The Gunner's Dream

As with all the songs on the album, Roger Waters wrote this. Some of the lyrics are based on an IRA terrorist attack that took place in London in July 1982. Two bombings occurred that day, one in Hyde Park, one in Regents Park. In Hyde Park, as the Household Cavalry marched past a parked sedan, a bomb hidden inside exploded. Four Cavalrymen and seven horses died, 22 guards and civilians were injured. Less than two hours later, on a bandstand in Regents park, the band of the Royal Green Jackets was giving a concert when a bomb underneath the stage exploded ("And maniacs don't blow holes in bandsmen by remote control"). Six bandsmen died, 24 other bandsmen and four civilians were injured.

The song tells the story of a gunner in a bomber (not on the ground) who has parachuted out of his plane and as he floats down to the ground, memories of his life come up to meet him but then he has dream. His dream is that the world will be at peace where there is no censorship so you can speak out loud about what you are thinking, there will be no military rations so everyone can eat, and men won't have to sleep in the trenches. Most importantly, the youth of the nation won't be sent of to die for their country ("No one kills the children anymore"). It also refers to people disappearing in the night. This would happen to Jews and any others the Germans did not want in WWII. It also refers to the IRA terrorist attacks, which shows that the Gunner's Dream has not been fulfilled.

The line, "in the corner of some foreign field the gunner sleeps tonight - We cannot write off his final scene - take heed to the dream" means the gunner died in the field but don't let him die in vain and make peace in the world.