When The Tigers Broke Free - Wikipedia

Original song written and composed by Roger Waters

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"When the Tigers Broke Free"
Single by Pink Floyd
B-side	"Bring the Boys Back Home"
Released	26 July 1982 (1982-07-26)
Recorded	November 1981 – March 1982
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	3:16
Label	Harvest (UK)Columbia (US)
Songwriter	Roger Waters
Producers	Roger Waters David Gilmour James Guthrie Michael Kamen
Pink Floyd singles chronology
"Comfortably Numb" (1980) "When the Tigers Broke Free" (1982) "Not Now John" (1983)
Official audio
"When the Tigers Broke Free" on YouTube

"When the Tigers Broke Free" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, written by Roger Waters.[1][2] It describes the death of his father, Eric Fletcher Waters, on 18 February 1944, during the Battle of Anzio during the Italian campaign of the Second World War.[3]

Writing and recording

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The song was originally titled "Anzio, 1944". Its working title was "When the Tigers Break Through".[4] It was written at the same time as The Wall, hence its copyright date of 1979, and was originally intended to be part of that album, but was rejected by the other members of the band on the grounds that it was too personal. It was subsequently recorded and released on a 7" single on 26 July 1982 (running time 3:00), before appearing in the film version of The Wall. The 7" was labelled "Taken from the album The Final Cut" but was not included on that album until the 2004 remaster.

The single version is a unique mix and differs from the versions that appear in the film and all subsequent releases. It has a different intro that is shorter than most other versions. The first verse uses a different vocal take that has never appeared on any other release of the track. This recording also features different percussion accents — short snare roll fills throughout the track.[4]

Lyrics

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The song sets up the story premise for The Wall film, set over footage recreating the British contribution to Operation Shingle, where American and British troops landed on the beaches near Anzio, Italy, with the goal of liberating Rome from Nazi German control. These forces included Z Company of the 8th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, in which Waters' father Eric served.[5] As Waters tells it, the forward commander had asked to withdraw his forces from a German Tiger I tank assault, but the generals refused, and "the generals gave thanks / As the other ranks / Held back the enemy tanks for a while" and "the Anzio bridgehead was held for the price / Of a few hundred ordinary lives" as the German assault inflicted heavy losses including Eric Waters.

In the second verse of the song (which makes up the reprise later in The Wall film), Waters describes how he found a letter of condolence from the British government, described as a note from George VI in the form of a gold leaf scroll which "His Majesty signed / with his own rubber stamp." Waters' resentment then explodes in the final line "And that's how the High Command took my daddy from me."

The underlying theme of the song is one of the primary catalysts for the character Pink's descent into social isolation throughout the story of The Wall, especially in the film version.[6]

On 18 February 2014, 70 years to the day after his father was killed at Anzio,[7] Waters unveiled a memorial to the 8th Battalion, and his father, near to the site of the battle. Another monument had already been erected at the approximate spot where his father fell. After many years of not knowing the details of what happened on that fateful day, Waters was finally able to get some closure after 93-year-old Fusilier and Anzio veteran Harry Shindler uncovered precise details of the time and place of Waters' father's death. Both of them were present at the unveiling of the memorial.[8]

Waters has indicated that his father was originally a conscientious objector during the outbreak of the Second World War. However, as the German expansion grew, Waters' father felt compelled to join the British Armed Forces. Waters goes on to say, "So he went back to the conscription board in London and told them he had changed his mind. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers, which is how he ended up here 70 years ago. He believed he was involved in a necessary fight against the Nazis, and for that he paid the ultimate price."[9]

Subsequent releases

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The song made its first CD appearance on a promotional disc in conjunction with Roger Waters' 1990 live performance of The Wall at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany. This was the Pink Floyd recording from the original 1982 single, and had a running time of 3 minutes.

It was generally released on CD on Pink Floyd's 2001 compilation album Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd.[10] With a duration of 3:42, this version is longer than the single release and features an extended intro section. There is less percussion heard in the Echoes mix, and the male voice choir comes in much earlier than it does in the single version.

The next time the song appeared was on the 2004 re-released, remastered version of The Final Cut, where it was placed between "One of the Few" and "The Hero's Return", this time an edited version of 3:16. This mix is similar to that of the Echoes version, but with a shorter intro.

Film version

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Part 1

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The first verse is played during the opening of the film, where Pink's father is cleaning and loading a revolver while smoking a cigarette as he hears bombers fly overhead. The film then transitions into the song "In the Flesh?", showing his fate.

Part 2

[edit]

The second verse is played after the song "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1" while Pink is shown discovering his father's uniform, straight razor and bullets, along with the letter of condolence. He then puts on the uniform, and it cuts between his father doing the same.

