‘In The Flesh?’: The Pink Floyd song that parodies dumb stadium rock
In their time, Pink Floyd have covered more bases than most. Ostensibly, they might be housed in the realm of prog-rock, but for the most part, the quartet were more concerned with earthly matters than the kings, queens, and high fantasy that many of their so-called peers split opinion with.
With that being said, Pink Floyd’s first chapter – a time when Syd Barrett led the outfit – ranks among some of the most out-there material of the earliest psychedelic movement. Barrett’s playful British lyrics evoke The Wind in the Willows, science fiction, and the general, opium-influenced surrealism of Victorian Britain.
However, after Barrett departed the fold in 1968, and the group had embarked on a lengthy period of experimentation and refinement, Floyd would enter their most revered era. The album that commenced this run was 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, a project that conjured a widely influential thematic base grounded in themes that every human being is conscious of. Mental health issues, ageing, and consumerism are three of the most prominent aspects.
After releasing their masterpiece and its successor, 1975’s Wish You Were Here, for the remainder of Roger Waters’ tenure as creative director, the quartet’s music became much darker and more political than ever before. Influenced by the world taking a fraught turn, with the rise of neoliberal ideologues exacerbating Cold War tensions and overall socio-economic strife at home, the record was as much the sound of a Britain on its knees as punk or post-punk was.
Undoubtedly, the most refined expression of this political edge was 1979’s The Wall. An extensive concept album, the rock opera explores the life of the weary rock star, Pink, and comments on the state of Britain at the time, as well as Waters’ reservations about art and fame as the central character eventually becomes a psychotic, violence-inciting racist.
One of the most impactful compositions on the album is the opener ‘In The Flesh?’, which aptly sets the scene for Pink’s journey. Interestingly, the song was conceived to purposely parody what Waters described as “dumb” stadium rock, which clearly demonstrates what he felt about many of his peers.
Reflecting on this period, he told Rolling Stone in 2010: “We needed a beginning, so I went into a room with a bass guitar and went, ‘I need something that’s really stupid-sounding. Really loud, monolithic, dumb.’ And I’ve grown rather fond of that riff in the intervening years.”
‘In the Flesh?’ is not only a captivating musical composition but also a thematic anchor that sets the tone for the album’s exploration of existential crises, societal pressures, and the human condition. Its theatricality and layered instrumentation make it a compelling introduction to the narrative arc of The Wall, inviting listeners into Pink’s tumultuous world of self-imposed isolation and psychological turmoil.
Revisit the track below.
