"Sheep" is a song by the English band Pink Floyd. It was released on the album Animals in 1977. It was originally titled "Raving and Drooling".

[edit] History

During their tours in 1974, Pink Floyd played three new songs in the first half of the shows, followed by The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. Those three new songs were "You Gotta Be Crazy" (which would later become "Dogs"), "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "Raving And Drooling".

During performances of "Raving And Drooling" a recording of a DJ at BBC Radio called Jimmy Young was played after being cut up and reassembled randomly. This was Waters' idea of a man "raving and drooling" (or being insane). The lyrics of the song at this point were quite different from the ones that were to become "Sheep" [1]. "Raving and Drooling" was originally a more jam based song, containing fewer lyrics.

Both "You Gotta Be Crazy" and "Raving And Drooling" were originally planned to be on the album following the tour (Wish You Were Here), but the plans were changed and they both ended up in different forms on Animals.

In live versions from 1977, backing guitarist Snowy White played bass guitar as Roger Waters shared electric guitar duties with David Gilmour. The performance was almost identical to the album version except that after the ending it would give way to a slower ending with Richard Wright playing an organ solo.

[edit] Psalm 23

Starting at 6:27 and ending at 7:08, a parody of Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd...") is spoken in the background by means of a vocoder, with the words changed to suit the subject of the song.

Originally (during live shows) this was performed by Nick Mason, but on the album this was done by an anonymous roadie.

The lyrics spoken in the background are:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me down to lie, Through pastures green, He leadeth me the silent waters by. With bright knives, He releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places. He converteth me to lamb cutlets. For lo! He hath great power and great hunger. When cometh the day we lowly ones, Through quiet reflection and great dedication, Master the art of karate, Lo! we shall rise up And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water."

[edit] Credits

• Roger Waters — Music, lyrics, vocals, rhythm guitar, tape and electronic effects, vocoder
• David Gilmour — Lead guitar, bass guitar, ARP Quadra synthesizer
• Richard Wright — Fender-Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, ARP String Synthesizer, Minimoog synthesizer
• Nick Mason — Drums, tape effects

Recorded April, May and July 1976 at the band's own Britannia Row Studios, Islington, London.

(Fitch, Vernon (2005). The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). ISBN 1-894959-24-8. )

[edit] Quotes

David Gilmour, 1998, to Karl Coryat, "Bass Player"

[edit] Cover versions

• Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade's covers the entire Animals album on their Live Frogs Set 2 release.

[edit] References