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Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)

"Another Brick in the Wall part II" is the second song released in Pink Floyd's 1979, rock opera trilogy from the album The Wall. The song was written and composed by lead vocalist and bass guitarist, Roger Waters. Released as a single, the song was a number-one hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States and sold over 4 million copies worldwide. "Another Brick in the Wall part II" is also featured in the 1982 film, The Wall.

Origin

Released in England in November, 1979, "Another Brick in the Wall part II" was the UK's last number one of the 70s. The iconic chorus "We don't need no education", was recorded in Islington, England, by twenty-three schoolchildren between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. The chorus was recorded over the original recording twelve times in order to amplify the children's voices. The song was written by Roger Waters, who wrote it to criticize formal education, based on his experiences at the Cambridgeshire School for Boys during the 1950s.

Meaning

"Another Brick in the wall part II" is meant to be a satirical song being that Roger Waters is pro-education, but the lyrics' criticism of education does not reflect this attitude. The song expresses Waters' educational oppression during his time in school. He felt as though some of his grammar teachers intended on keeping their students obedient rather than teach them. The message portrayed through the song's lyrics is centered around rebellion against authoritative figures who use their positions of power to demonstrate that they have control. The wall Waters refers to in the song is built to keep the narrator out of touch with reality, and the teachers are bricks confining him inside of his wall. Although there have been many interpretation of the lyrics and what they represent, when addressed by Waters, he explains the song is based on what his formal education was like, and uses those experiences to generalize corruptness in the classroom as well as in the government.

Concerts

Animals Tour (1977)

The original idea for "The Wall" came to Waters during his 1977 Animals tour, at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. During the concert, some audience members set off fireworks and disrupted the show. When confronted, the audience members began behaving in an even more inconsiderate manner. At the same concert, someone tried to scale the barrier at the front of the stage. This caused Waters to lose his temper and spit at that crowd member's face. After the show, Roger Waters recalled the events of that night, and became inspired. He developed an idea for an even more intense show. He decided to include a wall that would serve as a literal barrier between the stage and the audience members, in order to demonstrate the mental separation between the band's intentions while performing, and the crowd. The idea later became more metaphorical when it transformed into a portrayal of the oppression of people by the government and institutions.

Us and Them Tour (2017)

Water's performance of "Another Brick in the Wall part II" during his 2017 concert in Hartford, CT reflects the original theatrical composition of the song, including the effect of children's voices by using young children during the live performance. When the chorus first erupts in the lyrics "We don't need no education", the kids onstage are shown wearing black bags to conceal their faces, and matching jail-like jumpsuits to demonstrate the uniformity of the children under institutional control. As the song progresses, the children are seen removing their matching apparel to reveal shirts with the words "RESIST" on them. The bags are removed from their heads and the children proceed to lift their heads up to face the audience and move from right to left, clapping their hands and raising their fists in rebellion of the idea of educational oppression, and to encourage liberation.

Controversy

South Africa

Although the song went #1 in South Africa, it was banned shortly after (May 6, 1980). The song was used by black schoolchildren in rebellion of the Bantu educational policy that caused an apartheid in Soweto. This was problematic, politically, in a society that denounced equal education for African children. The song's implicit meaning of government and institutional control over those of lesser power promoted rebellion, and was therefore ultimately banned.

Chorus

Disagreements arose when it became known that the chorus of schoolchildren were not being paid for their contribution to the single, especially since the students were singing lyrics pertaining to an anti-formal-education attitude. To compensate and eliminate controversy, it was agreed upon that the chorus would receive additional recording time in the studio, as well as a donation of one-thousand pounds to the school, and a platinum record.