The Happiest Days Of Our Lives

Album: The Wall (1979)
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Songfacts®:

  • "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives" is a 1:50 intro to "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" on Pink Floyd's classic album The Wall. The title is ironic and doesn't appear in the lyrics, which explain how cruel teachers would take out their frustrations on their pupils. The kids could take some comfort knowing these teachers went home to fat, psychopathic wives who would give them a thrashing.

    "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)" picks up the story with the line, "We don't need no education." Radio stations would often plays the two songs together.
  • The Wall is a concept album starring the character Pink, a rock star whose childhood traumas lead to demagoguery and madness. He's based on Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters, who created the character and spearheaded the album. In this song, he was showing how the British education system failed Pink. Waters wrote the song and sang the lead vocal.
  • The song segues out of "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 1)" and opens with the sounds of a helicopter whirring, likening school to a military camp. These sound effects and transitions were the work of Bob Ezrin, who produced the album. He was no stranger to theatrical rock, having produced Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies and Welcome to My Nightmare albums.
  • In the DVD commentary for the 1982 movie version of The Wall, Roger Waters explained that the scene with the teacher and his wife was symbolic of a lack of communication and pointed out that the teacher took out his frustrations on the students. In the movie, when the teacher grabs Pink's little black book of poems, the one he quotes is their earlier hit "Money." Also in the commentary, Waters admits to having a lot of teachers like the one we see punishing Pink. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ales - Rialto, CA
  • "The Happiest Days Of Our Lives" made it onto Pink Floyd's 2001 Echoes greatest hits album, again as a lead-in to "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2).

Comments: 22

  • Ken from Warner Robins GaThe guy in the helicopter is saying...."You, yes you, I'm still waiting".
  • Drake from Huntington Beach, CaIn THE WALL movie, during the classroom scene when the teacher reads Pink's poem that he's writing, how many of you notice that it's Money from DSOTM?
  • Chloe from St. Louis, Moits because of ones like this that the floyd didnt just sing songs, they wrote stories. the foreshadowing of this earlier in the album, and then the reprising later is brilliant. still, it kind of ticks me off when people say "another brick" is their favorite floyd song. i think its only great in the context of the album, not as a song by itself. and spence from VA, they got the name from combining the names of two other artists- pink anderson and floyd council. they had many other names, including tea set and the abdabs.
  • Patrick from Bremen, GaAs far as what the man is yelling, on the album he's saying "You! Yes, you! Son! Get over here!" but in the movie, and at the end of "Another Brick II" he says "You! Yes, you! Stand still, laddie!"

    The screaming child is a result of a child being spanked, as shown in the movie (young Pink). It cuts back and forth between the teacher and his psychopathic wife eating supper, and her pointing out the last brussel sprout he needs to eat, and apparently him taking his anger toward his wife out on the child, by spanking him.
  • Devon from Uniontown, Pahe's saying "You! Yes, you! Stand still laddie!"
  • Roy from Granbania, MaWhat does he say at the beginning of the song during the helicopter noise? It kinda sounds like "You, yes you! Just deal with it!" or something like that. Does anyone know for sure what he's saying? He says it again at the end of the song before the meat vs. pudding rant, but it's not listed in the lyrics during either part of the song.
  • Bryan from New York, NyI love this song, possibly as much or more than brick 2. The bassline and drums are intense, and it's filled with rage. Priceless singing and drum parts right at the end. Very dissappointing that this is not included on PULSE when David and the gang play Another Brick in the Wall Part 2.
  • Sheeberson from Wrightsville Beach, NcI HATE when radio stations play "part 2" without this. Its like this is part of that song to me. Which it is...
  • Shelby from The Other Side , United StatesI've seen things where Roger Waters and other have said the album is loosely based on the story of Roger "Syd" Barrett, who was sometimes very reluctant to go to school as a boy. Wonder why?
  • Shelby from The Other Side , United StatesThe kid being spanked theory makes the most sense. Kudos to the Floyd for being mad geniuses. This is spectacular.
  • Leia from Buffalo, NyHas anyone heard the version done in the Live in Berlin concert? It's my favourite since the beginning voice is done in a deep voice.
  • Annabelle from Eugene, OrTo Cameron in Escondido, CA, Are you sure it's a kid braking his arm? It sounds to me like a kid is chomping on a chicken bone, then he says, "Ick!" Another theory is that after that line, a kid is being spanked by the teacher, then you hear either the kid or the teacher say something like, "Oof!" Which one is right?
  • Ronnie from Wh, FlPink Floyd evolved from an earlier band, formed in 1964, which was at various times called Sigma 6, The Meggadeaths, The Screaming Abdabs, and The Abdabs. The name Pink Floyd is named after two blues musicians, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, it was The Pink Floyd Sound then it was changed.
  • Cameron from Escondido, CaIf you pay attention closely, after the line "would hurt the children in any way they could." you can hear a kid break his arm. And does anyone else find the singing near the end of the song really trippy?
  • Dalton from Columbus, Gathis is my favorite part of that trilogy
  • Spence from Smithfield, VaThis is my favorite song/part of anything Pink Floyd ever did, don't ask me why I just love it! Oh ya, does anyone know why there called "Pink Floyd"??
  • Jake from Mt. Olympus, Englandamazing. how it leads right in in the last 20 or so seconds you can recognize the tune then its the drums and scream of familiarity of another brick part 2.. to read my incomprehensible gibberish check out opillio67.deviantart.com
  • Katie from Tallahassee, FlI recently bought the remastered 25th anniversary edition of The Wall on DVD. It has interviews and commentary that can help you understand what the album and film are all about.
  • Anthony from Beverly, NjThe lyrics aren't messed up
  • Anthony from Beverly, Nji love the song
  • Patrick from Conyers, GaIn the movie during this song, a schoolteacher confiscates a small book from young Pink, containing poems he apparently wrote. The poem read to the class is actually a Pink Floyd song, "Money", but the lyrics are mixed up a bit.
  • Alex from Chicago, IlThis song reprsents the fears of Roger Waterstowards one of his teachers in scchoool when he was a kid.This same album was created for almost the same reason most of Waters fears, including the death of his father.A good to realize this is by watching "the Wall" wich came out a long time ago but is still found in music or movie stores.
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