Goodbye Blue Sky

Song infobox
Name = Goodbye Blue Sky


Artist = Pink Floyd
Album = The Wall
Released = 30 November 1979 (US), 8 December 1979 (UK)
track_no = 7 of disc 1
Recorded = April-November, 1979
Genre = Art rock/Progressive rock
Length = 2:45
Writer = Waters
Label = Harvest Records (UK)
Columbia Records (US)/Capitol Records (US)
Producer = Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour and Roger Waters
prev = "Mother"
prev_no = 6 of disc 1
next = "Empty Spaces"
next_no = 8 of disc 1

"Goodbye Blue Sky" is a song by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on "The Wall" album in 1979. The Future Sound of London covered it with the title "Goodbye Sky". Armenian-American alternative metal band System of a Down has also covered the song live on at least four separate occasions. Ann Wilson, lead singer of Heart, recorded a cover version of this song for her 2007 solo release "Hope & Glory" with her sister, Nancy Wilson.

Composition

The piece is fairly quiet in terms of dynamics, although the tone does change several times throughout. It is 2 minutes, 48 seconds in length. In the introduction section, there is an innocent childish voice stating, "Look, mummy, there's an aeroplane up in the sky!". This particular section is calm and tranquil initially, but quickly grows more sinister in tone. Shortly after the tone change, the main lyrical section commences. The song bears some similarity to "Ummagumma's" "Grantchester Meadows".

Plot

As with the other songs on "The Wall", "Goodbye Blue Sky" tells a portion of the story of Pink, the album's protagonist. This song explains Pink's depression as a result of being forced to grow up in a postwar world with only his overprotective mother to care for him. It also describes Pink's sadness as a result of having the childhood he should not have had, due to his father being taken away from him before he was even born.

We learn that he travels to America and becomes a rock star. He and his girlfriend get married.

Film version

In the film version, this segment is animated by Gerald Scarfe. It shows a white dove (which begins as live action) flying peacefully up only to suddenly explode gorily, torn apart by a black Nazi eagle ("Reichsadler"). This mechanical-looking giant bird of prey swoops menacingly around over the countryside, then grabs at the earth with its claws, ripping up a huge section and flying off leaving a trail of blood. It glides over England before transforming into a church or cathedral with crosses flying out of it, that then becomes a bloated machine-like warlord releasing instead warplanes. We see naked, gas masked people ("the frightened ones") moving about on all four limbs and hiding from the dangers of an air raid, possibly The Blitz. Finally, a Union Jack that fragments, turning into a bleeding cross, the blood trailing away worthlessly down into the gutter and a drain, as a small "twang" sound similar to a banjo plays. This is one of the most dramatic animation segments in the film, with a clear antiwar message – and seemingly critical of the pillars of state's support for conflict. Unlike on the album, this comes in after "When the Tigers Broke Free" and before "The Happiest Days of Our Lives".

Personnel

*Roger Waters - VCS3Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.81]
*David Gilmour - lead and harmony vocals, acoustic guitars, bass guitar, synthesizers
* Richard Wright - synthesizers
* Harry Waters - child's voice

Cover Versions

*A cover of "Goodbye Blue Sky" by Tim Myer appears on 2003 Pink Floyd tribute album "A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd". Myer is a guitar technician who served Roger Waters' band during their 2006/07 tour.
*System of a Down played a cover of "Goodbye Blue Sky" in great number of their live shows.
*Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson recorded a studio version of "Goodbye Blue Sky" for Ann Wilson's solo album "Hope And Glory" (2007). As Heart (band), they also recorded a live version for their album, "Dreamboat Annie Live" (2007).

References

* Fitch, Vernon. The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia (3rd edition), 2005. ISBN 1-894959-24-8

Notes

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0v07InoFiU YouTube]