Music Two-For-One: Pink Floyd and the Supreme Beings of Leisure

Rather than have two points of divergence from what I normally post on this blog, I rolled up my thoughts on two different bands into one. Enjoy…

“What is your favorite Pink Floyd song? And why?”

I suck at rules on Quora; I cannot give just one example, therefore I shall limit my submissions to only two.

“Marooned”

This track was pleasant on the ears when I heard it, despite the fact that it took a while to warm up to “The Division Bell” in its entirety. However, the video moved it up several notches in my regard.

I cannot easily put my finger on why this video resonates so strongly with me. The footage from the ISS is beautiful and – in my opinion – a reflection of Mankind’s fascination with the dynamic between technology and nature. Countless hours and resources have resulted in the ability for a select few to travel and live in orbit, witnesses to the beauty of our planet that was not possible a century before. Fitting… lovely… beautiful.

The transition to Pripyat and the emptiness of the town abandoned due to the 1986 Chernobyl accident is an amazingly disconcerting counterpoint to the awe in the first half of the video. In this sense, Mankind’s efforts to harness nature with technology was tragic because of one simple rule: no matter how much we consider ourselves to be blossoming masters of technology, we are still human and fallible. We can be careless… we can make mistakes… the results can be horrible.

“High Hopes”

I had plans to write a longer blog post on my interpretation of this song. Perhaps I shall later, but there are two key ideas which places this song as one of my absolute favorites:

“Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary…”

In this day and age, we routinely take technology for granted. The only limits we have with current technology is reaching the shrinking number of people without it. We can write our ideas and opinions in a forum which is available wherever there is access to the internet; we pay no taxes on this, there are very little restrictions to who can read what we write… and there is nothing stopping those with access from interacting with our ideas.

However, with this free-flowing access to technology, “the ringing of the division bell had begun.”

This song is what I consider the essence of what Pink Floyd was about – introspective with (what I hear) nods towards previous successful songs. AND with an amazing yet subtle orchestral accompaniment… yet in reflection of how it resonates with our current state of affairs with social and traditional media, there is much more to be appreciated about the interpretation of its message.

Perhaps it is just me, but I also hear echoes of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “The Wall” as the song transitions to its instrumental conclusion. If that is the case, then such faint nods to where they started is pretty damn neat.

Are there more?

Absolutely… and that is why Pink Floyd will probably be listened to far longer than the contemporary foolishness that dominates radio.

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“What is the most thought-provoking song lyric you’ve ever heard?”

There are many, but one recent one comes to mind:

“Last Girl on Earth,” by the Supreme Beings of Leisure.

Specifically, the chorus:

There’s nothing out there
Am I the last girl on earth
Don’t you want me
If I’m the last girl on earth
There’s nothing out there
And I’m the last girl on earth

I’ve been listening to this song for years, and it has become kind of a haunting puzzle as to whether or not the intention of the song was to portray the woman as very deranged and manipulative.

To me there are three distinct statements:

“There’s nothing out there
Am I the last girl on earth”

This is her realization that, despite her efforts, she feels invisible to potential suitors. Everyone else has secured their relationship equals and effectively taken all her options.

“Don’t you want me
If I’m the last girl on earth”

Desperation kicks in when she manages to find someone. This is almost pleading, as if to say that both might being the same situation… so why risk loneliness again.

“There’s nothing out there
And I’m the last girl on earth”

This is the most disturbing part, as it is a statement which is where the manipulation comes in; her sweet voice hopes to get into the head of the other person to project and possibly infect then with her own doubts and fears. “Dont bother,” she reassures them “because there is nothing else out there… so you will be happier staying.”

Creepy and bat-shit crazy… which is why I like the song (and band) so much. Not that I like women like this —I may or may not have had personal experiences with this type of person/situation. I just find the paring of Geri’s voice and the spirit of the song fascinating.