Of all the legendary English bands founded in the 1960s, of which there are countless, probably the most unique and original is Pink Floyd. The band belongs to one of the first British psychedelic groups, over time they became one of the leading groups in that genre, while today they are considered as perhaps the greatest progressive rock band of all time.
Founded in 1965, the band managed to release studio albums in 5 different decades. However, it is undeniable that the band was at its peak during the 1970s. During that decade, the band released seven studio albums, five of which, “Meddle” (1971), “Dark side of The Moon” (1973), “Wish you were here (1975), “Animals” (1977) and “The Wall (1979) are considered to be their best offerings and are their best selling and most critically acclaimed albums.
One consistent line-up comprising four musicians is responsible for the creation of these albums. Those musicians are David Gilmour (guitar, vocals), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals), Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals) and Nick Mason (drums).
It goes without saying that the charts of all four members of the band are very interesting and worthy of thorough analysis.
One can marvel at the big trine present in the chart of Nick Mason between Sun in Aquarius, Mars and Uranus in Gemini and Neptune in Libra or the big conjunction of Sun, Jupiter and Pluto in Leo with all three planets being in sextile with Uranus in Gemini in the chart of Richard Wright.
It is also hard not to notice the emphasis on the water element in the chart of David Gilmour who, with the Scorpio ASC, Mars and Saturn in Cancer and especially Sun and Venus in Pisces, is known for his slow, soulful, lyrical playing style, unique tone and ability to bring emotion to every note he plays on the guitar.
When comparing the charts of all four members of the band, it is interesting that each contains a certain connection of the Sun and Uranus, which should not be surprising considering that Pink Floyd is regarded as one of the biggest and most successful (Sun) progressive (Uranus) bands of all time. Also, three of four band members have Jupiter in Leo, which explains why the band is noted for their theatrical (Leo) live performances (Leo), big (Jupiter) stages (Leo) and pioneering use of lighting (Leo).
However, the focus of this essay will be on the fourth member of the band, Roger Waters, who was the band’s primary lyricist. The reason is simple. Although it is possible to analyze the charts of musicians who are instrumentalists and try to determine and explain why, for example, a drummer plays the way he plays and has that certain authentic groove, or why a guitar player has that characteristic tone by which we immediately recognize him and why his style and technique as they are, it is, on the one hand, very difficult to do and, on the other, even if it is possible, reasons and arguments that can be used to explain a musicians style, tone and technique will always feel insufficient and unconvincing.
But what is actually possible is analyzing the lyrics of band’s songs and determining and understanding why the lyricist wrote them. The reason why this is possible is that the words used and themes explored in songs have more direct, definite and understandable meaning that can easily be linked to the meanings of the planets and their placements in particular signs.
Roger Waters is generally regarded as one of the greatest rock and roll lyricist and it is understandable why given the way his chart looks. In the first place, his Sun is placed in the sign of Virgo and is in exact conjunction with Venus on the 12° of that sign. This conjunction already describes someone who is a creator (Sun) of music (Venus) but we should not forget that Virgo, as a sign whose ruler is Mercury, is primarily a human, intellectual and very critical sign. Furthermore, three other planets- Mars, Uranus and Saturn- are placed in the other Mercury-ruled sign, Gemini. Therefore, 5 of the 10 planets in his chart are placed in these two particular signs. Although these two signs are very different, there are certain commonalities between them. Both signs are highly rational, intellectual, logical, communicative, eloquent, tend to have great command of language and are very able and willing to express themselves through words, both verbally and through writing and in both poetry and prose. Of course, this does not mean that these talents are denied to other signs, but simply that for people with an emphasis on these two signs, the ability to express themselves creatively through writing is something most natural, almost like breathing.
In addition to the emphasis on these two signs, it is also important whether their ruler, Mercury, has significant dignity and what aspects it forms towards other planets. In Roger Waters chart, Mercury is placed in the artistic sign of Libra (which is significant since the air element is always its most preferable position) and forms numerous and exclusively harmonious aspects towards other planets. Already its conjunction with Neptune is conducive for poetic expression, but Mercury is furthermore in sextiles with Pluto and Jupiter and in trine towards Mars and Uranus.
These aspects show why Waters is not your typical rock lyricist who writes about love, broken hearts and partying but a rather serious thinker who explores some deep, philosophical and sociological themes. Some songs deal, understandably, with political (Libra) themes, some with madness, isolation, loneliness (Neptune), some tackles the subject of war (Mars), others the themes of freedom, rebellion, revolt against authorities (Uranus).
