@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Corporal Clegg had a wooden leg
he won it in the war in nineteen forty four
Corporal Clegg had a medal too
in orange and blue, he found it in the zoo
Dear oh dear, oh are they really sad for me
dear oh dear, oh will they really laugh at me
Mrs. Clegg, you must be proud of him
Mrs. Clegg, another drop of gin
Corporal Clegg received his medal in a dream
from Her Majesty the Queen, his boots were very clean
Corporal Clegg, umbrella in the rain
he's never been the same but no one is to blame
he won it in the war in nineteen forty four
Corporal Clegg had a medal too
in orange and blue, he found it in the zoo
Dear oh dear, oh are they really sad for me
dear oh dear, oh will they really laugh at me
Mrs. Clegg, you must be proud of him
Mrs. Clegg, another drop of gin
Corporal Clegg received his medal in a dream
from Her Majesty the Queen, his boots were very clean
Corporal Clegg, umbrella in the rain
he's never been the same but no one is to blame
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
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Syd didn't write this song, and credit goes to Waters on the album.
"Was Corporal Clegg on Saucerful Of Secrets a deliberate Hendrix-style sound that you were going for?"
"No, not really. I didn't know what the hell I was trying to play at the time to be quite honest. I'd really no idea. What I was used to playing, the style I had, didn't fit Pink Floyd at the time, and I didn't really know quite what to do."
The kazoo is the only reason I listen to this song.
Don't be hating on my kazoo homies.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
I'm pretty sure I've heard from numerous people that this is about a crazed war vet like most people said, but theres a lot more to be interpreted. He found it in the zoo means that he plays a KAzoo, most presumably one that was orange red and blue as they can be quite colorful. He has gone so mad from war that all his lunacy does is play that thing. You are supposed to believe that the kazoo playing between verses is corporal clegg. The lines about his wife are supposed to ask about her embarassment. Jokingly she is not proud of him at all and she must drink herself to the bottom of a bottle to hide her shame for her husband. I don't think he actually ever won a medal, he's just so shell shocked from war that he has gone mad.
Actually, I believe that this song has a lot more meaning than their other psychedellic work (mostly because Waters is beginning to dominate his role as songwriter and realize his later style). This song, is the most jolly fashion, forebears Waters' later ominous, nihilistic and darkly sarcastic themes that appear most strongly throughout '77-'83.
Waters' sarcasm and disdain can be seem immediatly in the start of this song. "Corporal Clegg had a wooden leg / he won it in the war in nineteen forty four" 'Winning' a wooden leg in a war makes it all seem like a big game, furthered by the kazoo implementation.
While I somewhat agree with the insanity theory, I think Waters is just demonstrating the frivoulousness of medals and awards. "Corporal Clegg had a medal too / in orange and blue, he found it in the zoo" "Corporal Clegg received his medal in a dream from Her Majesty the Queen, his boots were very clean" Clean boots obviously signify that Corporal Clegg actually did very little fighting, and was awarded this medal instead of the many whole truly lived through hell in WWII and received no recognition.
Now that I think about it, these last lines remind me a lot of Forest Gump... I'll let you compare than one yourself. "Corporal Clegg, umbrella in the rain / he's never been the same but no one is to blame "
All in all, this may be truly the first brick in the Wall.
Shine on and be careful with that axe
i think this song is pretty good, its about a veteran and what he has to go trough after the war, he isnt appreciated, he is scared for life, its a sad song, at first i thougtht "what where they on when they wrote this song" but the more i listened to it the more i liked it
Corperal Clegg is a great example of ... ummm.. dark wartime imagery infused with fizzy british psychedelia. A fun-filled cavalcade of Roger Waters mayhem to be enjoyed by the whole family.
Poor old Mrs. Clegg. Another drop of gin, indeed.
I get alot of shit for liking this song, but I do like it. I agree with what DarkSideoftheWall said. The kazoo solos remind me of a birthday party, although the song makes me sad.
Nice little song. It's not brilliant but you can't compare it to the dire Dog's of War. At least this has a bit of spunk and drive. Dogs or War was a droning mess.
this song is awesome, if you dont like it try listening to it again. it's quick and painless and the kazoo puts me in a jolly mood
I think that's one mean kazoo Gilmour plays.