Just the basic facts. Can you show me where it hurts?” In this line, we see that the singer is referring to a currently active doctor, or someone who performs in the medical field. To be more precise, Pink Floyd is telling the listener that a doctor is trying to the aid someone who is suffering from an ambiguous form of pain. Although at first glance, this pain is often considered to be physical; Pink Floyd is also conveying said pain as emotional suffering. Understanding that the injury the singer is referring to is emotional distress, the doctor isn’t actually a doctor, but instead the drugs themselves. Because of this, we can see that Pink Floyd is metaphorically masking a drug addict’s self abusive habit as a doctor to patient relationship. Knowing this, Pink Floyd is ultimately describing this suffering and specific state of mind as “Comfortably …show more content…
Several examples of this concept can be found throughout the song. The first example of this is heard in the introduction of the song. When starting up the track, the first thing the listener hears is a melody created by the bass alongside the bass drum. The melody that is played throughout the beginning manages to drive the song into the first verse. Not only that, but this melody is quite atmospheric and mellow; cluing the listener into the ideology that the song’s message is thought provoking as well as unclear.
Another example of a key orchestral piece is found when the instrumental is playing alongside the chorus. In this section, the instrumental backs off and is used to not drive the song, but instead accent the lyrics. Ultimately, the instrumental can be viewed as a component of the song that was engineered around the lyrics.
Overall, “Comfortably Numb” is one of Pink Floyd’s most notable and timeless tracks. From the well crafted instrumental, to the underlying messages layered within the lyrics, “Comfortably Numb” ultimately ranks highly as some of Pink Floyd’s best