Critical reception

[edit]

In a review for The Final Cut, Patrick Schabe of PopMatters believed the addition of "When the Tigers Broke Free" to The Final Cut enhanced the album, specifically "making it easier to fathom the imagery of 'The Hero's Return'".[11] Schabe also believed the track "draws a direct line between 'One of the Few''s exhortations to 'teach' and a moment captured in history – the story of Waters' father's death."[11]

Charts

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Chart (1982)	Peakposition
UK Singles (OCC)[12]	39

Personnel

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Pink Floyd

• Roger Waters – vocals

with:

• Orchestra conducted and arranged by Michael Kamen
• The Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir led by Noel Davis

See also

[edit]

• List of anti-war songs

References

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1. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.
2. ^ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
3. ^ Blake, Mark (2008). Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. pp. 13–14, 291. ISBN 978-0-306-81752-6.
4. ^ a b Yawnick, Marty (March 17, 2016). "Spare Brick: When The Tigers Broke Free". The Wall Complete. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
5. ^ Edward D. Paule. "A History of the Royal Fusiliers Company =Z". Retrieved 26 November 2011.
6. ^ "The Wall Analysis". Retrieved 30 May 2012.
7. ^ "Commonwealth War Graves Commission: WATERS, ERIC FLETCHER". Retrieved 4 Jan 2015.
8. ^ "Roger Waters Unveils Memorial To Late Father in Italy". 20 April 2002. Retrieved 4 Jan 2015.
9. ^ Squires, Nick (2014-02-18). "Roger Waters memorialises his fallen WWII father". Retrieved 4 Jan 2015.
10. ^ "Echoes: the album credits". Pink Floyd. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
11. ^ a b Schabe, Patrick (3 August 2004). "Pink Floyd: The Final Cut". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
12. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 8/8/1982 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.

External links

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• "When the Tigers Broke Free" at Discogs (list of releases)

v t e The Wall
Songs	"In the Flesh?" "The Thin Ice" "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 1)" "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" "Mother" "Goodbye Blue Sky" "Empty Spaces" "Young Lust" "One of My Turns" "Don't Leave Me Now" "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 3)" "Hey You" "Is There Anybody Out There?" "Nobody Home" "Vera" "Bring the Boys Back Home" "Comfortably Numb" "The Show Must Go On" "In the Flesh" "Run Like Hell" "Waiting for the Worms" "Stop" "The Trial" "Outside the Wall"
Outtakes	"The Last Few Bricks" "When the Tigers Broke Free"
Remix single	"Proper Education"
Live albums	Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81 The Wall – Live in Berlin Roger Waters: The Wall
Films	Pink Floyd – The Wall Roger Waters: The Wall
Tours	The Wall Tour The Wall Live
Tribute albums	Back Against the Wall Rebuild the Wall
Miscellaneous	Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera
Category

v t e The Final Cut
Songs	"The Post War Dream" "Your Possible Pasts" "One of the Few" "The Hero's Return" "The Gunner's Dream" "Paranoid Eyes" "The Fletcher Memorial Home" "Southampton Dock" "The Final Cut" "Not Now John" "Two Suns in the Sunset"
Other songs	"When the Tigers Broke Free"

v t e Pink Floyd
Nick Mason David Gilmour Roger Waters Richard Wright Syd Barrett
Studio albums	The Piper at the Gates of Dawn A Saucerful of Secrets More Ummagumma Atom Heart Mother Meddle Obscured by Clouds The Dark Side of the Moon Wish You Were Here Animals The Wall The Final Cut A Momentary Lapse of Reason The Division Bell The Endless River
Live albums	Ummagumma Delicate Sound of Thunder Pulse London '66–'67 Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980–81 The Dark Side of the Moon Live at Wembley 1974 Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII
Compilations	The Best of the Pink Floyd Relics A Nice Pair A Collection of Great Dance Songs Works Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door 1967–1972: Cre/ation The Later Years: 1987–2019
Extended plays	1967: The First Three Singles 1965: Their First Recordings
Box sets	Shine On Oh, by the Way Discovery The Early Years 1965–1972 The Later Years The Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary Wish You Were Here 50
Soundtracks	London '66–'67 Tonite Lets All Make Love in London San Francisco The Committee More Zabriskie Point La Vallée La Carrera Panamericana
Singles	"Lucy Leave" / "I'm a King Bee" "Arnold Layne" / "Candy and a Currant Bun" "See Emily Play" / "The Scarecrow" "Flaming" / "The Gnome" "Apples and Oranges" / "Paint Box" "It Would Be So Nice" / "Julia Dream" "Let There Be More Light" / "Remember a Day" "Point Me at the Sky" / "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" "The Nile Song" "One of These Days" / "Fearless" "Free Four" "Money" / "Any Colour You Like" "Time" / "Us and Them" "Have a Cigar" / "Welcome to the Machine" / "Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part I" "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" / "One of My Turns" "Run Like Hell" / "Don't Leave Me Now" "Comfortably Numb" / "Hey You" "When the Tigers Broke Free" / "Bring the Boys Back Home" "Not Now John" / "The Hero's Return" "Learning to Fly" / "Terminal Frost" "On the Turning Away" "One Slip" / "The Dogs of War" "Keep Talking" "Lost for Words" "What Do You Want from Me" "Take It Back" / "Astronomy Domine" "High Hopes" "Wish You Were Here" / "Coming Back to Life" "Louder than Words" "Grantchester Meadows" "Childhood's End" "Green Is the Colour" "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" "Brain Damage" "The Great Gig in the Sky"
Films	Concerts London '66–'67 Live at Pompeii Delicate Sound of Thunder Pulse Narratives The Wall Documentaries The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story London '66–'67 La Carrera Panamericana The Story of Wish You Were Here
Tours	The Man and The Journey Tour Dark Side of the Moon Tour 1974 French Summer/British Winter Tour North American/Wish You Were Here Tour In the Flesh/Animals Tour The Wall Tour A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour (Concert in Venice, Italy) The Division Bell Tour
Lists	Discography Songs Unreleased songs Videography Band members Live performances Bootleg recordings
Related mediaand tributes	19367 Pink Floyd The Amazing Pudding The Australian Pink Floyd Show Brit Floyd The Dark Side of the Moo "Echoes" "Embryo" Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd Live at the Empire Pool The Man and The Journey Music from The Body Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets Pinkfloydia Pink Floyd: Their Mortal Remains Pink Floyd: The Music and the Mystery "Proper Education" Roger Waters: The Wall Synalpheus pinkfloydi Umma gumma Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd
Related topics	The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream Azimuth Co-ordinator Blackhill Enterprises Britannia Row Studios The Dark Side of the Rainbow Games for May Pink Floyd pigs Publius Enigma Bob Klose
Category

