On the second installment of Prine Time’s conversation with Pink Floyd’s co-founder Roger Waters, they talk about political divisiveness, his relationship with John Prine, the beauty of humanity and more.
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As host Billy Prine puts it, Waters is simply a “spirited individual” and with such a diverse array of experiences accrued throughout his life, it would be hard not to be.
Because this interview was recorded in December of last year during all of the controversy surrounding the election, it didn’t take long for the conversation to turn political. As a spirited individual, Waters wasn’t afraid to explain his own views or his compelling ideologies.
He shows through Zoom, the picture he has on his wall of an “elephant in the room” and explains how it is a reminder to him.
“I keep the elephant in the room to remind me that there is always an elephant in the room. And the elephant in the room, right? It’s what we should all be talking about.”
He goes on to explain the elephant in the room in the American worldview: exceptionalism.
Nevertheless, politics wasn’t the only thing on Waters’ mind as he also explained how he’s still been able to practice music and put content out there amidst a pandemic.
“So what we do is pick a song, I’ve been doing a bunch of encores from the last tour, and what I do is I record it, this one was for the piano, so it’s me singing and playing the piano … When I’ve done it, eventually, I then send it out to all the other guys and gals in the band. And then they do their bits. And then we edit it all together and stick it out on the internet, Waters says.”
In this way, music is always at the forefront for Waters, and with that he’s always been able to spot exceptional musical talent as he did all those years ago with his friend John Prine, who devastatingly passed away from COVID this past year.
He shares the last memory he had with John at one of his shows in Brooklyn, describing John as a person who had “charm oozing out of every pore in his fucking body” and an “extraordinary sense of humor.”
Waters finishes the conversation with a fascinating perspective on humanity and our inevitable interconnectedness.
For more memories about John, Waters’ view on humanity and what it’s been like trying to put together his upcoming tour, check out the rest of the conversation on Prine Time.
