2007 Interview with Roger Waters

I think this short interview with Roger Waters offers a bit of insight into the success and meaning behind The Dark Side of the Moon. It's amazing that it's been over 30 years since the release of the album, and people are still talking about it. Roger Waters comments on the timelessness of the album in the interview: "I think The Dark Side is a very interesting piece of work because successive generations seem to attach to it with equal enthusiasm." So how exactly has The Dark Side of the Moon lasted the test of time? Why is it so appealing to such wide audiences? Roger Waters says, "In terms of its politics and philosophy, it kind of gives people, when they're young, permission to think for themselves, in a way." This is a theme evident in several tracks on the album, from "Breathe" to "Time," illustrating the progressive values of individuality and autonomy. Waters's message is similar to the punk Do-It-Yourself ethic. At the same time, however, the punk movement seems to value the group over the individual. This idea is also seen on DSOTM with tracks like "Us And Them," which encourage people to come together by pointing out our collective failure to connect with one another. Roger Waters once said in a different interview that "Us And Them" is about "the political idea of humanism."*

*"A variety of ethical theory and practice that emphasizes reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God."