About The Song
“Another Brick in the Wall” is a three-part composition by the English rock band Pink Floyd, featured on their eleventh studio album, The Wall, released on November 30, 1979, by Harvest Records in the UK and Columbia Records in the US. The single version, “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2),” was released on November 23, 1979, with “One of My Turns” as the B-side. All parts were written by bassist Roger Waters. Production was handled by Bob Ezrin, David Gilmour, James Guthrie, and Roger Waters. Recording took place from April to November 1979 at various studios, including Britannia Row Studios in London, Super Bear Studios and Studio Miraval in France, CBS 30th Street Studio in New York, and Producers Workshop and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles. The single was Pink Floyd’s first in the UK since “Point Me at the Sky” in 1968 and their only UK No. 1 hit.
The single achieved significant chart success. It reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks starting March 22, 1980, and topped the Cash Box Top 100. In the UK, it debuted at No. 11 on December 8, 1979, and reached No. 1 on December 15, 1979, staying there for five weeks. Internationally, it hit No. 1 in Australia (ARIA), Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40), Canada (RPM Top Singles), Finland (Suomen virallinen lista), Germany (GfK), Ireland (IRMA), Israel, New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ), Norway (VG-lista), Portugal, South Africa (Springbok Radio), Sweden (Sverigetopplistan), and Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade). It peaked at No. 2 in Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders), Italy (Musica e Dischi), and Spain (PROMUSICAE), No. 3 in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40), No. 4 in the Netherlands (Single Top 100), and No. 5 in Denmark (Hitlisten). On year-end charts for 1980, it ranked No. 1 in Canada and Switzerland, No. 2 in Germany and the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 in the US Cash Box, No. 4 in Australia (Kent Music Report), No. 5 in New Zealand, No. 8 in South Africa, No. 12 in Italy, No. 44 in the Netherlands (Single Top 100), and No. 61 in the Netherlands (Dutch Top 40). All-time rankings include No. 146 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (1958–2018) and No. 104 on the UK Singles (OCC). Certifications include Platinum in Denmark (90,000 units), France (Gold, 500,000), Germany (Gold, 250,000), Italy (2× Platinum, 100,000), New Zealand (3× Platinum, 90,000), Spain (Platinum, 60,000), UK (Platinum, 1,146,548), and US (Physical Platinum, 1,000,000; Digital Gold, 500,000). Worldwide sales exceed 4 million copies.
The song’s creation was part of the concept album The Wall, which follows the character Pink’s life. “Part 2” draws from Roger Waters’ experiences with strict schooling, though not targeting specific teachers. Producer Bob Ezrin suggested adding a disco beat to make it radio-friendly and proposed using a children’s choir, recording 23 students from Islington Green School in London, overdubbed 12 times to simulate 276 voices. The choir was arranged by teacher Alun Renshaw without initial school permission, leading to complaints from the Inner London Education Authority. The students were paid £1,000 collectively in 1979, with additional royalties settled in 2004 after a lawsuit. Engineers Nick Griffiths and Rick Hart contributed to the disco rhythm without the band’s initial knowledge.
Additional production details include David Gilmour providing lead vocals, guitars, bass drum, and Prophet-5 synthesizer; Roger Waters on bass; Nick Mason on drums; and Richard Wright on Hammond organ. The track segues from “The Happiest Days of Our Lives,” with a helicopter sound effect. A promotional film was directed by Gerald Scarfe, featuring animated sequences. The song faced bans: in South Africa in 1980 after it was adopted as a protest anthem against racial inequalities in education, leading to a nationwide school boycott. In the UK, it was not banned by the BBC despite rumors. A 1990 live version by Roger Waters featuring Cyndi Lauper, recorded at the Berlin Wall concert on July 21, 1990, was released as a single on September 10, 1990. Covers include a 2004 version by Korn, which charted at No. 37 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks.
Trivia includes the single being Pink Floyd’s only US No. 1 hit. The phrase “another brick in the wall” originates from the album’s narrative of building a metaphorical wall of isolation. During live performances on The Wall Tour (1980–1981), a 40-foot wall was constructed onstage. The song has been used in films like The Faculty (1998) and sampled in tracks like Class of 99’s version. In 2012, Waters performed it at The Wall Live tour, and it was re-released in various compilations.
Video
Lyric
[Intro: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers, leave them kids alone
Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone![Chorus: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall
All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall[Verse: Islington Green School students]
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers, leave them kids alone
Hey! Teacher! Leave us kids alone![Chorus: Islington Green School students]
All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall
All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall[Outro]
Wrong, do it again! (Bang, bang)
Wrong, do it again! (Bang, bang)
If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding!
(Bang, bang)
How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?
(Bang, bang)
You! Yes, you behind the bike sheds, stand still, laddie!
(Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang)
(Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang)