Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
| "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Pink Floyd | |
| from the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn | |
| Released | 5 August 1967 |
| Recorded | 20 March 1967 |
| Genre | Psychedelic rock |
| Length | 3:05 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | Syd Barret |
| Producer(s) | Norman Smith |
"Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1967 album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. This was the first song Roger Waters wrote for Pink Floyd. All of the songs on the album were written or co-written by Syd Barrett, except for this one. The song takes place in a hospital setting where the patient is in a great deal of pain. The lyrics don't make much sense, which could simulate the delirious condition of the patient.[1]
Music and lyrics
This song was Roger Waters' debut songwriting credit, continually building in speed until the end and featuring frantic guitar playing by Syd Barrett and manic keyboard parts by Richard Wright. The song's title is a reference to John 5:8—"Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk".[1] Its morbid lyrics are quite unlike anything else on the album, the rest of which was penned by Barrett, but is characteristic of much of Waters' work; the clinical motif would recur in compositions like "Free Four" and "Comfortably Numb". Similarly, "Sheep", contains more Biblical quotations adapted by Waters to fit the song.
The song parallels the title track to Waters' 1992 solo album Amused to Death by beginning with the phrase "Doctor, Doctor."
Personnel
- Roger Waters – bass guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Syd Barrett – electric guitars, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Nick Mason – drums, timpani
- Richard Wright – Farfisa organ, piano
- ^ a b Songfacts. "Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk by Pink Floyd - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Retrieved 2021-09-25.