'Hey Hey Rise Up', Pink Floyd's latest song, and their first one in almost 28 years is a special one. Featuring David Gilmour and Nick Mason along with Guy Pratt on bass and Nick Sawhney on keyboards, the song shows its support for Ukraine and condemns Russia for invading it.
According to Gilmour, the song is a "anger at a superpower invading a peaceful nation."
The track also features Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvnyuk from the band Boombox. Andriy ended his tour in the US and left for Kyiv when Russia invaded Ukraine. Three days later, he released a video of him singing 'The Red Viburnum in the Meadow.' According to the video, Pink Floyd has joined Andriy to "support his message of resistance."
The song holds special significance for Gilmour, as his daughter-in-law, artist Janina Pedan is born in Ukraine. In an interview with BBC, he has also expressed his displeasure about UK's involvement in the war, and that they could do more to support the country. He wants the refugees to be welcomed to the country without any bureaucracy-related issues. "My view would be to open the doors and sort of paperwork out later. But government doesn't seem to be following that way of thinking," he said.
Roger Waters, another member of Pink Floyd, does not feature in the video. He left the band in 1985 and has performed with them on rare occasions since, including the Live 8 concert in 2005.
(With inputs from BBC).
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