“Comfortably Numb” is one of Pink Floyd’s greatest songs. It’s also one of the best-known Pink Floyd songs despite having just about zero airplay or general exposure. It also contains David Gilmour’s best-ever guitar solo, which is really saying something.
The meaning behind “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd is something that many of us understand and identify with. There is no doubt that the high regard for the song among fans, myself included, is because the sentiment is so relatable.
If you are already a Pink Floyd fan, I am guessing that you already know of the significance of “Comfortably Numb.” And where it fits into the rest of the album it was taken from. So, hopefully, this will be a useful short reminder for you, and an interesting read for all you new fans.
History of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd was formed in 1965 in London. The founder members were Nick Mason on drums, Richard Wright on keyboards, Roger Waters on bass guitar and vocals, and Syd Barret as lead vocalist and lead guitarist.
This line-up stayed constant until after the release of their first album, Piper at the Gates of Dawn, in 1967. A year later, a second guitarist and vocalist, David Gilmour, was brought into the band. This was due to the increasingly poor health of Syd Barret.
More specifically, Syd Barret, at the time, was suffering from mental health issues and worsening mental functioning as he continued to experiment with LCD. This either exasperated his current predisposition to schizophrenia or brought on a full-blown and irrevocable psychotic condition.
The exact details are not known…
But, in any event, it was an incredibly sad situation. The remaining band members would never forget Syd. And he played an integral part in the future album, Wish You Were Here, which was essentially a tribute to the plight of their friend.
The remaining four members moved forward after Syd Barret’s departure and continued to record and perform. Over the next ten years, they would release four of the most important Rock albums in history. These were Dark Side of the Moon in 1973, Wish You Were Here in 1975, Animals in 1977, and The Wall in 1979.
They released one more album, The Final Cut, in 1981 with the same band members. Then, Roger Waters, who had become increasingly disaffected with the others in the group, left the band.
During the time they were together…
Pink Floyd was instrumental in developing the genre of Psychedelic and Progressive Rock. They became one of the most influential groups in music history and are still the ninth best-selling artists in history, having sold around 250 million records.
Interestingly, Dark Side of the Moon, which was in many ways the catalyst for their global stardom, is the third best-selling album in history. It sold over 45 million records and stayed on the US Billboard charts for a staggering 736 weeks. Although, only one of those weeks was spent at #1. Incredible!
“Comfortably Numb” Chart Success
This will be relatively easy to write because, quite frankly, as such, there was no success for the single. Contrary to what a lot of people might think, “Comfortably Numb” was released as a single on the 23rd of June, 1980. This was more than six months after the release of the album; it was taken from The Wall, which was released on the 30th of November, 1979.
The performance of “Comfortably Numb” in the charts was more of a nonperformance. It failed to chart in the Top 100 on any charts anywhere in the world. A bit of a surprise, to say the least, when you consider that the lead single, “Another Brick in The Wall (Part II),” released on the same day as the album, went to #1 in the US, the UK, and several countries around the world.
Even the second single from the album, “Run Like Hell,” released in 1980, managed to chart in France, Germany, New Zealand, and America. Albeit no higher than #30.
So, why did “Comfortably Numb” fail to chart?
It is frankly staggering, but there are reasons for it. The main one is that Pink Floyd was never seen as a singles band by their fans. Furthermore, despite their immense success, Pink Floyd’s only #1 hit song was “Another Brick in The Wall (Part II).” Otherwise, sales were poor for all of their single releases. So, another single failing to chart came as no surprise.
The reason for the lack of single sales is that Pink Floyd made concept albums and was one of the first bands to introduce concept albums. So, rather than release an album with just a series of random songs, Pink Floyd albums that told a story with each song linking to the next. Every song, therefore, became an essential part of the whole piece of music.
Because of this, releasing a single track from an album made less sense than for other bands. That’s because doing so would mean listening to the song out of context. Consequently, you would only ever get part of the story, and your understanding would be limited.
But, there is another reason…
“Comfortably Numb” single sales were poor because dedicated Floyd fans, myself included, bought the album almost immediately. So, there was no need to buy the single. If you were a fan of Pink Floyd, you tended to be all in, and that meant buying every album that came out!
The Wall made up for the single’s awful sales, as it sold 30 million copies, making it one of the most successful albums of all time. It went to #1 just about everywhere, although surprisingly, not in the UK, where it peaked at #3. It also went platinum in most countries around the world. Its best achievement was in the US, where it went 23 times platinum. Remarkable.
