Empty Spaces
Encyclopedia
"Empty Spaces" is a song by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

. It appeared on The Wall
The Wall
The Wall is the eleventh studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd—The Wall.As with the band's previous three...

album in 1979
1979 in music
See also:Record labels established in 1979* 1979 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1979.-January–February:*January 1...

.

Composition

The song is 2 minutes and 10 seconds in length and features a long introductory section, which includes an airport announcement, a reference to Pink heading for an American tour. At approximately 48 seconds into the song, the tone changes, and gets slightly louder. The song reaches a climax of tension, at which point Roger Waters plays the descending blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 scale to release the tension and then cueing the start of the vocals. The song ends abruptly, as the last word of the song, "wall", isn't completed until the beginning of the next track, "Young Lust
Young Lust (song)
"Young Lust" is a song by Pink Floyd. It appeared on The Wall album in 1979.-Composition:"Young Lust" is approximately 3 minutes, 25 seconds in length...

".

Plot

As with other songs on The Wall, "Empty Spaces" tells a segment of the story of Pink, the album's protagonist. Pink is now grown up and married, but he and his wife are having relationship problems because of his distance due to his halfway built 'wall'. Pink wonders what he should use to complete its construction.

Movie and live versions

On both the film adaptation and the recording of the live performance of this album, the song segues into "What Shall We Do Now?
What Shall We Do Now?
"What Shall We Do Now?" is a song by Pink Floyd, written by Roger Waters.It was originally intended to be on their 1979 album The Wall, and appeared in demo versions of The Wall, but was omitted due to the time restraints of the vinyl format...

".

Visually, both the movie and live versions feature the famous "fornicating flowers" sequence, in which one predatory female flower appears to seduce a more shy male flower into sex. When this occurs, the two briefly morph into a vaguely foetus-like figure, before the predatory flower devours male, and flies into the distance of what becomes the animation for "What Shall We Do Now?
What Shall We Do Now?
"What Shall We Do Now?" is a song by Pink Floyd, written by Roger Waters.It was originally intended to be on their 1979 album The Wall, and appeared in demo versions of The Wall, but was omitted due to the time restraints of the vinyl format...

".

Hidden message

Directly before the lyrical section, there is a hidden message. It is isolated on the left channel of the song. When heard normally, it appears to be nonsense. If played backwards, the following can be heard:

-Hello, Luka [hunters]... Congratulations. You have just discovered the secret message. Please send your answer to Old Pink, care of the Funny Farm, Chalfont...
-Roger! Carolyne's on the phone!
-Okay.


Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...

 congratulates either a girl named Luka, or 'hunters' (i.e. people who deliberately look for backward messages hidden in songs) for finding this message, and jokes that she (or they) can send her (or their) answer to "Old Pink" (being either a comical reference to Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...

, or a foreshadowing of Pink's eventual insanity), who lives somewhere in a funny farm (a term to describe a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...

) in Chalfont
Chalfont
The name Chalfont could refer to:* Chalfont St Giles, in Buckinghamshire, England* Chalfont St Peter, in Buckinghamshire, England* Chalfont Common, in Buckinghamshire, England* Little Chalfont, in Buckinghamshire, England...

. Before he can tell the exact location, however, he gets interrupted by someone (James Guthrie
James Guthrie (record producer)
James K.A. Guthrie is a British recording engineer and record producer best known for his work with the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, having served as a producer and engineer for the band since 1978...

) in the background who says Carolyne (Waters' wife) is on the phone. The wife's full name is Carolyne Christie.

Covers

  • The song was covered by Mushroomhead
    Mushroomhead
    Mushroomhead is an American industrial metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1993 in Cleveland Warehouse District, the band's music can be described as a synthesis of alternative music, heavy metal, and electro-industrial...

     for the Universal
    Universal Records
    Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...

     re-release of XX.
  • In 2009, AGM House Band covered it for a never-completed tribute to The Wall.
  • In 2010, the progressive rock band Astra
    Astra (band)
    Astra is a rock band from San Diego, California. Their sound is in the style of the '70s progressive rock and psychedelic rock, and includes a variety of keyboards and long jams.-History:...

     covered the track for a compilation album covering The Wall (titled The Wall: Rebuilt).|

Personnel

  • David Gilmour
    David Gilmour
    David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...

     — guitars, clavinet, Prophet-5 and ARP Quadra synthesizers
  • Roger Waters
    Roger Waters
    George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...

     — vocals, bass, VCS3
  • Richard Wright
    Richard Wright (musician)
    Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...

     — piano
  • James Guthrie
    James Guthrie (record producer)
    James K.A. Guthrie is a British recording engineer and record producer best known for his work with the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, having served as a producer and engineer for the band since 1978...

    — ARP Quadra synthesizer

Further reading

  • Fitch, Vernon. The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia (3rd edition), 2005. ISBN 1-894959-24-8.
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