Speak to Me
"Speak to Me" is the first track[1] from British progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon, on which it forms an overture.[2][3] Drummer Nick Mason receives a rare solo writing credit for the track; Roger Waters subsequently claimed this was a "gift" to Mason, one which Waters came to regret after his acrimonious departure from the band.[4]
Composition
The song itself features no lyrics (although it contains parts of the conversation tapes that Pink Floyd recorded, as well a short snippet of Clare Torry's vocal performance on "The Great Gig in the Sky"), and consists of a series of sound effects. It leads into the first performance piece on the album, "Breathe". As a result, they are usually played together on the radio, and most later re-releases merge the two songs together.
Sound effects
Noticeable sound and instrument effects include:
Spoken parts
| “ |
I've been mad for fucking years, absolutely years. I've been over the edge for yonks. Been working with bands so long, I think. Crikey... |
” |
| “ |
I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us are. It's very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad. |
” |
Personnel
References and notes