v t e Pink Floyd songs
Discography Songs
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn	"Astronomy Domine" "Lucifer Sam" "Matilda Mother" "Flaming" "Pow R. Toc H." "Interstellar Overdrive" "The Gnome" "Chapter 24" "The Scarecrow" "Bike" "See Emily Play" (U.S.)
A Saucerful of Secrets	"Let There Be More Light" "Remember a Day" "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" "Corporal Clegg" "A Saucerful of Secrets" "See-Saw" "Jugband Blues"
More	"Cirrus Minor" "The Nile Song" "Green Is the Colour" "Cymbaline"
Ummagumma	"Grantchester Meadows" "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" "The Narrow Way"
Atom Heart Mother	"Atom Heart Mother" "If" "Summer '68" "Fat Old Sun" "Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast"
Meddle	"One of These Days" "A Pillow of Winds" "Fearless" "San Tropez" "Seamus" "Echoes"
Obscured by Clouds	"Burning Bridges" "Wot's... Uh the Deal?" "Childhood's End" "Free Four"
The Dark Side of the Moon	"Speak to Me" "Breathe (In the Air)" "On the Run" "Time" "The Great Gig in the Sky" "Money" "Us and Them" "Any Colour You Like" "Brain Damage" "Eclipse"
Wish You Were Here	"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" "Welcome to the Machine" "Have a Cigar" "Wish You Were Here"
Animals	"Pigs on the Wing (Part One)" "Dogs" "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" "Sheep"
The Wall	"In the Flesh?/In the Flesh" "The Thin Ice" "Another Brick in the Wall" "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" "Mother" "Goodbye Blue Sky" "Empty Spaces" "Young Lust" "One of My Turns" "Don't Leave Me Now" "Hey You" "Is There Anybody Out There?" "Nobody Home" "Vera" "Bring the Boys Back Home" "Comfortably Numb" "The Show Must Go On" "Run Like Hell" "Waiting for the Worms" "Stop" "The Trial" "Outside the Wall"
The Final Cut	"The Post War Dream" "Your Possible Pasts" "One of the Few" "The Hero's Return" "The Gunner's Dream" "Paranoid Eyes" "The Fletcher Memorial Home" "Southampton Dock" "The Final Cut" "Not Now John" "Two Suns in the Sunset"
A Momentary Lapse of Reason	"Signs of Life" "Learning to Fly" "The Dogs of War" "One Slip" "On the Turning Away" "Yet Another Movie" "Round and Around" "A New Machine" "Terminal Frost" "Sorrow"
The Division Bell	"Cluster One" "What Do You Want from Me" "Poles Apart" "Marooned" "A Great Day for Freedom" "Wearing the Inside Out" "Take It Back" "Coming Back to Life" "Keep Talking" "Lost for Words" "High Hopes"
The Endless River	"Louder than Words"
Other songs	"Arnold Layne" / "Candy and a Currant Bun" "See Emily Play" "Apple and Oranges" / "Paint Box" "It Would Be So Nice" / "Julia Dream" "Point Me at the Sky" / "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" "Embryo" "When the Tigers Broke Free" "The Last Few Bricks" "Lucy Leave" "I'm a King Bee" "Vegetable Man" "Scream Thy Last Scream" "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!"

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