Question on " High Hopes"

It's about youth... and yes it's about memories and dreams and no, nothing to do with marijuana or other drugs, really.

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"Don't you know there ain't no devil, it's just god when he's drunk." Tom Waits

Pink Floyd definitely can't be related to ANY types of drugs in ANY way. for me it's a normal lyric about growing old.

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In the womb, the baby thinks that it's the universe. And when the baby is born, there is a glimmer of light.
I was there, but now I am here. So there are two things - me and the universe. The universe is there for me.
Then what happens? Other people. But the universe is there for you. Now tell me what happened in the glade.
I did something to myself. Like entertainment, like music, like a daydream. There was nothing there and I saw something.
I saw his head on the bonnet of the car. You can say what you like but I saw the bird of paradise spread its wings.
DO YOU PLAY BRIDGE?

Just my opinion, of course, but I think it's Dave pining for the Early days of the Floyd when all must have been fresh and exciting.

For example, I think "world of magnets and miracles" is a direct reference to that. Magnets=guitar pickups. Miracles=the music they were creating.

"Ringing of the Division bell had begun" = The gradual building of animosity between Dave and Roger.


"Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side" ------- What else could that be but the 'burned bridges' between he and Roger?

I'm probably wrong, I just see so much of TDB as Dave's commentary on Roger. I know Dave denies it.

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Taking away from you for the greater good.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".-- Winston Churchill

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant" - Omar Ahmed, C.A.I.R.)

Interesting. But lots of the lyrics on TDB were written by his wife. I doubt she has the same feelings about Roger.

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In the womb, the baby thinks that it's the universe. And when the baby is born, there is a glimmer of light.
I was there, but now I am here. So there are two things - me and the universe. The universe is there for me.
Then what happens? Other people. But the universe is there for you. Now tell me what happened in the glade.
I did something to myself. Like entertainment, like music, like a daydream. There was nothing there and I saw something.
I saw his head on the bonnet of the car. You can say what you like but I saw the bird of paradise spread its wings.
DO YOU PLAY BRIDGE?

But I think Polly was trying to look at the world thru Dave's eyes, and be a 'mouthpiece' for him. Again, I'm probably wrong.

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Taking away from you for the greater good.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".-- Winston Churchill

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant" - Omar Ahmed, C.A.I.R.)

You're probably right. There are some Gilmour/Samson credits for lyrics. But still, if Dave had the idea what the lyrics would be like, I think he would be able to write them down. Or maybe he let her to express his ideas in her own words and liked that. I think he's a good lyricist. Not the second Roger Waters, Bob Dylan or John Lennon, but when it's good, it's really good.

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In the womb, the baby thinks that it's the universe. And when the baby is born, there is a glimmer of light.
I was there, but now I am here. So there are two things - me and the universe. The universe is there for me.
Then what happens? Other people. But the universe is there for you. Now tell me what happened in the glade.
I did something to myself. Like entertainment, like music, like a daydream. There was nothing there and I saw something.
I saw his head on the bonnet of the car. You can say what you like but I saw the bird of paradise spread its wings.
DO YOU PLAY BRIDGE?

I know for a fact Dave (unlike Roger) is very generous with credits on his music. If anyone contributes anything at all to a song, Dave will credit them accordingly. So it is possible that all Polly did in some cases was offer a suggestion for a change of a phrase, or something like that.

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Taking away from you for the greater good.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery".-- Winston Churchill

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant" - Omar Ahmed, C.A.I.R.)

As per usual Stratman You've nailed it dead on, but deny it in modesty. The Dvision Bell is the history of Pink Floyd and/or the relationship of Gilmour/Waters through Dave's eyes...

It's summed up in Lost For Words in the verse....

So I open my door to my enemies
And I ask could we wipe the slate clean
But they tell me to please go **** myself
You know you just can't win

This is an obvious reference to the olive branch extended by Dave, Rick and Nick in the late 80's to Roger...and his subsequent reply.

Polly certainly played a role in helping out with the lyrics, but I think your last assessment is probabaly correct, a minor contributor with major credit... and I know (as we all do now with the release of DG Live In concert DVD) that Coming Back to Life was written for her..... She "resurrected" Dave for us if you will...we owe her a lot.

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I have always been here.
I have always looked out from behind these eyes.

What Fulghum and Stratman said.

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"Don't you know there ain't no devil, it's just god when he's drunk." Tom Waits

..it also has a pretty political sense into it...or maybe not. I have listened to it several times and still has a very dark sense. Like somebody who is old having for most of his life been in the same place which has loved so much, but at the end of the day gets worse and worse, or at least he thinks so because he/she had...high hopes...

Maybe something about Thatcher as well?

First time I listened to it (back in 94') and without having seen the video clip, gave me a post-war depression situation if you know wha I mean...but whatever....any colour you like folks!

whoa thats the title of a pink floyd song! how do you do it?

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last orders please.

Neshabur, I agree with your analysis of BDG's lyrical abilities. I'm more fond of the lyrics from "Coming Back To Life" than anything Roger's ever written. When it's good, it's superb.

As for the collaboration with Polly, I always assumed it was because Polly is likely a more articulate person than David, her being a writer and all. Some people have a strong mind but the inability to articulate it when they sit down to write it on paper. I think that describes David, which I believe is evidenced by the technically inferior lyrics of AMLOR. (some exceptions there, mind you) However, I'm fond of TDB's lyrics and always will be. BDG just needed Polly to put her literary touch into the feelings he felt so vividly.

As for the meaning of High Hopes, just take it as it reads. It's a longing for something in one's past. It's growing old. It means the same to me that Dark Side does, actually.

EDIT: Oh dear, where are my manners? Welcome to the boards!

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Tuesday afternoon
I'm just beginning to see, now I'm on my way
It doesn't matter to me, chasing the clouds away
Something calls to me
The trees are drawing me near, I've got to find out why
Those gentle voices I hear, explain it all with a sigh

Floydians,

I always took High Hopes to be a song about Dave and Roger's break up. I totally agree with Stratman about the young and exciting years (our throughts strayed constantly and without boundary) with perhaps a hint of psychadelic use. I took "There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps, Running before time took our dreams away, Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground, To a life consumed by slow decay" to mean that since the breakup of Roger they are ragged or not as good and a reference to having fun before getting married (slow decay) and having kids (small creatures) that tied them down. I took "Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us, To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side, Steps taken forwards but sleepwalking back again, Dragged by the force of some inner tide." to mean looking back before the burned bridges of how great it was and trying to move forward with writing music but wanting to go back to the good old days or making music with Roger. For some reason I understood "At a higher altitude with flag unfurled, We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world" to be about the Wall, the peak of their success and popularity. Perhaps it was the flag reference with the Wall pictures of the crossed hammers that linked the two for me. And finally I figured "Encumbered forever by desire and ambition, There's a hunger still unsatisfied, Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon, Though down this road we've been so many times" that Pink Floyd still wants to make music because they have the desire but know it will be hard doing it all over again or that Dave wants to get back together but has tried so many times to make it work. The chorus I took to mean how it was always better back in the old days, everything was better the grass, the light etc. This is of course my opinion and has been for several years now about this song. There may be conceled drug references, but not really.

Overhead...

I too have a question: who even cares about High Hopes?