Album: The Final Cut (1983)

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• (Announced plans to build a nuclear fallout shelter at Peterborough in Cambridgeshire)
  (Three high court judges have cleared the way)
  (It was announced today, that the replacement for the Atlantic Conveyor
  The container ship lost in the Falklands conflict would be built in Japan, a spokesman for)
  (Moving in. They say the third world countries, like Bolivia
  Which produce the drug are suffering from rising violence)
  
  Tell me true, tell me why, was Jesus crucified
  Was it for this that Daddy died?
  Was it for you? Was it me?
  Did I watch too much TV?
  Is that a hint of accusation in your eyes?
  If it wasn't for the Nips
  Being so good at building ships
  The yards would still be open on the Clyde
  And that can't be much fun for them
  Beneath the rising sun
  With all their kids committing suicide
  What have we done, Maggie, what have we done?
  What have we done to England?
  
  Should we shout, should we scream
  "What happened to the post war dream?"
  Oh Maggie, Maggie what did we do? Writer/s: George Waters
  Publisher: Sentric Music
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 16

• Shane from Bloomington-normal, IlSibella: that's an interesting inference but Roger is quite the devoted atheist. Having said that, our interpretations are certainly as valid as the artist's intended meaning, in my opinion.
• Brad from Lexington, KyThe beginning of the final "real" Pink Floyd album. (I don't consider AMLOR or Division Bell real Pink Floyd albums. Waters solo is closer to real Pink Floyd than those.) The Final Cut is also arguably my favorite Pink Floyd album. It's so deep and filled with dark and powerful emotion. Waters may very well be the greatest songwriter of the last century.
• Sibella from Pretoria, South AfricaI think "Is it for this that Daddy died?" might be ambiguous, referring to both Jesus and Roger's dad in WW2.
• Tom from Berlin, Wi"It can't be much fun for them, beneath the Rising Sun, with all their kids committing suicide..." is my favorite line. It's deep.
• Dema from Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
  And if I show you my dark side
  Will you still hold me tonight?
  And if I open my heart to you
  And show you my weak side
  What would you do?
  ican't say anything this is ROG...........
  i love this song so much ,and all of us we have to remember his category(no thoughts controlled)really we should learn this to our children........
  -dema,syria
• Kris from Wichita, KsI like the begging lyric "Tell me true, tell me why was Jesus crucified? Is it for this that daddy died?"I just think it's eerie. When my mom heard me listening to it she thought it was sacrilegious. I had to explain to her the question asked
• Bryan from New York, NyA good opening track, similar to One of My Turns, but with a shorter rock section.
• Bella from Pretoria, South AfricaWhen The Tigers Broke Free is also on The Final Cut.It's not on the original The wall, but on the soundtrack of the movie
• Paul from Glasgow, Scotland"The Anzio beachhead was held at the price of a few hundred ornery lives."
  the above lyrics are from the Wall, when the tigers broke free
• Bill from Erie, PaMost soldiers do not really fight for any idea of patriotism or pride in their country, but for the post-war dream, the hope that after the war ends, things will be better. However, this has almost universally been proven false, because of the inane leadership we are condemned with.
• Katie from Las Vegas, NvI love this song so much when it gets to the part
  "should we shout should we scream what happened to the post war dream" it is so powerful
• Ed from London, CanadaThe "Few Hundred Ordinary Lives" lyric appeared on The Wall, not The Final Cut.
• Clyde from Kd, NjIts 'A few hundred ORDINARY lives', not ornery. Generals don't care about ordinary lives.
• Nickc from Ft. Wayne, InMargaret Thatcher had just instigated the Falklands war, which Waters saw as the final straw in breaking down the "post-war dream" for England, which held that WWII would be the war to end all wars and that English boys would no longer have to go off to die. "Maggie, what did you do?!"
• Dan from Fort Collins, CoThis and most of the songs from The Final Cut were outtakes - meaning songs not used - from The Wall. Hence the similarity between the themes of many of the songs and the "father's death in the war" theme on The Wall.
• Dan from Fort Collins, CoA very cool song about the state of England in light of all the promises made about England's future prosperity after World War II. A main example is the "nips being so good at building ships", representing the Japanese (nip is a derogatory term for a Japanese person) gaining control of the industries formerly controlled by the Allied countries (in this case, shipbuilding). The song also makes reference to the high teen suicide rate in Japan at the time. If you look on the album sleeve and/cover, there are photos of fields of poppies. Poppies are well-known symbols of promise. Look closer and you'll see an Englishman with a knife in his back, symbolizing betrayal by his country in spite of his sacrifice during the war.

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