‘Comfortably Numb’ is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on their eleventh studio album, The Wall (1979). It was released as a single in 1980, with ‘Hey You’ as the B-side. This one of Pink Floyd's most popular songs, notable for its two guitar solos. In 2021, it was ranked number 179 on Rolling Stone's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2005, it became the last song ever performed by Waters, Gilmour, keyboardist Richard Wright, and drummer Nick Mason together. An early version was included on the 2012 Wall "Immersion Box Set". The song was covered by Scissor Sisters with a radically different arrangement, which was a UK top ten hit in 2004.
The music was composed by the guitarist, David Gilmour, while the lyrics were written by the bassist, Roger Waters, who based them on his experience of being injected with tranquilisers before a performance in 1977. Waters and Gilmour argued during the recording, with Waters preferring an orchestral arrangement and Gilmour preferring a more stripped-down arrangement. They compromised by combining both versions. Gilmour said the song was the last time he and Waters were able to work together constructively. The Wall is a concept album about an embittered and alienated rock star named Pink. In ‘Comfortably Numb’, Pink is medicated by a doctor so he can perform for a show.
‘Comfortably Numb’ originated in a wordless demo recorded by the guitarist, David Gilmour, while he was working on his debut solo album in 1978. He did not use the composition for that album, but kept it for future work. Waters' lyrics were inspired by his experience of being injected with tranquilisers for stomach cramps before a performance in 1977 during Pink Floyd's In the Flesh Tour. He said, "That was the longest two hours of my life, trying to do a show when you can hardly lift your arm." The song's working title was ‘The Doctor’. Producer Bob Ezrin looked at the completed lyrics and said they "just gave me goosebumps".
During The Wall Tour, where a giant wall was constructed across the stage during the performance, the song was performed with Roger Waters dressed as a doctor at the bottom of the wall, and David Gilmour singing and playing guitar from the top of the wall on a raised platform with spotlights shining from behind him. It was the first time the audience's attention was drawn to the top of the completed wall. According to Gilmour, the final solo was one of the few opportunities during those concerts that he was free to improvise completely. Gilmour said: “It was a fantastic moment, I can tell, to be standing up on there, and Roger's just finished singing his thing, and I'm standing there, waiting. I'm in pitch darkness and no one knows I'm there yet. And Roger's down and he finishes his line, I start mine and the big back spots and everything go on and the audience, they're all looking straight ahead and down, and suddenly there's all this light up there and they all sort of—their heads all lift up and there's this thing up there and the sound's coming out and everything. Every night there's this sort of "[gasp!]" from about 15,000 people. And that's quite something, let me tell you.”
Labels – Harvest (UK), Columbia (US)
Songwriters – David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Producers – Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James Guthrie, Roger Waters
SONG LYRICS
[Intro][Verse 1: Roger Waters]
Hello? (Hello, hello, hello)
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone home?
Come on (Come on, come on), now
I hear you're feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
And get you on your feet again
Relax (Relax, relax, relax)
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?
[Pre-Chorus 1: David Gilmour]
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move, but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child, I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
[Chorus: David Gilmour]
I have become comfortably numb
[Guitar Solo 1]
[Chorus: David Gilmour]
I have become comfortably numb
[Verse 2: Roger Waters]
Okay (Okay, okay, okay)
Just a little pinprick
There'll be no more
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up? (Stand up, stand up)
I do believe it's working, good
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on, it's time to go
[Pre-Chorus 2: David Gilmour]
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move, but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look, but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown, the dream is gone
[Chorus: David Gilmour]
I have become comfortably numb
[Guitar Solo 2]