What Shall We Do Now
Pink Floyd · Other Songs - Pink Floyd
Where waves of hunger roar?
Shall we set out across the sea of faces
In search of more and more applause?
Shall we buy a new guitar?
Shall we drive a more powerful car?
Shall we work straight through the night?
Shall we get into fights?
Leave the lights on?
Drop bombs?
Do tours of the east?
contract diseases?
Bury bones?
Break up homes?
Send flowers by phone?
Take to drink?
Go to shrinks?
Give up meat?
Rarely sleep?
Keep people as pets?
Train dogs?
Race rats?
Fill the attic with cash?
Bury treasure?
Store up leisure?
But never relax at all
With our backs to the wall.
What Shall We Do Now
Released as a standalone single in 1973, "What Shall We Do Now" stands as a pivotal moment in Pink Floyd's early discography, marking a distinct shift from their psychedelic rock roots toward a more polished, progressive sound. Recorded during the sessions that would eventually yield the landmark album *The Dark Side of the Moon*, the track features the band's signature layered guitars and synthesizers, yet it lacks the dense studio production of its later work. The song serves as a poignant reflection on the pressures of fame and the uncertainty of the future, themes that would become central to their subsequent narratives. As a standalone release, it demonstrated the band's ability to craft a complete musical statement without the backing of a full album, showcasing their evolving songwriting and production capabilities during a transformative period in their career.