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Rock icons Pink Floyd call on people to rise up for Ukraine

Rock icons Pink Floyd call on people to rise up for Ukraine

Gary Gershoff / Contributor / Getty Images
The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumApr 18, 2022
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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Pink Floyd, the English rock band formed in London in 1965, distinguished themselves with sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics and live shows that thrilled audiences around the world.

They are back in the news today, as 75-year-old guitarist David Gilmore has brought the band together to perform the Ukrainian song “Hey Hey Rise Up” to help raise money to support Ukraine.

“There will be no winners in this war,” the 75-year-old guitarist wrote. “My daughter-in-law is Ukrainian and my grand-daughters want to visit and know their beautiful country. Stop this before it is all destroyed.”

Pink Floyd «Hey Hey Rise Up» с участием Андрея Хлывнюка (2022) Новости Украины

Легендарная рок-группа Pink Floyd выпустила новую песню — «Hey Hey Rise Up» («Эй, эй, вставай») в поддержку украинского народа. В записи использовали вокал у...


A Ukrainian citizen listening to the song from Kharkiv said this:

“Right now I'm listening to this song, and outside the window there are air raid alerts and explosions. It is a combination of music and war. Could I have thought as a child when I bought your first CD that this is possible? That a legend like you will play music in support of my country, and I will listen to it and hide from missiles. Of course not. Thank you very much for supporting Ukraine. (Sorry for my bad language, my english is bad)”

Despite their international fame, the members of Pink Floyd cannot win the war – but they can make a difference. A citizen from Finland said this:

“I don’t speak one word of Ukrainian, but I can sing this song. Lave Ukraini we Finns stand with you”

These powerful lyrics from Hey Hey Rise Up resonate for millions around the world:

When the silence isn't quiet
And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe
And I know you feel like dying
But I promise we'll take the world to its feet
And move mountains
Bring it to its feet
And move mountains
And I'll rise up


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At a time when many Americans are retreating into rigid identities, Dolly Parton has been one of the few public figures able to speak to every corner of America. She had appeal across the board, no matter whether people were from the rural areas, the cities, the evangelical groups, or the gay community. She was not simply loved; she was trusted too. And in these deeply polarized times we are living in, trust is in desperately short supply.

For sixty years, Dolly Parton has stood as an example of the kind of pluralism based on dignity that our politics has lost and that many people have sadly rejected. She never preached her beliefs and seldom, if at all, talked about politics. Instead, she showed through her life how one can respect one's roots without using them as weapons. Dolly welcomed diversity without fear, and built bridges without ever giving a speech on bridge-building. Because she lived out the beliefs she sang about, she became one of America's most effective advocates for dignity.

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