It’s difficult to argue that Pink Floyd has had a significant impact on the rock genre. Since the English band’s debut album, 1967’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd has released several revolutionary and still-celebrated hits, including “Bike” (1967), “Money” (1973), “Wish You Were Here” (1975), and “Comfortably Numb” (1979).
“Comfortably Numb,” penned by David Gilmour and Roger Waters, was featured on Rolling Stone‘s ranking of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” The publication placed the track off the band’s acclaimed 11th album, The Wall, in the list’s 179th spot, complimenting Waters’ painful lyricism and Gilmour’s guitar skills.
In a 2011 interview with Absolute Radio, Waters noted that he and Gilmour had “a disagreement” about “Comfortably Numb” before it was released. He explained that he and the guitarist “had made a rhythm track” for the song, which he “loved.” However, Gilmour “thought it wasn’t precise enough rhythmically and recut the track.” According to Waters, when Gilmour showed him the recut track, he told his bandmate that he “hated” it. Waters clarified that he and Gilmour eventually came to a compromise about the iconic Pink Floyd song.
“In the end, the track that is on the record, the first verse is from the version I liked and the second verse is from the version he liked,” said Waters in the 2011 interview.
Roger Waters Has Theorized Why ‘Comfortably Numb’ Has Made Such an Impact on Listeners
Rolling Stone reported that Waters’ ordeal with doctor-prescribed tranquilizers to quell cramping in his stomach prior to having to go on stage led to him writing “Comfortably Numb.”
“He gave me a shot, and to this day I don’t know what it was. But it’s not something I would ever recommend giving to a human being. It came out of a dart that felt like it was used to tranquilize an elephant,” said Waters during a 2010 interview, per Rolling Stone.
In a 2024 interview on the Useful Idiots podcast, Waters acknowledged that fans have deeply identified with “Comfortably Numb” since its release in 1979. According to Waters, whether listeners realize it or not, the track is a reminder to treasure all emotions, even despair.
“I run into people all the time who go, ‘You changed my life.’ And they have no idea why they were moved by ‘Comfortably Numb’ or something or other. But they were. And even if they can’t articulate it, it’s nearly enough. ‘Comfortably Numb’ says, ‘If you have feelings, treasure them,'” said the bassist, now 83, during the 2024 podcast interview.