The Hero's Return Lyrics
Trying to clout these little ingrates into shape
When I was their age all the lights went out
There was no time to whine and mope about
Dresden at angels-one-five
Though they'll never fathom it, behind my
Sarcasm desperate memories lie
That's the only time that I can really speak to you
And there is something that I've locked away
A memory that is too painful
To withstand the light of day
Flags hung on everyone's door
We danced and we sang in the street and
The church bells rang
But burning in my heart
My memory smoulders on
Of the gunner's dying words
On the intercom.
it IS about the Schoolmaster. This album was actually supposed to be the 3rd part of The Wall. This is one of the major things that the band fought about prior to the break-up. The rest of the band didn't like these songs because they felt that it delt to singularly to Roger Water's past (his father died in WWII, or at least was in it). The band refused to use this as part of The Wall, so Roger Waters released it after the break-up. If you don't believe me, go to the Pink Floyd web site (http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/theFinalCut/) and watch the movie. It includes only a few of the songs from the album though. And SURPRISE! Who stars in this short film? Oh yes, The Schoolmaster!
The Schoolmaster also stars in Fletcher Memorial, I do believe...
Anywho, "The Final Cut" was ultimately a tie up album. Not really "The Wall, pt. 3", seeing as at the end of the Wall Pink's problems are resolved, but they do tie up a few loose ends.
Bashyou, yeah, the teacher was insecure because his wife was abusive, as said by "The Wall".
But what ho? "Sweet-heart, sweet-heart, are you fast asleep? / Good, that's the only time that I can really speak to you?" Hey! What do you know! IT'S THE WIFE!
Anywho, I felt like pointing that out.
Back to the main focus, this song is part of a story-line regarding the teacher. One that, in my opinion, includes "Your Possible Pasts", "One of the Few", this song, "The Gunner's Dream", and "Paranoid Eyes".
Notice that these were all sequential songs in the initial publishing of the album.
Wait a sec. If I thought The Wall and The Final Cut were related I would call The Final Cut "The Wall part 2." So why did you call it Part 3? Hmm...
Wait a sec. If I thought The Wall and The Final Cut were related I would call The Final Cut "The Wall part 2." So why did you call it Part 3? Hmm...
The Gunner is a soldier who served in an airplane during WW2. Could have been a tail gunner or he could have been the guy who manned the nose turret. In the bombers of WW2 the guys communicated with each other (navigator, pilots, gunners, bombadiers) over headphones or intercoms. Between firefights they'd talk about their families, girls, dreams, what they would do after the war, the usual subjects you'd expect.
The Hero made it back and the gunner didn't. The gunner was in a plane that was shot down and he (the Gunner) now sleeps in the corner of some foreign field.
It's chilling and brings tears to your eyes when you think of this song while visiting the military cemetaries of Belgium or France. These guys gave their all, and those who survived to come home had a hard time reintegrating into normal society. How the hell do you come home and live a normal life when 2 weeks ago you were paid to kill people and there were professional killers on the other side doing their best to kill you first?
What really links this to the teacher from the wall are the lines:
Sweetheart, sweetheart, are you fast asleep? Good Cos that's the only time that I can really speak to you
referring to "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives" where the last lines let us know that the teacher's wife is psychopatic and not at all sympathetic, so the traumatized teacher can only speak to her when she's asleep, otherwise she would just thrash him within inches of his life.
guessin its about world war 2.
- "trying to clout these little ingrates into shape when I was their age all the lights went out there was no time to whine and mope about" - is a drill instructor from world war 1(?) havin a go at this "new generation"
2nd verse, mentions dresden, dresden was virtualy wiped out by British bombers in the war. +he regrets it
3rd verse, sorta straightforward...
4th sums it all up. no winners in war, +hes saddend by the crowds of cheering people who think its a victory.
Once again, this makes more sense if you understand that the titular 'Hero' is the teacher from the Wall (see the Gunner's Dream). The little ingrates are his pupils, who are growing up without the pressures of war.
Never thought of that before - it just put a whole new light on it.
There is an alternate version that has additional lyrics placed at the end of the song, immediately after "...on the intercom"
I can't decipher them, buy the version (called The Hero's Return Parts 1&2) can be found on "www.allofmp3.com".
I will try to decipher the lyrics here:
Jesus Christ I might as well be dead I can see how dangerous it must feel to be Training human corps for the machine Without some shell-shocked lunatic like me
But burning their still soft-shells With sticks and stones that were lying around In the pile of unspeakable feelings I'd found
And I turned back the stone Turned over the stone Of my own disappointment back home
I think this is right, except for the burning (But burning their still soft-shells).
It's about training up more people for the war.
I created a pandora.com radio station that has this song on it's playlist. Can't wait to see if it hits one of Pink Floyd's epics. Still hoping.