Pink Floyd - The Postwar Dream

The songs intro features a car radio being tuned in and out of different stations and can be seen on the short film for ’The Final Cut’. [radio tuning] “...a group of business men announced plans to build a nuclear fallout shelter at Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...“ [radio tuning] “...three high court judges have cleared the way...“ [radio tuning] “...It was announced today, that the replacement for the Atlantic Conveyor the container ship lost in the Falklands conflict would be built in Japan, a spokesman for...“ [radio tuning] “...moving in. They say the third world countries, like Bolivia, which produce the drug are suffering from rising violence...“ The Final Cut was released in March 1983 Easily Pink Floyds most political album, the record is a critique of the contemporary world order in the early 1980s, featuring Waters commentary on topics like globalization, the Falklands War, and nuclear holocaust. It is an anti-war concept album, though it is usually perceived to be extremely dark and pessimistic in tone. The album was inspired by the rise of Margaret Thatcher and Britains involvement in the Falklands War. Waters lyrics explore what he regards as the betrayal of the British servicemen, such as his own father, who sacrificed their lives in the World War II in the hope that victory would allow successor generations to build a better, more humane society based on progressive, humanist values, where political leaders would heed the lessons of the past and no longer be so readily prepared to resort to war as a means of settling disputes or furthering their aims (this being the Post-War Dream referred to on the album sleeve). The album is heavily critical of Thatcher (“Maggie“), who Waters apparently regards as the chief architect of this betrayal. Keep Kalm “Keep Calm and Carry On“ was a propaganda poster initially produced by the Ministry of Information in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, and was intended as a “last case scenario“ to be used only should the Nazis succeed in invading Great Britain, in order to stiffen resolve. Two-and-a-half million copies were printed, although the poster was distributed only in limited numbers. The designer of the poster is not known. It was rediscovered in 2000 and has been re-issued by a number of private sector companies, and used as the decorative theme for a range of other products. The poster was third in a series of three. The previous two: “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory“ (800,000 printed) and “Freedom is in Peril“ (400,000 printed). (wikipedia) The Poppy The Remembrance Day poppy is a recurring theme in the design of the album. The artwork also features various images of a lone soldier in a field. The picture labels on side one of the vinyl disc depicts a poppy field. Side two depicts a soldier stabbed in the back, lying face down on the ground near a poppy field. A dog is seen sitting beside him. The back cover features a photograph of a soldier standing upright and holding a film canister, with a knife protruding from his back. During the First World War, the fields of Flanders were dug over. Not by farmers, but by trench digging, shell and mortar fire, etc. Now it is a curious thing, but the seeds of the red poppies found in Europe can lay in the ground for years without germinating, and then grow after the ground has been disturbed. Consequently, sometime after the battles, the sites of devastation were transformed into a blaze of color. The poppy has become a symbol of that time. Every November, when Americans celebrate Veterans Day, the British have Remembrance Day. Poppy wreaths are laid at the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, etc. A national charity collects money for veterans by selling artificial poppies — wearing a poppy shows that you remember and that you gave. The same thing happens in the US, for Memorial Day. It does also have something to do with morphine. Poppies are also a symbol of relief from lifes pain, and have been since long before WWI. •Roger Waters - Vocals, Bass •Michael Kamen - Harmonium •David Gilmour - Guitar •Nick Mason - Drums