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Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2

Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2

Pink Floyd

From the album

The Wall (1979)

Written by

Roger Waters

Key:D Dorian
Duration:5:43

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At a glance

Key
D Dorian
Time signature
4/4
Main progression
i–IV–VII–III
Chords used
F · C · Dm · Dm7 · G

Summary

Serving as the centerpiece of the 1979 rock opera 'The Wall,' this track is a definitive masterpiece of progressive rock and social rebellion. It famously combines a disco-influenced beat with a haunting children's choir to deliver a sharp indictment of authoritative discipline.

Progressive RockProtest SongClassic RockArt RockPsychedelic Rock

Musical Analysis

The song's harmonic identity is defined by the D Dorian mode, specifically the movement from Dm to G major. This avoids the 'darker' Aeolian sound of a Bb chord and instead uses the B natural of the IV chord to create a more driving, rock-oriented tension. The…

History

Written by Roger Waters, the song is a three-part protest against the rigid and abusive British boarding school system. Part 2, the most famous section, specifically targets 'thought control' and 'dark sarcasm in the classroom.' It was originally a short verse…

“The children from Islington Green School were initially not paid, though they later received a platinum record and small royalty payments in the 2000s.”

Full musical analysis

The song's harmonic identity is defined by the D Dorian mode, specifically the movement from Dm to G major. This avoids the 'darker' Aeolian sound of a Bb chord and instead uses the B natural of the IV chord to create a more driving, rock-oriented tension. The solo section heavily utilizes D minor pentatonic and blues scales over a static Dm7 groove, emphasizing the rhythmic pocket over complex chord changes.

Written by Roger Waters, the song is a three-part protest against the rigid and abusive British boarding school system. Part 2, the most famous section, specifically targets 'thought control' and 'dark sarcasm in the classroom.' It was originally a short verse and chorus, but producer Bob Ezrin suggested expanding it with a disco-influenced beat and a second verse performed by school children to make it more commercially viable.

Serving as the centerpiece of the 1979 rock opera 'The Wall,' this track is a definitive masterpiece of progressive rock and social rebellion. It famously combines a disco-influenced beat with a haunting children's choir to deliver a sharp indictment of authoritative discipline.

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Song DNA

Genre

Progressive Rock

Era

70s

Mood

Defiant

Tempo

Mid-tempo

Key

Minor

Texture

Full Band

Sound

Guitar-driven

Feel

Groovy

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Listen & Learn

Statistics

1.7M

Plays

290K

Listeners

1.3M

Genius Views

15

Annotations

100%

Popularity

5:43

Duration

4/4

Time

Credits

Written by

Roger Waters

Produced by

Roger WatersDavid GilmourBob Ezrin

From the album The Wall