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"When the Tigers Broke Free" is a song by Roger Waters describing the death of his father, Eric Fletcher Waters, in World War II. The song was first released as a 7" single on July 26, 1982 and appeared in the film version of The Wall. The song first appeared in CD form on Pink Floyd's 2001 compilation album Echoes. The song also appears on the 2004 re-release of The Final Cut.
The song tells a version of the Anzio Campaign where British forces landed on the beaches near Anzio, Italy with the goal of eventually freeing Rome from German control. These forces included Company C of the Royal Fusiliers, of which Eric Waters was therein a member. As Waters tells it, the forward commander had asked to withdraw his forces from a German Tiger tanks assault but the generals refused and the line was held for the cost of a "few hundred ordinary lives". Eventually though the Tigers broke through the British defenses and killed most of Company C including Water's father.
In the second verse of the song, Waters describes how he found the death certificate from the British government among some old photographs, described as a note from King George in the form of a gold leaf scroll. Waters shows his resentment towards the British High Command when the lyrics mention the note had been marked with the King's "rubber stamp". A man lost his life serving his country, yet the British government seemed so indifferent by possibly having some peon of the King stamping the death certificate with the King's mark.
External link
- Lyrics (http://pinkfloydhyperbase.dk/albums/tigers.htm)
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