Editing Animals (Pink Floyd album) (section)

==Concept==
Loosely based on [[George Orwell]]'s political fable ''[[Animal Farm]]'', the album's lyrics describe various classes in society as different kinds of animals: the predatory dogs, the despotic ruthless pigs, and the "mindless and unquestioning” herd of sheep.<ref name="Schaffnerp199">{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|p=199}}</ref> Whereas the novella focuses on [[Stalinism]], the album is a critique of [[capitalism]] and differs again in that the sheep eventually rise up to overpower the dogs.<ref name="Schaffnerp199"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Blake|2008|pp=241–242}}</ref> The album was developed from a collection of unrelated songs into a concept which, in the words of author Glenn Povey, "described the apparent social and moral decay of society, likening the human condition to that of mere animals".<ref>{{Harvnb|Povey|2007|p=200}}</ref>

The album is also in part a response to the [[punk rock]] movement,<ref>{{citation |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3rJxPYT32MC&pg=PA610 |author1=Browne, Pat |title=The guide to United States popular culture |chapter=Pink Floyd |page=610 |date=15 June 2001 |publisher=Popular Press |isbn=978-0-87972-821-2}}</ref> which grew in popularity as a [[nihilistic]] statement against the prevailing social and political conditions, and in response to the complacency and nostalgia that appeared to surround rock music.  Pink Floyd were a target for punk musicians, notably [[Johnny Rotten]] of the [[Sex Pistols]], who wore a Pink Floyd T-shirt on which the words "I hate" had been written in ink. Rotten since said this was a joke; he was a fan of several progressive rock bands, including [[Magma (band)|Magma]] and [[Van der Graaf Generator]].  Mason later said he welcomed the "punk rock insurrection" as a return to the underground scene from which Pink Floyd originated.  In 1977, Mason produced [[The Damned (band)|the Damned]]'s second album, ''[[Music for Pleasure (The Damned album)|Music for Pleasure]]'', at Britannia Row, after they failed to entice the retired [[Syd Barrett]] to the role.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schaffner|1991|pp=194–196}}</ref>

{{listen | pos = right | filename = Pink floyd pigs.ogg | title = "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" | description = The "[[Pigs (Three Different Ones)|Pigs]]" on ''Animals'' represent the people whom Waters viewed as being at the top of the social ladder | format = [[Ogg]]}}
In his 2008 book ''Comfortably Numb'', [[Mark Blake (writer)|Mark Blake]] argues that "[[Dogs (Pink Floyd song)|Dogs]]" contains some of Gilmour's finest work; although he sings only one lead vocal, his performance is "explosive".<ref name="Blakep243">{{Harvnb|Blake|2008|p=243}}</ref> The song also contains notable contributions from Wright, which echo the synthesiser sounds used on ''Wish You Were Here''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Shea|2009|p=94}}</ref>

"[[Pigs (Three Different Ones)]]" is similar to "[[Have a Cigar]]", with bluesy guitar fills and elaborate bass lines.  Of the song's three pigs, the only one directly identified is the morality campaigner [[Mary Whitehouse]], who is described as a "house-proud town mouse".<ref name="Blakepp243244">{{Harvnb|Blake|2008|pp=243–244}}</ref>

"[[Sheep (Pink Floyd song)|Sheep]]" contains a modified version of [[Psalm 23]], which continues the traditional "the Lord is my shepherd" with words like "he maketh me to hang on hooks in high places and converteth me to lamb cutlets". Towards the end of the song, the sheep rise up, kill the dogs and retire to their homes. Wright played the introduction unaccompanied on the [[electric piano]], but did not receive a writing credit.<ref>{{Harvnb|Shea|2009|p=91}}</ref>

The album is bookended by each half of "[[Pigs on the Wing]]", a simple love song in which a glimmer of hope is offered despite the anger expressed in the other songs. Described by the author Andy Mabbett as "in stark contrast to the heavyweight material between them",<ref>{{Harvnb|Mabbett|1995|p=70}}</ref> the halves were influenced by Waters' relationship with his then wife.<ref name="Blakepp243244"/><ref name="Mabbettpp7071">{{Harvnb|Mabbett|1995|pp=70–71}}</ref>