Pink Floyd = Smarmy? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

condor wrote:

This is not a hate thread; I genuinely enjoy Pink Floyd's music but the lyrics get on my nerves. Their attempts at humour come off as "oh ho, very witty" and their endless message of how wonderful life is does not come across as life-affirming. Pink Floyd needs some balls.

I feel it necessary to inform you that you haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about.

If one knows the definition of "smarmy", for instance, one would know the only song Floyd actually attempts a level of smarminess is in "Have a Cigar", wherein Roy Harper portrays a smarmy record executive. The smarm in this case was on purpose, and was a reflection of the perceived attitude of the record industry as a whole to the success of Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon:

Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar.
You're gonna go far, you're gonna fly high,
You're never gonna die, you're gonna make it if you try; they're gonna love you.

Well, I've always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincerely.
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think.
Oh by the way, which one's Pink?

That is smarm. On purpose. As far as "their endless message of how wonderful life is does not come across as life-affirming", Floyd attempts to be life-affirming about as much as Black Sabbath on Master of Reality, Vol. 4 or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath; which is to say, not at all.

A band does not attempt to be life-affirming with songs like "Careful With that Axe, Eugene", "Free Four" ('You shuffle in gloom in the sickroom and talk to yourself till you die') "One of These Days ('I'm going to cut you into little pieces')", "Pigs" ('You f*cked up old hag, ha-ha charade you are'), "Welcome to the Machine", "On the Run" ('They're going to send you home to mother in a cardboard box")... I could go on and on.

Again, the immortal statement of Inigo Montoya comes to mind: "You keep using that word; I do not think it means what you think it means."

...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...

The only way this makes any sense is if he's referring to the post Waters albums but even then its a stretch. My assumption is that condor just doesn't 'get' English acerbic commentary. Smarmy certainly isn't the right word.

Ian

Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com

https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/

I like the word smarmy! Never heard of it too, but it seems to mean something like flattering

New album! "A Moment of Thought"

You're an interesting person... LOL

New album! "A Moment of Thought"

Sorry my thoughts are too obtuse. I'm feeling very weird today. I need to think longer.

Not sure I got your point. I think the reason I posted the thread was imagining what a Pink Floyd version of Easy Money would sound like.

The Wall and the Dark Side are exceptions to the general trend. Pink Floyd attack capitalism, not life.

(^ Saw that one too late)

condor wrote:

their endless message of how wonderful life is

PF's lyrics about how wonderful life is? Listen to The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon again, that's definitely not the message.

And the rest of the albums which have an overall message mostly criticise.

Edited by DDPascalDD - December 15 2015 at 12:21

New album! "A Moment of Thought"

I'm not sure "smarmy" is the word you are looking for. "Anemic" maybe?

which is not to say I find their lyrics anemic, just that the word seemed more appropriate.

This is not a hate thread; I genuinely enjoy Pink Floyd's music but the lyrics get on my nerves. Their attempts at humour come off as "oh ho, very witty" and their endless message of how wonderful life is does not come across as life-affirming. Pink Floyd needs some balls.