The Thin Ice

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For the 1937 Tyrone Power movie, see Thin Ice (1937 film).
For the Intellivision video game, see Thin Ice (video game).
“The Thin Ice”
Song by Pink Floyd
Album The Wall
Released 30 November 1979 (US), 8 December 1979 (UK)
Recorded April-November, 1979
Genre Art rock/Progressive rock
Length 2:31
Label Harvest Records (UK)
Columbia Records (US)/Capitol Records (US)
Writer Waters
Producer Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour and Roger Waters
The Wall track listing
In the Flesh?
(1 of disc 1)		 “The Thin Ice”
(2 of disc 1)		 Another Brick in the Wall, Part I
(3 of disc 1)


"The Thin Ice" is a song by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It was released on The Wall album in 1979.

Contents

[edit] Composition

The song is approximately 2 minutes, 31 seconds in length. The first few seconds are occupied by the sound of a baby crying (carried forward from In the Flesh?), lasting around 6 seconds. Following this, the song commences the lyrical portion sung by David Gilmour, which is soft and gentle in tone.

After a further 56 seconds, Gilmour's lyrics end, and the lyrical portion sung by Roger Waters begins. During this time, the tone of the song takes on a more "cynical" note, alluding to the lyrics. This portion lasts for 49 seconds, after which the remainder of the song contains a long, somewhat louder, guitar solo.

[edit] Plot

As with the other songs on The Wall, The Thin Ice tells a portion of the story of Pink, the album's protagonist. This song narrates the first couple of years of Pink's life, before he is old enough to realize what has happened to his father. The "Thin Ice" represents the fragile period of innocence in people's lives before they can really understand the world around them.

Furthermore, the third and fourth lines from the third verse:

"Dragging behind you the silent reproach, Of a million tear-stained eyes"

act as a very poignant metaphor for the psychological and/or spiritual effects war can have not only on the populace that suffered it, but also the generation of children left to suffer as the final bearers of the pain of that war.

[edit] Film Version

It shows thousands of men in the war, either wounded or dead, then goes to Pink in his motel pool suffering over his father's loss in a blood filled pool.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72
  2. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72
  3. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72
  4. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72
  5. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72
  6. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72
  7. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72
  8. ^ Fitch, Vernon and Mahon, Richard, Comfortably Numb - A History of The Wall 1978-1981, 2006, p.72