WHEN THE TIGERS BROKE FREE

Although it would later be heard on the controversial record 'The Final Cut', Pink Floyd's song 'When The Tigers Broke Free' was originally heard on the film 'The Wall'. One of the few tracks that was not from the album of the same name, one of the highlights from 'The Wall' for me was the particularly emotional and poignant scene where the boy looks through his dead father's old war gear. The song fit perfectly into the scene, and it is just as moving on the record alone. A Waters-driven piece, 'When The Tigers Broke Free' is a story told through a film score- style orchestra, and although it is incredibly brief, it leaves a longer lasting impression on me than most of the band's other work.

Without blandly summarizing the lyrics of the song, 'When The Tigers Broke Free' details a narrator lamenting and reminiscing over his father, who died defending against a tank advance in the Second World War, as well as the very impersonal way that the powers-that-be dealt with the casualty. Although there are plenty of anti-war songs out there, telling it from the perspective of someone losing a loved one to the war makes it somehow even more moving, as well as the deeply melancholic way Rogers has chosen to tell the story through the lyrics. Musically, the song is based around a single melodic idea that gently gets built upon, with some sombre choral arrangements humming in the background. Rogers' voice is not nearly as technically precise as the rest of the sound, but the emotion depth is there in full, making things feel absolutely devastating once the orchestral flourishes kick in. The b-side to this single is not nearly as powerful, instead being a reprise of what has been heard on 'The Wall' album. However, 'Bring The Boys Back Home' does mesh well with 'When The Tigers Broke Free', due to the fact that they share the same orchestral sound and lyrical themes.

Suffice to say, this is one of the most emotional songs Pink Floyd has ever done.

Share this PINK FLOYD review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to Conor Fynes
• Report this review (#457511)
• Buy PINK FLOYD music online with PA partners
• Show all PINK FLOYD MP3/Stream
• Go to PINK FLOYD page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to When the Tigers Broke Free page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for PINK FLOYD related discussions