As the band’s primary, and from one period onwards, sole lyricist, Waters, as one might expect, wrote a large number of songs, and an analysis of them all would require a comprehensive book. For the purpose of this essay, the focus will be on two very popular songs from the band’s two best-selling albums, not only because his horoscope shows why he wrote those songs, but also when he wrote them.
Considering the already mentioned positions and aspects of the planets from his chart, one could assume that the planet Saturn does not play a particularly important role, since with its position at the 25° of Gemini it does not form any important aspects with other planets except for a rather wider square with the Sun and Venus. On the contrary, Saturn plays a very important role in his chart (probably because, given the unknown time of his birth, Saturn is either the ruler of the ASC or is in one of the angular houses) since he wrote two songs that will be discussed during a very noticeable transits of this planet.
First song is from one of the most influential albums anyone has ever released.
The band’s most critically acclaimed and successful album, the seminal “The Dark Side of the Moon” album was recorded during 1972 and was released on March 1th, 1973. It brought Pink Floyd international fame, wealth and plaudits to all four band members. The album became one of the best-selling albums of all time and is in the top 25 of a list of best-selling albums in the United States. It is certified 14 times platinum in the United Kingdom and remained in the Billboard 200 album chart for 736 nonconsecutive weeks (from 17 March 1973 to 16 July 1988). As of 2013, The Dark Side of the Moon has sold over 45 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album of the 1970s and the fourth best-selling album in history.
The lyrical themes explored on the album were conceived by Roger Waters and “Dark Side of the Moon” is the first Pink Floyd album for which he wrote all lyrics. In 2003 documentary about the making of this album, guitarist David Gilmour stated that “the big move forward on Dark side of the Moon was Roger’s coming of age lyrically and having the ideas and intelligence to take a subject and examine it in all its parts in all those different songs”.
What is significant is that during the recording and release of this album, Roger Waters was, along with two other band members, Nick Mason and Richard Wright, in his 29th year of life. As is known, it is the period of life when planet Saturn completes its cycle and returns to its natal position.
The period of life when Saturn returns to its natal sign between the ages 27-30 is very important. It marks the definitive end of youth and beginning of adulthood and is, therefore, our coming of age. It is often a very critical stage of life because Saturn forces us to grow up and take full responsibility for our lives.
Another significance of this planet’s return is that it changes our perception and attitude towards time. Before Saturn’s return, our relationship to time is very simple – it is something that is in front of us. The future is all that matters. Although we have and are aware of our past when we are in our teens and twenties, that past is short, negligible and, most importantly, does not weigh us down. Everything changes with Saturn’s return. Now, for the first time, we are not only aware of our past, but it begins to weigh on us. From this moment we begin to look back on our lives and this is something we will do more and more often as we get older, while in the end it is the only thing we can and will do. Therefore, Saturn’s return is the birthplace of all our nostalgic memories and regrets and the beginning of our race against time that we are destined to lose.
The way this return of Saturn in Gemini in the chart of Roger Waters was reflected in the songs on the album is very interesting. First three songs on the album, although not very substantial lyrically (two of them are actually instrumentals) have, nevertheless, very conspicuous titles. When it is borne in mind that the Gemini is the air sign which symbolizes, among other things, speaking, breathing and walking/running, it is interesting that the titles of these three songs are “Speak to me”, “Breath (In the air)” and “On the run”.
The fourth song on the album is, on the contrary, very substantial when lyrics are concerned and it deals with the most characteristic Saturnian theme imaginable, which is of course, “Time”. Given its title, it’s only fitting that this song begins with ringing of dozens of clocks (Saturn).
The lyrics of this song are as follows:
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown
Waiting for someone or something to show you the wayTired of lying in the sunshine, staying home to watch the rain
You are young and life is long, and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gunAnd you run, and you run to catch up with the sun but it’s sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to deathEvery year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to sayHome, home again
I like to be here when I can
And when I come home cold and tired
It’s good to warm my bones beside the fireFar away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells
Considering that the song deals with the theme of time, it is not surprising that the text is full of various Saturnian terms (ticking away, moments, dull, fritter, waste, waiting, tired, staying, long, behind, sinking, again, older, never, naught, desperation, gone, over, cold, bones, tolling, bell, knees).
