Hey Floyd fans, what do you think "The Stone" is?
By Guardian208
@Guardian208 (1095)
United States
March 17, 2008 12:19am CST
Any die hard Pink Floyd fan knows that "the stone" is a reoccurring phrase in many of their albums.
In Animals..
Dogs:
"So have a good drown, as you go down, alone
Dragged down by the stone"
and
"Who was dragged down by the stone"
Pigs on the Wing part 2
"So I don't feel alone, or the weight of the stone
On The Wall...
Hey You:
"Would you help me to carry the stone"
There is even reference to the stone on the single version of "The Hero's Return part 2", from the Final Cut...
"When I turned back the stone,
Turned over the stone
Of my own disappointment back home."
I don't believe that it means different things in different songs. It is the only phrase that appears identically in several different albums. It has to refer to one specific thing. Having listened to Floyd for 30+ years, I believe that it has to stand for something.
Any thoughts?
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4 responses
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
17 Mar 08
"Dogs" is one of my favorite songs!!
I think the Stone is the bad characteristics like greed, spite, selfishness and all the other things that drag us down and keep up prisoner. Given Roger's penchant for inner reflection and his cynicism, I would say that's what he probably meant. After all, the heaviest drag on any life is our own shortcomings in character.
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@Guardian208 (1095)
• United States
17 Mar 08
I love Dogs as well. In fact I can still listen to Animals several times a week, but I restrain myself. :)
In the context of Animals, I would say you were right. The stone would be our personal 'sins'. But that does not line up with the term as its used in The Wall when he says, "Wont you help me to carry the stone?" We wouldn't want help carrying it, we would really rather set it down. Unless it is like the saying about helping someone carry their cross. A cross can be like an addiction or a negative charactor trait that someone can help us to work on throughout our life. To help them be a better person. So maybe in that way you are still right about it.
Good thought.
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@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
17 Mar 08
McButtero, I'm bonkers about Gilmour, too. I love his music--he's not a great lyricist but he's a great songwriter. I just melt when I see him, too. I always have two thoughts when I see a tape of him performing years ago in his 20's and 30's--What a beautiful man! and I'd give my right leg to be able to play like that! He's still a handsome guy and as talented as ever. In fact, he's the one that inspired me to start playing guitar--my (now ex) husband took me to a PF concert in 1990 then we flew across country to see the same show again.
I like to catch some videos on youtube every so often, especially the more recent ones. He can park his shoes under my bed anytime--and I have a lovely Strat to bribe him with! 
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@Guardian208 (1095)
• United States
19 Mar 08
I agree. David Gilmour is one of the most expressive guitar players that I have ever heard. When most other guitarists solo, they keep it to just a couple of minutes because the listeners lose interest. They really don't have much to say musically. I can listen to Gilmour for hours. His solos are expressive and meaningful. They take you on a musical journey.
The guy is supremely gifted.
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@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
17 Mar 08
Hello Guardian,
Maybe I should pose this question to Hubby. He's much more of a Pink Floyd fan than I am. I never really got their lyrics.
Though, I've got a website up of their lyrics, now. Perhaps I can get a clue, from reading the lyrics as poetry.
From "Dogs":
"And when you loose control,
you'll reap the harvest that you've sown
And as the fear grows,
the bad blood slows and turns to stone
And it's too late to loose the weight you used to need to throw around
So have a good drown, as you go down alone
Dragged down by the stone."
"Pigs on the Wing (Part 2)
You know that I care what happens to you
And I know that you care for me
So I don't feel alone
Of the weight of the stone
Now that I've found somewhere safe
To bury my bone
And any fool knows a dog needs a home"
"The Wall"
"Hey you,
Out there on your own,
Sitting naked by the phone,
Would you touch me?
Hey you,
With your ear against the wall,
Waiting for someone to call out,
Would you touch me?
Hey you,
Would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart, I'm coming home."
Hmmm, I would suggest that "the stone" is a representation for an overbearing guilt over a sense of failure. Be it personal or societal. And, where failure may not be as accurate as the absence of success, as identified by commitment, perserverence, wisdom, etc... In a word, I believe that the stone equals guilt, and it's destructive consequences.
3 people like this
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
17 Mar 08
Hello Guardian,
Yes, I agree with your suggestion that Roger Waters may be shouldering guilt over his betrayal of his friend. That would be a terrible burden.
I can only hope that the two have had the opportunity to work this out, and that the ousted member was conscious enough to offer forgiveness to his old friend. Guilt is so very destructive, and in this case, one of them has the power to ease the burden of the other. Hopefully, it has already been done!
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@Guardian208 (1095)
• United States
17 Mar 08
You may be right about it being guilt. Roger Waters was permanently troubled by what happened to Sid Barrett. After all he was a founding member, and it wasn't until after he was removed from the band that they started getting serious notoriety. Wish You Were Here, Shine On You Crazy Diamond etc, all reflect his ongoing pain from that situation. So perhaps you are right. It must have been terrible to have that happen to your friend.
From what I understand, Sid would show up periodically around the studio and gigs anonymously and just watch. Kind of like a ghost haunting the band.
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@MrNiceGuy (4141)
• United States
17 Mar 08
Well I figured the carrying of the stone on the wall was part of building the actual wall, since almost every song on that 2 disc album mentions the wall or implies something about it.
WHo's to say it isn't different htings? its not a phrase but simply a word that seems to be repeated.
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@Guardian208 (1095)
• United States
18 Mar 08
Thanks for the reply. I guess only Roger Waters knows for sure, but it is a reoccurring theme across several of their albums.
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@swimmerboyzrg (9)
• United States
12 Jul 08
the stone is everything that is bad in life.
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@Guardian208 (1095)
• United States
14 Jul 08
Thanks for the post. You may be right. It's just that the term "the stone" sounds so specific to my ears. I feel like it is something specific. But who knows.
Welcome to myLot.
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