☝️ Key Points
- The song is a reflection on war and conflicts, highlighting the difference between decision-makers and those who bear the consequences.
- It addresses the helplessness of ordinary people involved in wars.
- The lyrics emphasize the confusion and disorientation that arise in war.
- It criticizes the trivial reasons for war and conflict, and how they often arise from misunderstandings or 'battles of words'.
- The song's lyrics conclude with a resignation about the inevitable conflict and question the importance of the things we fight for.
Interpretation
The lyrics to 'Us and Them' by
Pink Floyd are a reflection on war and conflict and how they are carried out and experienced by 'ordinary' people. It highlights the difference between the decision-makers ('the general') and those who pay the price ('the front rank died'). The lines 'And after all we're only ordinary men... God only knows it's not what we would choose to do' show the helplessness of ordinary people caught up in wars they wouldn't choose if they could.