The Dogs of War (Pink Floyd song)

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"The Dogs of War"
"The Dogs of War" cover
Song by Pink Floyd
from the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason
Released September 7, 1987 (UK)
September 8, 1987 (US)
Recorded October 1986- May 1987
Genre Progressive rock
Length 6:05
Writer(s) David Gilmour, Anthony Moore
Chart positions
    1. 30 (US Mainstream Rock)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason track listing
Learning to Fly
(2)
"The Dogs of War"
(3)
One Slip
(4)

"The Dogs of War" is the third song from Pink Floyd's 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason and was the third US single from the album. It was performed at every show on the band's 1987-1989 tours, and featured on the CD and video releases of Delicate Sound of Thunder. When the Momentary Lapse album was played in concert, this track was the eighth track performed from the album. The live versions would have an extended intro, middle solo for the saxophone, a guitar and sax duel and a longer outro as compared to the album version. The track was a minor rock radio hit in the US and reached #16 on MTV's Video Countdown in May of 1988.

In a 1989 poll of readers, it was voted, by a comfortable margin, the worst Pink Floyd song of all time in the fanzine The Amazing Pudding. The consensus amongst readers of that publication was that the writer David Gilmour was trying to ape Roger Waters in writing and convincingly delivering an angry anti-war song, and failing dismally.

This song is about war on the highest level, the political level. The dogs of war describe how politicians orchestrate wars that the public does not know about. Also, the major influence behind war is money. This song was written about the covert wars of the 80's where millions of American dollars went to Afghanistan to fight off the Russian threat of communism.

[edit] Video

The video for the track composed of the backdrop film directed by Storm Thorgerson which depicted German Shepherds with yellow eyes running through a war zone plus a live recording and concert footage filmed during the band's three night run at the The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia in November of 1987 directed by Lawrence Jordan (whom has directed concert films for Rush, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel). Videos for "On the Turning Away" and "One Slip" were also filmed from this concert where the video for The Dogs of War was filmed.

[edit] Personnel


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