45 years ago (23 June 1980), Pink Floyd released "Comfortably Numb", their U.K.-platinum third single from The Wall, Roger Waters' double-album rock opera about growing alienation between a singer and his audience. Decades later, it became the last song ever performed by the group's classic-era lineup. In both its original studio release and all subsequent live versions, Comfortably Numb has since received unanimous acclaim from music critics and many high-profile musicians following the release of its parent album, The Wall, at the end of November 1979, and has gone on to become universally recognized as one of the greatest songs of all time and as one of Pink Floyd’s definitive works, as a band.
"Comfortably Numb" is one of Pink Floyd's most popular songs and is notable for its two guitar solos. In 2021, it was ranked number 179 on Rolling Stone's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2005, it became the last song ever performed by Waters, Gilmour, keyboardist Richard Wright and drummer Nick Mason together at Live 8.
In 2011, the song was ranked fifth in the BBC Radio 4's listeners' Desert Island Discs choices. Gilmour's solo was rated the fourth best guitar solo of all time by Guitar World, in a reader poll. In August 2006, it was voted the greatest guitar solo of all time in a poll by listeners of the radio station Planet Rock. Gilmour's guitar tone in the song was named best guitar sound by Guitarist in November 2010. The two guitar solos were ranked as the greatest guitar solos of all time by Planet Rock listeners. In 2017, Billboard and Paste both ranked the song number four on their lists of the greatest Pink Floyd songs.
Hello
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone at home?
Come on now
I hear you're feeling down
Well, I can ease your pain
Get you on your feet again
Relax
I'll need some information first
Just the basic facts
Can you show me where it hurts?
There is no pain, you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I've got that feeling once again
I can't explain, you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb
I have become comfortably numb
O.K.
Just a little pin prick
There'll be no more ah!
But you may feel a little sick
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working, good
That'll keep you going through the show
Come on, it's time to go
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb