Sheep

Can anyone tell me which is the meaning of that "prayer" in the song. I just can't understand its meaning.

Tricky, but here goes...it's a (to Christians, it's blasphemous) parody of the 23rd Psalm of the King James Bible being used in the context of a sheep praying it's version.

Difficult to explain, really, but see the two for yourself and decide:

23rd Psalm
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou are with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

SHEEP (Prayer)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he makes me down to lie
Through pastures green he leadeth me the silent waters by

With bright knives he releaseth my soul
He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places
He converteth me to lamb cutlets
For lo, he hath great power and great hunger

When cometh the day we lowly ones
Through quiet reflection and great dedication
Master the art of karate, lo, we shall rise up
And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water

...well that bit just doesn't make any darned sense at all!

I don't know.

Floyd on!
Byron

Or, you could read what's said about the album concept on our very own PFfan site:

What ended up as a great concept album didn't start that way, as two of the four beasts here had been heard before under different names: Sheep was a re-working of Raving And Drooling. Dogs was a makeover of You Gotta Be Crazy. The whole album is based on George Orwell's famous book "Animal Farm". Halfway through the album, Roger realized he could use George Orwell's concept of people as being animals, and paralleled them in our social lives. In Brandon Kyle Leniart's (www.angelfire.com/va/battersea/index.html) words, in the eyes of Waters, you are either a dog, pig or a sheep. Dogs are the crafty cutthroats who travel in groups, in a pecking order, each one trying to screw the other over to achieve success. Pigs are the overbearing dictators who have a great fear for what they don't understand, but claim to know what is best for everyone. They impose this on the sheep, who are the meek and obediant subserviants to the world. They realize what has become of them and revolt, but are eventually put back in their place and taken advantage of again. It's human nature in a graphic display of our true inner selves, represented in animal form.

Hey thanks!

Animals is an amazing concept album. It is my favoutite Pink Floyd album, mainly beacuse of Pigs (Three Different Ones), but also the philisophical aspects of the lyrics. Waters is on par lyrically with Neil Peart for this album.

-Led Boots

What do you think, is this album against the New World Order? I think it is!

Uh, not against The New World Order, just those in charge, past present and future. Also, Rog refers to himself as a dog in POW II, so I think it might also be about Floyd and the record industry.

Well not only... those in charge are Pigs, but there are also Sheep and Dogs out there, and of course Rog and Dave behaved each other like dogs after 'The Final Cut'.

A very acurate interpretation Bride of a Bull. One doesn't need to look to far to see these "Dogs, Pigs and Sheep" all around right now. FUNKY DUNG! am I paranoid?

no just delusional.

see, now mainly i guess i would be a sheep, but then again i have been a dog and still can be, i don't know if i've ever been a pig (i don't know what defines one in Rog's eyes), but I'm sure I have been in other senses. Man, one off and I could really relate to Quadrophenia as well...maybe I could sneak a cow in there or something...