be
Run rabbit run
dig that hole, forget the sun
and when at last the work is down
don't sit down, it's time to dig another one
for long you live and high you fly
but only if you ride the tide
and balanced on the biggest wave
you race towards an early grave
Pink Floyd - Speak To Me/Breathe
Pink Floyd - Speak To Me/Breathe
Copyright - 1973 Capitol Records
"Speak to Me" is the first track from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, on which it forms an overture. Drummer Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit fo...
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