Comfortably Numb

Just to remind you, Our Throwback Thursday features a favorite song, something about the song and a cover version of the song. Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd is one of the songs from the album that initially received mixed reviews but has go on to be considered one of the greatest albums,  of all time The Wall. It's one of the songs that I've really enjoyed seeing Pink Floyd and various members of the band perform live over the years.



In a radio interview around 1980 with Jim Ladd from KLOS in Los Angeles, Waters said part of the song is about the time he got hepatitis but didn't know it. Pink Floyd had to do a show that night in Philadelphia, and the doctor Roger saw gave him a sedative to help the pain, thinking it was a stomach disorder. At the show, Roger's hands were numb "like two toy balloons." He was unable to focus, but also realized the fans didn't care because they were so busy screaming, hence "comfortably" numb. He said most of The Wall is about alienation between the audience and band.



Dave Gilmour wrote the music while he was working on a solo album in 1978. He brought it to The Wall sessions and Waters wrote lyrics for it. This was the last song Waters and Gilmour wrote together. In 1986 Waters left the band and felt there should be no Pink Floyd without him.



I was going to go with Roger Waters version from his 1990 Berlin live performance, featuring Van Morrison and The Band, but I decided to go with the stark and beautiful acoustic version by legendary British rocker Graham Parker.



Demand Euphoria!