The struggle of not being with friends and loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic is being felt by many, including musicians. Roger Waters is one of them, and on Sunday (May 17), he shared his thoughts about the situation.
“Social distancing is a necessary evil in Covid world,” tweeted the Pink Floyd co-founder, who wrote, sang and played bass before leaving in 1985. “Watching ‘Mother’ reminds me just how irreplaceable the joy of being in a band is.”
Included with the tweet was a socially distanced performance of Pink Floyd’s “Mother” off the legendary band’s 1979 album, The Wall, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1980 and spent 154 weeks on the chart. The black-and-white video kicks off with Waters, 76, sitting alone in a studio and playing his guitar. As he plays, members of his touring band appear in clips from their own homes and studios to perform.
Waters, who has been outspoken about politics, made a quiet statement during the clip. After singing the lyric “Mother should I trust the government,” the musician appears to mouth “no f–king way.”
Like other musicians around the world, Waters postponed his summer shows in the wake of COVID-19. “The bad news is: I’ve had to postpone my tour until next year,” he said in a press release about his “This Is Not a Drill Tour” of North America in March. “Bummer, but if it saves lives, it’s worth it.”
