Grantchester Meadows (song)
Encyclopedia
"Grantchester Meadows" is a song from the second half of the experimental Pink Floyd
album Ummagumma
. It was written and performed entirely by Roger Waters
. The song features Waters' lyrics accompanied by an acoustic guitar, while a tape loop of a skylark
chirps in the background throughout the entire song. At approximately 4:13, the sound of a honking goose
is temporarily introduced, followed by the sound of it taking off.
meadows in Cambridgeshire
, England
. This is where fellow band member David Gilmour
grew up and former member Syd Barrett
lived. This type of pastoral
ballad
was typical of Roger Waters' compositional approach in the late sixties and early seventies. It was a style that he was to continue on his first album outside of Pink Floyd - Music from "The Body" (in collaboration with Ron Geesin
) and "If
" from Atom Heart Mother
.
effects and sound panning
to create an illusion of space and depth. This is most noticeable when listening with headphones
. The background chirping birds flicker across the channels. The honking goose is first heard in the extreme left channel and the noise of its flight slowly panning to the right. Similarly, considering the song's idyllic setting, a fly
can be heard buzzing close to the listener, and around from mid-right to mid-left channel, at the beginning and end of the song, followed by someone's footsteps coming in from far left and slowly panning to the right, as if walking down a flight of stairs and across a room to finally swat and kill the fly with a loud "smack" in the center (an ending that segue
s into the following song, "Several Species...
").
concert suite as "Daybreak". It was performed live during the 1970 US tour, often opening the show. Live renditions of the song included David Gilmour on a second acoustic guitar and providing harmony vocals during the chorus, as well as Richard Wright playing two piano solos—one after the second verse's chorus and one during the coda
(these solos were later played on the Farfisa organ).
This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
, and would have been the only song from Ummagumma
to be included on the compilation.
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
album Ummagumma
Ummagumma
Ummagumma is a double album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1969 by Harvest and EMI in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States...
. It was written and performed entirely by Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
. The song features Waters' lyrics accompanied by an acoustic guitar, while a tape loop of a skylark
Skylark
The Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,...
chirps in the background throughout the entire song. At approximately 4:13, the sound of a honking goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
is temporarily introduced, followed by the sound of it taking off.
Lyrics
The lyrics describe a pastoral and dream-like scene at the GrantchesterGrantchester
Grantchester is a village on the River Cam or Granta in Cambridgeshire, England. It is listed in the Domesday Book as Grantesete and Grauntsethe...
meadows in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. This is where fellow band member David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
grew up and former member Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
lived. This type of pastoral
Pastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
was typical of Roger Waters' compositional approach in the late sixties and early seventies. It was a style that he was to continue on his first album outside of Pink Floyd - Music from "The Body" (in collaboration with Ron Geesin
Ron Geesin
Ronald 'Ron' Geesin is a British musician and composer, noted for his quirky creations and novel applications of sound. He is probably best known as the orchestrator and organizer of Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" in 1970, after the band found themselves hopelessly deadlocked over how to...
) and "If
If (Pink Floyd song)
"If" is a song by Pink Floyd on their album Atom Heart Mother. Written and sung by Roger Waters, it is about self-analysis. Like "Grantchester Meadows" before it, "If" carries on a pastoral and folky approach, but instead deals with introspection and self-deprecation.The song was performed live, at...
" from Atom Heart Mother
Atom Heart Mother
Atom Heart Mother is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1970 by Harvest and EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, England, and reached number one in the United...
.
Sound
The song is noted for its use of stereoStereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
effects and sound panning
Panning (audio)
Panning is the spread of a sound signal into a new stereo or multi-channel sound field. A typical physical recording console pan control is a knob with a pointer which can be placed from the 8 o'clock dial position fully left to the 4 o'clock position fully right...
to create an illusion of space and depth. This is most noticeable when listening with headphones
Headphones
Headphones are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less commonly a single speaker, held close to a user's ears and connected to a signal source such as an audio amplifier, radio, CD player or portable Media Player. They are also known as stereophones, headsets or, colloquially, cans. The in-ear...
. The background chirping birds flicker across the channels. The honking goose is first heard in the extreme left channel and the noise of its flight slowly panning to the right. Similarly, considering the song's idyllic setting, a fly
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
can be heard buzzing close to the listener, and around from mid-right to mid-left channel, at the beginning and end of the song, followed by someone's footsteps coming in from far left and slowly panning to the right, as if walking down a flight of stairs and across a room to finally swat and kill the fly with a loud "smack" in the center (an ending that segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
s into the following song, "Several Species...
Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict
"Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict" is a track written and performed by Roger Waters from the two-part 1969 Pink Floyd album, Ummagumma....
").
Live
"Grantchester Meadows" was incorporated into Pink Floyd's The Man and the JourneyThe Man and the Journey
The Man and The Journey are the names of two album-length suites of music performed in concert by Pink Floyd during their 1969 tour. They consist of several of their early songs coupled with material that would appear on Soundtrack from the Film More and Ummagumma, as well as unreleased songs...
concert suite as "Daybreak". It was performed live during the 1970 US tour, often opening the show. Live renditions of the song included David Gilmour on a second acoustic guitar and providing harmony vocals during the chorus, as well as Richard Wright playing two piano solos—one after the second verse's chorus and one during the coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
(these solos were later played on the Farfisa organ).
This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd is a compilation album by Pink Floyd. It was released by EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2001 and the following day in the United States through Capitol Records. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart on 24 November 2001, with sales...
, and would have been the only song from Ummagumma
Ummagumma
Ummagumma is a double album by English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released in 1969 by Harvest and EMI in the United Kingdom and Harvest and Capitol in the United States...
to be included on the compilation.
Personnel
- Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
— classical guitar, vocals and tape effects - David GilmourDavid GilmourDavid Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
— second guitar, chorus vocals (live performances) - Richard WrightRichard Wright (musician)Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...
— keyboards