analyses

"If I don't promise you the answers would you go"
- Publius

Introduction

"What do you want from me" is the first song with lyrics. The lyrics ask a clear question:" What do you want from me?" Another important aspect is the mirror ball with the reflection of a woman on it. Those two aspects were central elements of the discussion. If you want to investigate and compare the artwork from the US and UK CD, go to the artwork comparison page.

Pink Floyd's history

Before TDB was released, the story was going around thatthat Pink Floyd had recorded an album, presented it to the record company, and was sent back to the drawing board by the record company, saying that what they had presented didn't sound anything like a PF record. when i listen to the lyrics of wdywfm it almost sounds as if they are telling this story, yet the last verse doesn't truely fit that scenario.

Lyrics

What do you want from me

As you look around this room tonight
Settle in your room and dim the light
Do you want my blood, do you want my tears
What do you want
What do you want from me

Do you think that I know something you don't know
What do you want from me
If I don't promise you the answer would you go
What do you want from me
Should I stand out in the rain
Do you want me to make a daisy chain for you
I'm not the one you need
What do you want from me

You can have anything you want
You can drift, you can dream, even walk on water
Anything you want

You can own everything you see
Sell your soul for complete controle
Is that really what you need

You can lose yourself this night
See inside there is nothing to hide
Turn and face the light

What do you want from me

To whome it may concern?

"What do you want from me" can be broken up into two main parts with "you" and "me". The word "me" must be alluding to the author of the song whereas the word "you" might be alluding to Syd of "you" (us) the person who listens to the album. Come to think of it, "you" and "me" are used throughout TDB and other Pink Floyd albums.Could it not also be about the way Roger aledgedly started to boss the rest around wanting it done this way and that. Can't you hear Roger saying to Gilmour play it like this not like that, and Dave Gilmour answering with, what do you want me to do play till my fingers bleed. It would thus resemble George Harrison. He was known to say to his colleagues 'what do you want me to play, just tell me and I'll play it' or something like that.

The song could also be dedicated to Syd Barrett. It could have been written in correspondence to Syd Barret attitude in the beginning of PF. When they forced him in writing new sons stressing him very much. Despite the band's success following their first album, Barrett begins indulging himself in hallucenogenic drugs, which deeply affects his ability to write and perform. Since his future is in doubt, Syd is asking the band "What do you want from me?" "Should I sing until I can't sing anymore?" Syd was the band's main vocalist. "Play these strings until my fingers are raw?" He was also the guitarist (before Gilmour replaced him). "Do you want me to make a daisy chain for you?" In the song 'Brain Damage' from 1973's "Dark Side of the Moon" album, one stanza of the song was written for Syd by Waters. Daisy chains are mentioned in 'Brain Damage.' When Barrett asks the rest of the band what they want from him,they ask him to stop contributing material. Gilmour is brought into the Pink Floyd lineup as Syd's permanent replacement. "Do you want me to make a daisy chain for you" might refer to the artwork of "A great day for freedom" and their are also daisies in the swimming pool that the boy jumps into on the Earl's Court video of "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", another reference to Syd.

TDB can be seen as an outreflection. As "Cluster One" looking for an answare outside. "What do you want from me" is looking for an answer inside of David Gilmour. It is more like talking to himself than to anyone. He is meditating "Reflection" also like light. The Picture is more like "I am all and the lights are my toughts". He is all because he is alone in that room.

For some of us "What do you want from me" was a song written to the fans. Pink Floyd released new albums after very long time in the last period and probably fans push the band to obtain "their" album. This song might be addressed to the fans.

The answers

The lyrics are quite confusing. "If I don't promise you the answers would you go" is one of the things Publius quoted. Why? It seems that his/her reference would indicate that this song is important. The song has the tendency of saying that Pink Floyd was getting tired, and probably getting ready to retire. After all, they are all getting up there in years. Are they letting us down gently, trying to tell us that this is their last album? Are they telling us that we don't need them? "I'm not the one you need".

See inside

"See inside there is nothing to hide, turn and face the light" can be seen as how a detective acts when he wishes to know how a criminal thinks. He carries out research to try and figure out what the criminal is thinking. In other words, he is trying to 'see inside' the criminal's mind. Some people think that it means to look inside ourselves to find the answers, maybe it does mean just that. However, "See inside there is nothing to hide, turn and face the light" could also mean: see into the mind of the Pink Floyd - the machine.

The mirror ball in the artwork re-appeared at the concerts. Almost at the end of the concert, the ball opened. The fans could "See inside" when they followed the advice to "Turn and face the light", since the ball was away from the stage. Has anyone seen what was inside?

Religious aspects

The last lines have a religious contest. Walk on water, sell you soul, already mentioned by Pink Floyd in "What's? Uh the deal". There are other religious "images" in TDB. Note, for example, the church on the cover and the G_d in "Take it Back". Maybe not strictly, but we should take care of religion in general remembering that it has always a strong influence on every culture's life. Perhaps we should be asking who is it that is trying to sell there soul for complete control, is it the ragged band that followed in the footsteps of Pink Floyd'? Selling one's soul conjures up making a deal with the devil a bit like 'Faust' I suppose. But if this song is aimed at Syd or Roger, well, they already sold their souls in 1967; the year when they became a professional band. So why would they want to sell their souls again?

Artwork

The artwork shows a mirror ball that is a light and has faces on it. Mirror balls turn so could this convey 'turn and face the light?' The mirror ball represents another variation of the cover faces. As we know, there are several variation of the cover faces. It is important to understand what the matter of the three faces represent to thruly move forward. The other faces are all variations of the basic idea beyond the album.

Who's the woman in the mirror ball? It has been said that the face on the mirror ball is that of Polly Samson. At least, she resembles the woman from the Shine On You Crazy Diamond video. During this song, she moves a mask from in front of her face, and is also wearing pearls, which there are a lot of in the background of the mirror ball picture.

There are two different light sources: each face has it's own light reflection. What could that represent? A shift of power since both faces now have their own light or equal en-lighten-ment, one influencing the other?

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