Recording
When the single and the album were recorded, Roger Waters had long established himself as the chief lyricist, and with good reason. His lyrical ability was virtually unparalleled, as I will touch on shortly. Consequently, most of the music was written before even being presented to the rest of the band.
“Comfortably Numb” was one of the few tracks on the album where David Gilmour made any appreciable contribution. Along with “Run Like Hell” and “Young Lust,” these were the only three songs he got any writing credit for. Nick Mason and David Wright got no credits at all.
When “Comfortably Numb” was presented to the rest of the group, no lyrical changes were made. However, thankfully, David Gilmour insisted on a more Rock and less Orchestral mix.
Apparently, there were a lot of arguments…
At least until a compromise was reached, this resulted in a mostly Orchestral main part of the vocal sections of the song but featured a stripped-back and rockier mix for the two famous solos.
The song is often remembered for those two solos, especially the second solo. The second solo is frequently cited as the greatest Rock solo of all time, and I believe it is. I was lucky enough to hear it when they played at Knebworth in 1990, and I was also at Earls Court in 1994 for possibly the best live performance of the song and the solo ever. It was truly incredible.
The Meaning Behind “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd – Lyrics
As I touched on earlier, it is important to understand the rest of the album as a whole. Only when you place the song in context can you fully understand the meaning of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”? It does not mean you cannot understand what “Comfortably Numb” means. But it will undoubtedly give you a fuller picture.
Remember, it’s a concept album…
The Wall is based on the theme of someone who had built a metaphorical wall around himself in an attempt to isolate himself from pain and the harsh realities of life.
Roger Waters had to undergo the horror of losing his father in the second world war. He then suffered at the hands of a wretched school life in an old-fashioned and stifling all-boys school. Consequently, he learned how to shut himself off and hide his feelings to survive and escape ridicule.
When he became famous and eventually started touring the world, he could not leave his past behind him. He continued to feel the pain of abandonment and isolation, and he highlighted these feelings in The Wall.
Now to “Comfortably Numb”
When we reach this song, the album has already cataloged the life of the mythical Rock star. Now, we have reached the point where he is approaching the stage of a full-blown mental breakdown. The song begins with a doctor trying to talk with him and sort out his pain with a quick-fix injection. It is nothing more than a way to get him fit to perform on stage.
This first verse was apparently inspired by a real event. In 1977, Roger Waters was given a tranquilizing injection to enable him to perform in a concert in Philadelphia. He sings about the pain of being taken away but now being unable to feel anything. This is a metaphor for his mental state, where he has reached a point of being comfortably numb.
He has gotten to a stage in his life where he has all the trappings of fame and success, but he can no longer feel it. Nothing can get through to him as he’s successfully built a wall around himself for protection. However, unfortunately, it works both ways. That’s because the pleasures, connections with others, and happiness that they bring, cannot get through either.
Towards the end of the song…
Just before the second solo, he reaches a crisis where his overwhelming feelings of desperation become evident. There is an understanding that this is not a sustainable way to live his life. And the scene is set for the greatest Rock solo of all time, where his pain and inner conflict play out in a moving and disturbing fashion. This is then further built upon as the album progresses.
In the Mood for More Rock Music of Epic Proportions?
Well, check out our thoughts on the Best Classic Rock Songs, the Best 70s Rock Songs, the Best 80s Rock Songs, the Best 90s Rock Songs, and the Saddest Rock Songs for more song selections that are sure to leave you impressed.
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The Meaning Behind “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd – Final Thoughts
I am a lifelong Pink Floyd fan, and I bought all of their albums on the day of their release throughout the 70s. I would have to say that, Wish You Were Here is my favorite Pink Floyd album, and “Time” is my favorite Pink Floyd song. However, “Comfortably Numb” holds special significance as I know it holds too many of you Pink Floyd fans reading this.
I can strongly identify with the meaning of “Comfortably Numb.” Consequently, when I listen to the song, it feels cathartic in a way that is difficult to explain. The second David Gilmour guitar solo also plays its part in evoking a strong emotional response and release.
Honestly, I think it is a musical masterpiece, the likes of which we are unlikely to see again for a long time, if ever. I believe it represents the height of musical achievement, and I want to finish by saying thank you to Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason for this incredible song.
Until next time, happy listening.
