Atom Heart Mother

I think it's about both: part a), Father's shout, is the kind of ominous part at the beginning, like a rumor of war that's started by the people in charge (the "fathers" of the world). Breast Milky starts when the peice randomly goes into the smooth, calming tunes after a couple of measures of dissonance. This is the typical disociation from what's really going on that most people go through during times of war. It continues until the motorcycle, where mother fore takes over, ie, where there's a constant sense of panic, worry, and depression about what's going to happen. This is also the part of the song where the actual war takes place. As I see it, this is the greater majority of the suite. Towards the end, there's a hope that it will all be over soon, but instead it's followed by the oddness of Funky Dung. This peice represents the literal a figurative fallout of the war. Not somewhere you want to be. Following Funky dung is the odd mixture of Mind your throats. It's a convolution of everything previous in the album mixed in a way. At this particular point, there is really no law or order, just people trying to stay alive by any means possible. Probably lots of betrayals and assasinations going on at this time, so you should "watch your throat" - you never know who's out to slit it. Finally, it resolves into Remergeance, which starts as the triumph of someone taking control, or having order, then backs off. Order restored, civilization can now continue, starting off weak, as life typically does, and grows into the full matuirty of a new civilization, having risen from the ashes of it's fallen predecessors.

Of course, I wrote this while listening to the song, and I interpretted without doing any prior research. All of this could actually the be furthest thing from the truth, but, that's how I interpretted the song.

excellent song to multitask to

thanks to Demau Senae who wrote the unique words of this impressive opera. i didn't manage to understand them. this song is in some way related to neuclear weapons or nuclear power. but what represent the six parts of the song: a) Father's shout, b) Breast milky, c) Mother fore, d) Funky dung, e) Mind your throats please, f) Remergence random title...? don't think so. i would say that remergence is immediately after the explosion but it isn't... any idea?

The title was taken simply from a newspaper article about a woman who had an atomic powered pacemaker. Publius.

Some nice theories, but the song does not have any meaning whatsoever (According to the Pink Floyd members themselves). The song's main motive started as a "theme to a non-existent western" written as no more than a joke. Add in some jam sessions, choir parts, and orchestration by Ron Geesin and you have the song. The title was actually taken from a random newspaper article (about a mother with an atomic pacemaker) because it sounded good.

Publius has it right, I'm afraid. Pink Floyd was still in the processing stage for this album when they found a newspaper headline that stated a woman got a pacemaker for her heart that was powered by atomic energy so she could survive childbirth. Hence the term ATOM HEART MOTHER. It's as simple as that. No shrooms, no hallucinagens, just a newspaper clipping.

A great song to listen to while on a long, night time car drive. The chanting from the choir in the one section sounds like that used in the move "The Exorcist." It's kind of scares me. I think Floyd is the only group whose music has managed to elate, sadden, scare, surprise, puzzle and inspire me. Hooray Pink Floyd. I just watched Gilmour's "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" dvd on a an hd wide screen tv. It doesn't have this song, but definitely check it out!

Atom Heart Mother: The album title looks as if it entrusts a free association to listeners. As for me, I think that it is three element of all things - atom as the physical world and phenomenon, heart as the metaphysical world and consciousness, and mother as energy to produce everything.

I feel they aimed at a variety of scenes that may be conjured up in the listener's mind. What I was conjured up in my mind is Gaia hypothesis.

I love how this song sounds like it would be used in a movie.

It's about nothing. Pink Floyd just wanted to sample different types of music throughout the entire "Atom Heart Mother" album and this song reflects that.