Us and them
And after all we're only ordinary men.
Me and you.
God only knows it's not what we would choose to do.
'Forward' he cried from the rear
And the front rank died.
And the general sat and the lines on the map
Moved from side to side.
Black and blue
And who knows which is which and who is who.
Up and down.
But in the end it's only round and round.
Haven't you heard it's a battle of words
The poster bearer cried.
Listen son, said the man with the gun
There's room for you inside.

"I mean, they're not gunna kill ya, so if you give 'em a quick short,
Sharp, shock, they won't do it again. Dig it? I mean he get off
Lightly, 'cause I would've given him a thrashing - I only hit him once!
It was only a difference of opinion, but really...I mean good manners
Don't cost nothing do they, eh?"
Down and out
It can't be helped but there's a lot of it about.
With, without.
And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?
Out of the way, it's a busy day
I've got things on my mind.
For the want of the price of tea and a slice
The old man died.


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Us and Them song meanings
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    General Comment

    I agree that the song is about war but I think there is more to it than that. When wars develop we instinctively divide ourselves up. In a war there are only two sides: Us and Them. This song explains how stupid war is by showing how it separates us. By using generic terms, US and THEM, Floyd makes the song timeless. No matter what, there will always be wars or conflicts or disputes where we divide ourselves. There is also a sense of facelessness implied by using Us and Them as the terms. Us can be anyone and They could be anyone. I think the ambiguous nature of the lyrics is an important factor in the song's meaning.

    Anomaly57on December 28, 2005   Link

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