☝️ Key Points
- The song 'Goodbye Blue Sky' by Pink Floyd is about the destruction and suffering caused by war. The 'blue skies' symbolize peace and innocence that are destroyed by war.
- The childlike voice that doesn't notice planes in the sky represents the innocent view of a child on the world, who doesn't yet understand the brutality and destruction of war.
- 'Did you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs?' bring back the reality of war and urge the listener to imagine the horrors of war.
- The lines 'Did you ever wonder why we had to run for shelter when the promise of a brave new world unfurled beneath a clear blue sky?' show the broken promise of peace and hope that often accompanies the outbreak of war.
- With 'Flames are all long gone, Pain lingers on' and the repeated 'Goodbye blue sky', the song portrays the lasting effects of war and the destruction of peace and innocence.
Interpretation
"Goodbye Blue Sky" by
Pink Floyd is a song that represents the destruction and suffering caused by war. It is part of the concept album "The Wall" and plays a key role in the story told by the album. The 'blue sky' referred to in the song represents the peace and innocence that are destroyed by war.
The song begins with the words of a child looking up at the sky and noticing that 'there's no airplane in the sky'. This could be seen as a metaphor for the innocent view of a child towards the world, not yet understanding the brutality and destruction of war.
The repeated questions 'Did you see the frightened ones? Did you hear the falling bombs?' represent the reality of war and challenge the listener to imagine the horrors of war. The singer asks if the listener has ever thought about why 'we had to seek shelter' when the 'promises of a brave new world' fell under a clear blue sky. This shows the broken promise of peace and hope that often accompanies the outbreak of war.
The lines 'Flames are all long gone, Pain lingers on' illustrate the lasting effects of war. Even though the flames of war have gone out, the pain lingers on. The repeated 'Goodbye blue sky' is a farewell to peace and innocence, symbolized by the blue sky that has been destroyed by war."