Hey You

Zoo Freaks, get ready to dive into the mind-bending world of Pink Floyd’s “Hey You” from their 1979 masterpiece, The Wall. This track, a haunting cry from the album’s protagonist, Pink, captures his desperate attempt to reconnect with the world beyond his self-built wall of isolation. One juicy tidbit comes from David Gilmour, who revealed in a 1992 interview with Rock Compact Disc Magazine that he played the fretless bass on this song, not Roger Waters, the band’s usual bassist. Gilmour quipped, “Roger playing fretless bass? Please!” This sparked some friendly shade, as Waters claimed The Wall was his brainchild, while Gilmour insisted he, Nick Mason, and Rick Wright shaped its musical soul. The song’s iconic acoustic guitar intro uses a unique Nashville-style tuning with a high E string swapped in, creating those eerie, ringing arpeggios that pull you into Pink’s psyche.

Another cool story? “Hey You” almost made it into the 1982 film Pink Floyd – The Wall but got cut to keep the runtime manageable. A rough, black-and-white workprint of the sequence exists on the 25th Anniversary Edition DVD, showing Pink clawing at his wall and concert-goers with vacant stares—pure dystopian vibes. Fans on Reddit have called it “mysterious” and “disturbing,” with one user, Jenny from Indianapolis, gushing about Gilmour’s pleading vocals in the final chorus: “It sounds so scared and pleading. He really acts the character through his voice.” The song’s bridge even reuses chords from “Bring the Boys Back Home,” tying it to the album’s anti-war themes. Oh, and that siren-like sound? It’s Gilmour using a backwards-wired wah pedal, a trick he also pulled in “Echoes” from 1971.

Now, let’s rewind to how Pink Floyd kicked off their cosmic journey. Formed in London in 1965, the band started as a psychedelic outfit led by Syd Barrett, whose whimsical, Lewis Carroll-inspired songs like “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play” earned them early buzz. Named after bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council, they blended blues, music hall, and dissonant psychedelia, as noted on Britannica. Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright were the original crew, with David Gilmour joining in 1967 as Barrett’s mental health declined due to LSD use and schizophrenia. By 1968, Waters took the reins as lyricist, steering the band toward concept albums like The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Their early gigs at London’s UFO Club built a cult following, despite a Catholic youth club owner once refusing to pay them, claiming their sound “wasn’t music,” per biographer Nicholas Schaffner.

For Zoo Freaks wanting to stay connected, check out Pink Floyd’s official website for news and merch. Their Facebook and Instagram pages drop throwback photos and updates, while their X account shares nuggets like a 2021 post celebrating “Another Brick in the Wall” as the last UK #1 of the 1970s. Fan sites like A Fleeting Glimpse and The Pink Floyd Fandom offer deep dives into lyrics and rare content. Join the Pink Floyd Fans Facebook group or the Grantchester Meadows Discord for chats with fellow Floyd freaks. Keep spinning those records, Zoo Crew!