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Pink Floyd, War Poets?
By John
I told Blackfive about this and he told me to "put down the bong."
Read our header. We invoke Tennyson's Ulysses, partly because it aptly sums up OPFOR's raison d'être, partly because of our appreciation for military history, written (in all forms) and oral. That applies particularly to war-poets like Tennyson, the legendary British soldier-poets of The Great War, Homer, et al.
The tragedy of the 21st century is that we have no modern day Homer or Tennyson, men who can translate epic struggles into epic verses. Perhaps war films killed war poetry in the same way that video killed the radio star. Today there are so many other mediums in which to convey the horrors and glories of battle, I suppose calling poetry archaic would be accurate enough.
But that's precisely the reason that I was floored by Pink Floyd's "When the Tigers Broke Free," which served as Roger Waters tribute to his fallen father, who died on the Italian battlefield of Anzio. It wasn't included in Pink Floyd's original release of an epic of their own, The Wall, which I suppose is the reason that the song has escaped me all these years.
"Tigers" is a modern day "Charge of the Light Brigade" as far as I'm concerned, a powerful tribute to the courage of the common British soldier. Pink Floyd's anti-war stance is well-advertised, yes. But Tigers isn't about supporting war or about hating war. It is simply about war.
Beautifully chilling lyrics below the fold.
It was just before dawn one miserable morning
in black forty-four
when the forward commander was told to sit tight
when asked that his men be withdrawn
And the generals gave thanks as the other ranks
held back the enemy tanks - for a while
And then the Anzio beachhead was held for the price
of a few hundred ordinary lives
And kind old King George sent mother a note
when he heard that father was gone
It was, I recall, in the form of a scroll
with golden leaf and all
And I found it one day in a drawer of old
photographs hidden away
And my eyes still grow damp to remember
His Majesty signed with his own rubber stamp
It was dark all around
There was frost in the ground
When the tigers broke free
And noone survived from the Royal Fusiliers Company C
They were all left behind
Most of them dead
The rest of them dying
And that's how the High Command took my Daddy from me
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Comments
I'm a big Pink Floyd fan and the song "When the Tigers Broke Free" was on "The Final Cut" Album. You'll be suprised the album cover has British ribbons on it and mostly contains songs pertaining to the Falklands War and WWII. Personally I've nevered cared for the album or the song. I feel his pain and glad he sings about it but "The Final Cut" album lacks the finesse of "The Wall". Part of the ablum references the Falklands War and Roger Waters whines in protest about it. Protesting Falklands War? Come on.
More whining. "That's how the High Command took my daddy from me."
Fuck you Roger. It was Hitler that started war. Put the blame where it belongs.
Eric is right. This song is basically an extended whinge. Blaming ourselves is just as prevalent over here as it seems to be in the US. 'The generals gave thanks...' is intended to evoke the image of callous officers treating their men like cannon-fodder. What did Roger W. think would have been the cost in lives if the Anzio beach-head had fallen? The second verse is just an extended smear job on King George VI, who deserves better. And if the men of Company C could say, they wouldn't say it was the High Command who killed them. The song looks more about self-pity than the pity of war.
I've had to study this song at college and you should'nt slander sombody for their appionion. Ok, it was one crazy man who started WWll but were the generals on the front line?
Eric, you are a penis. I know you posted this a while back, but my god i hope you see it. I am a WWII Historian, and all to often you read of Generals decisions causing the deaths of many of their own men. Take Pelilui in the Pacific, the Hurtgen forest in Belgium, battles that many consider unnesaccery, Hitler may have started the war, but he didn't start the individual attacks conducted by the Allies. What you're missing out on is that Roger Waters dad died ant Anzio, the one Allied beach-head that become close to being pushed back into the sea. The common sense thing to go would have been to withdraw the troops to save for another day, much like Dunkirk. German forces at anzio were vastly surperior with their "Tiger" Tanks (Where the song gets it name) and the Allies, unfrotunately, kept pumping more and more men into the beach just to keep it open as an invasion beach, so THAT's how the high command took his Daddy from him, and if he wants to whinge, he should be able to, it was his father, not yours, so when you don't give a shit about the death of your father i'll know not to expect a song from you.
Adam is 100% correct. Eric I hope you never have anything tragic in your life open your eyes. I'm sure your mother is proud of you and your remarks.
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I remember this song from the movie, which I saw only once, in 1982. There was a lot about that movie that stuck with me these many years since. Maybe I'll watch it again some time.