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+--- Thread: Goodbye Blue Sky (/showthread.php?tid=16088)
Goodbye Blue Sky - Joe - 02-23-2011 06:26 AM
Okay, so my I chose to take an extra optional subject; music. And, for our project, we have to pick a song, play it and then analyse it both musically/technically and uh...lyrically or whatever.
The Floydian I am, I chose Goodbye Blue Sky. I can play it perfectly, I'll upload a video on youtube and share it later.
I analysed its meaning, every theme, every motif has a connotation which I will mention. Here's how I like to think of it.
The kid who says "look, mummy, there's an airplane up in the sky" symbolizes innocence and peace. Nothing special, many kids are fascinated by airplanes.
The first part, the first tone symbolizes something above, not a god or anything, but something that is watching, outside the scene and knows what's going to happen, and it has a little bit of sympathy. It feels bad for what's about to happen.
Now, it's coming. The music becomes monochromatic (connoted with the devil, and evil in general). We understand the sky has just gotten darker, and now we understand that it's not just an airplane, it's a fighter aircraft that's about to kill everybody.
There's also a constant, mono-rhythmic bass "Dung-dung-dung-dung-dung". In my opinion, that symbolizes the heartlessness and the multitude of the warriors.
And, then we go back to the 'pathetic' tone, and the vocals "oooooh". Whoever they are, they're obviously sad, and somewhat angry.
That's it, and it goes like that for the rest of the song.
Now, what I'm asking for is for someone to help me understand the lyrical meanings, and perhaps a music expert to provide me with better terms than "the first half, the pathetic tone, the oohs, and the dudums"
Thank you.
RE: Goodbye Blue Sky - Lady Floydian - 02-23-2011 09:54 AM
It's about the bombing of Britain during WWII. That's what you need to know. It's about a young child watching German Luftwaffe planes flying over England, bombing it.
When you read the lyrics in that context, there's really nothing further to understand. I mean, it's one of Roger's more easily-understood lyrical pieces. It doesn't take a whole lot to juxtapose what he's writing about with the historical background information of when it's taking place. The first verse basically talks about seeing scared people in the streets, watching bombs falling from the sky, as they run for bomb shelters. The second verse talks about how the bombing is over, the fires are out, but people are still afraid.
Like I said, there's not much to it.
RE: Goodbye Blue Sky - Arno Sluismans - 02-23-2011 11:24 AM
Two things.
Firstly, I think it's interesting to mention that the aeroplane (mentioned by the child at the beginning) is most likely a part of the war, which the innocent kid perceives to be something completely normal. This song's lyrics are spoken from a person's perspective who doesn't understand what's going on, and who is confused about all of it. (Some paradoxes, the "Did you see...?" parts, and most importantly the "Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath the clear blue sky?" part.) The child at the beginning symbolizes all that.
Then, musically, I think you could mention that those repeated bass notes don't follow the chord pattern, which also creates quite a big contrast. During the "Ooooooh", the chords go D-A-G-A (if I remember correctly), constantly accompanied with a D as bass note. Then during the "Did you see" parts, it goes C-B-A-G-F#-E (Eminor, probably, although the third isn't played). This time, the bass note is an A. In both cases, the bass note isn't even part of some of the chords (An A chord has no D, and C, B, G, F# and E have no A), which makes it sound like he's constantly playing two chords simultaneously. Moreover, since the chords are only played on two strings, the bass notes are very audible and contrasting. All of this translates the confused lyrics into music.
Edit: I just realized, the second chord pattern I posted is only correct for the first verse. In the second verse, it has a one-bar-long transition to the last part, instead of the A-chord, and the chords that follow are dropped out.
RE: Goodbye Blue Sky - Joe - 02-23-2011 12:51 PM
Thank you for the historical context, LF.
Brilliant, Arno. Thank you very much.