Pink Floyd – ‘Echoes Part 1’ Live At Pompeii (1972)
Pink Floyd At Pompeii
Of the many things that can be said of Pink Floyd, let it never be said that they didn’t know how to put on a show – even if there was no audience!
In 1972, they traveled to Pompeii to film their concert Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii where they performed the iconic 23 minute long ‘Echoes’ to an empty Roman amphitheatre. Believe it or not, the lack of audience actually makes their performance that much more powerful.
With ‘Echoes’, Roger Waters said he was attempting to describe “The potential that human beings have for recognizing each other’s humanity and responding to it, with empathy rather than antipathy.”
I love the fact that in this performance, the lack of audience makes it easy to focus on each member of Pink Floyd and their contributions. Drummer Nick Mason is probably my favorite part – it’s always been said that his drumming style gave Pink Floyd’s sound a lot of texture, and that’s never more apparent than when you’re watching his drum solos and fills throughout ‘Echoes’!
+ Echoes lyrics +
Overhead the albatross hangs motionless upon the air
And deep beneath the rolling waves
In labyrinths of coral caves
The echo of a distant tide
Comes willowing across the sand
And everything is green and submarine
And no-one showed us to the land
And no-one knows the where or whys
But something stirs and something tries
And starts to climb towards the light
Strangers passing in the street
By chance two separate glances meet
And I am you and what I see is me
And do I take you by the hand
And lead you through the land
And help me understand the best I can
And no-one calls us to move on
And no-one forces down our eyes
And no-one speaks and no-one tries
And no-one flies around the sun
Cloudless everyday you fall upon my waking eyes
Inviting and inciting me to rise
And through the window in the wall
Come streaming in on sunlight wings
A million bright ambassadors of morning
And no-one sings me lullabies
And no-one makes me close my eyes
And so I throw the windows wide
And call to you across the sky
