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“Sheep”, one of the three main songs of Pink Floyd’s 1977 concept album Animals, is a ferocious and satirical masterpiece that blends progressive rock complexity with sharp political commentary. Drawing loosely from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the song casts a bleak eye on conformity, control, and rebellion, packaging its themes in a sonic whirlwind of tension, aggression, and unsettling beauty.
The track begins deceptively serene - with Richard Wright’s electric piano laying down a peaceful pastoral mood, echoing the docile nature of its titular subject. But this calm is short-lived. As Roger Waters’ vocals emerge, distant and distorted, the song builds momentum, launching into a driving, rhythmic section propelled by David Gilmour’s chugging guitar riffs and Nick Mason’s precise drumming.
Lyrically, “Sheep” is Waters at his most acerbic. The song portrays the masses (the sheep) as blindly obedient, manipulated by authoritarian forces (the dogs and pigs, represented in other songs on the album). Waters’ biting reinterpretation of Psalm 23 - “The Lord is my shepherd.... he converteth me to lamb cutlets…” - injects dark humor into the narrative, mocking religious and social systems that placate the oppressed.
Musically, the track is one of Pink Floyd’s more aggressive works. Gilmour’s guitar solos are searing and chaotic, contrasting with the early tranquility and mirroring the growing unrest in the sheep’s rebellion. The instrumental passages stretch and evolve, showcasing the band’s talent for dynamic, long-form composition.
The song climaxes in an explosive uprising, but even in revolution, the tone remains cynical. The sheep may fight back, but the cycle of control and domination looms unresolved. The track ends in a swirl of synthesized bleats, returning listeners to the eerie calm from which it began, suggesting the system remains intact.
“Sheep” is a standout in Pink Floyd’s discography - not just for its musical ambition, but for its sharp critique of society’s power structures. As a main component of Animals, it drives home the album’s dystopian themes with chilling clarity. It’s progressive rock with teeth: sprawling, intense, and disturbingly relevant even many decades later.
The track begins deceptively serene - with Richard Wright’s electric piano laying down a peaceful pastoral mood, echoing the docile nature of its titular subject. But this calm is short-lived. As Roger Waters’ vocals emerge, distant and distorted, the song builds momentum, launching into a driving, rhythmic section propelled by David Gilmour’s chugging guitar riffs and Nick Mason’s precise drumming.
Lyrically, “Sheep” is Waters at his most acerbic. The song portrays the masses (the sheep) as blindly obedient, manipulated by authoritarian forces (the dogs and pigs, represented in other songs on the album). Waters’ biting reinterpretation of Psalm 23 - “The Lord is my shepherd.... he converteth me to lamb cutlets…” - injects dark humor into the narrative, mocking religious and social systems that placate the oppressed.
Musically, the track is one of Pink Floyd’s more aggressive works. Gilmour’s guitar solos are searing and chaotic, contrasting with the early tranquility and mirroring the growing unrest in the sheep’s rebellion. The instrumental passages stretch and evolve, showcasing the band’s talent for dynamic, long-form composition.
The song climaxes in an explosive uprising, but even in revolution, the tone remains cynical. The sheep may fight back, but the cycle of control and domination looms unresolved. The track ends in a swirl of synthesized bleats, returning listeners to the eerie calm from which it began, suggesting the system remains intact.
“Sheep” is a standout in Pink Floyd’s discography - not just for its musical ambition, but for its sharp critique of society’s power structures. As a main component of Animals, it drives home the album’s dystopian themes with chilling clarity. It’s progressive rock with teeth: sprawling, intense, and disturbingly relevant even many decades later.