But what is most impressive is that Waters managed to express in just four stanzas, each comprising four verses, with an economy and choice of words that perhaps only Virgo is capable of, the attitude we have towards time in two different periods of life.
The first two stanzas depict our relationship towards time when we are young or, more precisely, kids. During that period of life, we are mostly at home or playing in the neighborhood (‘kicking around on a piece of ground in your hometown’) and since we have no responsibilities, we have plenty of time (‘you are young and life is long’). Consequently, we are often bored (‘ticking away the moments that make up a dull day’), we don’t know what to spend our time on, so we often waste it (‘fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way’). All the while, we are in search of guidance from someone to prepare us for real life that is ahead of us (‘waiting for someone or something to show you the way’).
The last two verses of the second stanza describe what happens in our 20’s when we realize we are not kids anymore and that significant amount of time is already behind us (‘and then one day you find ten years have got behind you’) and that, if we didn’t figure out by than who we are and what we want to do, we are in trouble (‘no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun’).
The third and fourth stanzas, on the other hand, describe our perception of time when we get older. During that period time seems to pass very quickly, we have too many responsibilities and have little to no time for anything (‘every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time’). It seems like we are in a constant race with time and with every year that passes we are “shorter of breath and one day closer to death”. We become painfully aware that many of the plans and goals we set for ourselves in our youth have not been realized (‘plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines’). In the end, when on our death beds we look back at our lives, we know that we didn’t realize and manifested our full potential and will never reach some meaningful resolution (‘the time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say’).
It is unquestionable that this song is a masterpiece, both musically and lyrically.
The only question worth asking is whether it is a coincidence that a songwriter who has Saturn in Gemini in his chart reached full maturity (Saturn) as a lyricist (Gemini) just in the period of Saturn’s return to his natal sign and that, right in that fateful 29th year of his life, wrote a song that explores the nature and influence of time (Saturn) on our lives.
In one interview, when asked about the writing of this song, Waters stated: “I had the strangest feeling growing up-and I know a lot of people share this- that childhood and adolescence and one’s early adult life are preparing for something that’s going to happen later. I suddenly thought at 29, hang on, it’s happening, it has been right from the beginning, and there isn’t suddenly a line when the training stops and life begins”.
Better explanation of the meaning of Saturn’s return by someone who is not an Astrologer and who (probably) knows nothing about this astrological occurrence, is hard to find.
Pink Floyd is not the only band whose members felt the need to compose songs and write lyrics on the subject of time when they were in that crucial age between 27 and 30 years old. 13 years after the release of “Dark side of the Moon” another legendary English band, heavy metal giants Iron Maiden, released their 6th studio album “Somewhere in time” on 29. 9 .1986. Although the band never intended for it to be a concept album, “space and time” are common themes throughout the release.
Three songs of the album, “Caught somewhere in time”, “Wasted years” and “Deja-vu” explore the subject of time most directly. All songs on the album were written by bassist Steve Harris or guitarist Adrian Smith, while guitarist Dave Murray co-wrote song “Deja-vu” with Steve Harris.
At the time of album’s release, Steve Harris was in his 30th year of life, while Adrian Smith and Dave Murray were both in their 29th year of life.
So, the album was released during Saturn’s transit through the sign of Sagittarius, which is its placement in natal charts of all three band members.
The reason why both time and space are common themes throughout the release is also because of Saturn’s (time) placement in Sagittarius, which is a fire sign and, as is known, fire element and its three signs corresponds to space and its three dimensions.
Two years after “Dark Side of The Moon” Pink Floyd released another incredible album “Wish You Were Here“, which contains songs that could only be written by someone who has in his horoscope exactly those certain positions and aspects of the planets that Roger Waters has. “Shine on You Crazy diamond”, a tribute to their past band member Syd Barret who left the band seven years earlier due to his deteriorating mental health because of drug abuse, is a song that could only be written by someone with Mercury conjunct Neptune in their horoscope, while songs “Welcome to the machine” and “Have a cigar” are, lyrically, covert but quite obvious criticisms (Virgo) of music (Venera) industry (Virgo).
The next album, “Animals”, loosely based on George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, which lyrics describe various classes in society as different kinds of animals: the predatory dogs, the despotic ruthless pigs, and the “mindless and unquestioning” herd of sheep, might be the most brutal critique of not only society or capitalism, but of human nature in general. The song “Dogs” might be, lyrically, the greatest achievement of Roger Waters as member of Pink Floyd.
