The Ballad of Bill Hubbard Lyrics
*Switch channels*
Man: --believable bargain
Woman: It certainly is!
Man: Why did you grab it, dear?
Woman: Well, I bought a thread of pearls from you last year for one daughter. So, I figured, well, I'll get to the other daughter this spring
Man: Yeah, it's about once a year you'll see the six-millimeter size
Woman: Oh, they're beautiful!
Man: I'd say extremely high luster, perfect roundness, and the
Six-millimeter size all add up to one thing: A phenomenal giveaway--
*Switch channels*
Man: Oh ... tape something for the album he's watching... so call--
*Switch channels*
Woman: --Animals
...
... I love you Harry! ...
*Switch channels*
Man: ...and the box ... hundred seventy-nine ...
... Ninety-seven cents... And it certainly is a top one
...So it's much desired and a marvelous way to, uh, wear your jewelry. Have fun
*Switch channels*
Woman: --Really gonna miss you and the ... and your voice...
Will be in my thoughts and in my heart. Happy new year
Bubba ... Tracy sniff!
What do you think of Canterbury station. ... Take Harold home ...
Man: Cheer up!
Man: ... short...
Man: ... practical beast
[Guitar Solo]
*Switch channels*
[Alf Razzell:] Two things that have haunted me most are the days when I had to collect the paybooks; and when I left Bill Hubbard in No-Man's-Land. I was picked up and taken into their trench. And I'd no sooner taken two or three steps down the trench when I heard a call. "Hello Razz, I'm glad to see you. This is my second night here," and he said "I'm feeling bad," and it was Bill Hubbard, one of the men we'd trained in England, one of the original battalion. And I had a look at his wound, rolled him over; I could see that it was probably a fatal wound. You can imagine what pain he was in, he was dripping with sweat; and after I'd gone about three shellholes, traversed that, had it been... had there been a path or a road I could have done better. He pummeled me, "Put me down, put me down, I'd rather die, I'd rather die, put me down." I was hoping he would faint. He said, "I can't go any further, let me die." I said, "If I leave you here Bill you won't be found, let's have another go." He said "All right then." And the same thing happened; he couldn't stand it any more, and I had to leave him there, in No-Man's-Land
About
“The Ballad of Bill Hubbard” is the opening track from Roger Waters' 1992 album, Amused To Death. The song serves as an opening statement on Waters' intended themes held in the album.
The juxtaposition between Razzell’s harrowing account of the horrors of war he witnessed first hand with the woman’s flippant comments about following the war on the news much the same way one would watch a sports game acts as a stark commentary on the desensitizing effects of mass media.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“What struck me about Alf Razzell was the extraordinary humanity of his story in that he had been living with his concern, having left his friend in no-mans-land 74 years before and that he had carried this kind of burden with him and I guess it struck me that we help each other little to sort out those burdens that each of us individually has.
“Though, I have to say that if I am optimistic about the future, which I am, it is largely because, um, I dunno, through modern telecommunications, and this is the positive side of telecommunications, we seem to be getting better at understanding each other and helping each other personally with our individual problems.” (Interview with Rockline Radio, 08/02/1993)
- 1.The Ballad of Bill Hubbard
- 11.Watching TV
- 12.Three Wishes
- 13.It’s a Miracle
- 14.Amused to Death