However, the second songs I want to focus on comes from bend’s next album which is their second best-selling album and which is considered to be one of the best rock operas ever created, the album with pretty obvious Saturnian title- “The Wall”.
The idea for the album was conceived during the “In the Flesh” tour on which the bend promoted their previous album. By the end of that tour, Waters became very frustrated feeling the audience was not listening and that many were too far away to see the band. After the final date at the Montreal Olympic Stadium Waters spoke with producer Bob Ezrin and Ezrin’s psychiatrist friend about the alienation and despair he was experiencing. He articulated his desire to isolate himself by constructing a wall across the stage between the band and the audience. Thus, the concept for the next album was conceived.
How appropriate it is, from astrological perspective, that a musician, due to frustration (Saturn) he was feeling because of alienation (Saturn) and despair (Saturn) he was experiencing, come to the idea to construct a wall (Saturn) between the band and the audience.
Again, Waters wrote all the lyrics for the album which is to a large extent autobiographical since most of the themes explored on it come from his personal experiences.
Three songs from the album were released as singles. One of those songs is not only one of their most popular, but also the only song that reached number one on both UK and US charts. That song is “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”.
Although musically brilliant and with distinct and memorable vocal melody, this song is in no way, shape or form the most impressive lyrical achievement of Roger Waters. There are many other songs of this album alone that are far more substantial and complex. This song, after all, is very short consisting of only seven verses. But, on the other hand, I know of no other song which, almost word for word, expresses the meaning of one single planet placed in one particular sign, namely, Saturn in Gemini.
As a criticism of educational system in England in the 1950’s, more specifically, the way certain teachers treated children in schools, it is understandable from Waters chart why he wrote this song. With three malefic planets placed in the sign of Gemini (primary education, school), especially with Mars and Saturn in that sign, it is to be expected he might carry bad memories (Saturn) from that period of life and that he felt a great deal of hate (Mars), revolt (Uranus) and resentment (Saturn) towards teachers for the way they treated children. And just as in previous example, he managed to express those sentiments in the most succinct way possible, in just seven lines.
The lyrics of “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” are as follows:
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers, leave them kids aloneHey, teachers, leave them kids alone
All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall
All in all, you’re just another brick in the wallHere are the lyrics of this song with added astrological translation.
We don’t (Saturn) need no (Saturn) education (Gemini)
We don’t (Saturn) need no (Saturn) thought (Gemini) control (Saturn)
No (Saturn) dark (Saturn) sarcasm (Saturn) in the classroom (Gemini)
Teachers, leave (Saturn) them kids (Gemini) aloneHey, teachers, leave (Saturn) them kids (Gemini) alone
All in all, it’s just another (Gemini) brick (Saturn) in the wall (Saturn)
All in all, you’re just another (Gemini) brick (Saturn) in the wall (Saturn)
As stated in the introduction, I focused on two songs from two albums not only because it is understandable from his chart why Waters wrote them, but also when he wrote them.
So, just like the album “Dark Side of The Moon” and, therefore, song “Time” were recorded and released during Saturn’s transit through the sign of Gemini, which was its return to a sign in which it is placed in Roger’s natal chart, “The Wall” and, therefore, song “Another Brick in the Wall” were recorded during Saturn’s transit through the sign of Virgo. During the recording of the album Saturn transited across his Sun and Venus, while at the day of album’s release on November 30th, 1979, Saturn was on 25° of Virgo, in exact square toward Saturn’s natal position on 25° of Gemini.
Accordingly, during its return to his natal sign, Waters became aware what Saturn, at the most basic level, represents in itself and what influence it has on the lives of all of us as the “God of Time”, while during its transit through his Sun sign, it made him aware of his influence on an individual (Sun) level. In a way, it forced (Saturn) him to make a retrospective (Saturn) of his whole life (Sun) in order to realize how bad experiences and traumas, brick by brick, made him to build a figurative wall (Saturn) around himself.
Unfortunately for the band, Saturn doesn’t symbolize only time and walls. It also symbolizes endings. Consequently, “The Wall” is the last Pink Floyd album to feature the band as a quartet. Soon after the album’s release Richard Wright was fired and after the release of the next album, the group disbanded. Ironically, the band reformed a couple of years later as a trio and this time, the one member missing was Roger Waters himself.
There is a reason why Saturn is considered as the “Greater malefic”.
