The Final Cut Songs Ranked

The Final Cut is the twelfth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 21 March 1983 in the United Kingdom and on 2 April in the United States through Harvest and Columbia Records. It comprises unused material from the previous Pink Floyd record, The Wall (1979), alongside new material recorded throughout 1982. Waters planned the album as a soundtrack for the 1982 film adaptation of The Wall. With the onset of the Falklands War, he rewrote it as a concept album exploring what he considered the betrayal of his father, who died serving in the Second World War. Waters provided lead vocals for all but one track, and he is credited for all songwriting. The album was accompanied by a short film released in the same year. The Final Cut received mixed reviews, though retrospective reception has been more favorable. It was a commercial success, reaching number one in the UK and number six in the US. Here are all of The Final Cut songs ranked.

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13. Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert

“Great song name, maybe not the best song. Actually the “worst” song off the album. It’s very short, starts with an explosion which is neatly done but an explosion can only get that much attention on a Pink Floyd album. It’s not the coolest effect they’ve used really… I’m kinda irritated on how Waters sings this song, also the melody and everything sounds very rushed and quite far from serious. Not THAT bad, but could have been left off the album imo.”

12. When the Tigers Broke Free

“It was just before dawn, one miserable morning in black ’44…”. If this song doesn’t bring strong emotional pictures to your mind we probably don’t have much in common. This is THE song about Eric Fletcher Waters, one of the many heroes that died for our freedom almost 70 years ago. Roger’s voice is truly delivering here, I can find no flaws really, well ok… no solos…”

11. Southampton Dock

“A very nice song, again back to the emotional lyrics painting vivid pictures in my mind. I like the way they use the classic screaming Waters on a very low level as a second voice starting on “In quiet desperation” (a phrase borrowed from Dark Side…). This song is really very short imo, almost half of it is more of a passage into the title track. So yeah, again it’s hard to give this one a fair rating…”

10. The Post War Dream

“More of an album interlude than a “whole” song imo. That applies to some more stuff on the album actually. Lots of the stuff here is mainly made to create and keep up the atmosphere. This song introduces the concept in a very good way, as well as introducing the sound picture, which is very different from previous (and later) Pink Floyd albums.”

See more: Pink Floyd Albums Ranked

9. The Hero’s Return

“Great opening melody, extremely non-floyd though. Same goes for the vocals, and lyrics to a certain extent. The sound is very much in the same vein as the album though, and that’s the only thing that counts really. Leads perfectly into the next song, one of the stand-out tracks of the album.”

8. Paranoid Eyes

“I guess it’s at about this point people who don’t love to hear about Roger Waters personal problems get REALLY tired of this album. This his high-quality self-pity á la “The Wall”. I just love it. I find the footsteps-effect especially interesting, with headphones on I just can’t accept that it’s only the song, I HAVE TO look behind me to check no one is there. Great work on that one. Apart from that this might not be a standout track but it does hold up to the rest of the album.”

7. The Fletcher Memorial Home

“This song is one of the strongest political songs off the album. And that says a lot! The ending “Now the final solution can be applied” always gives me the chills, such strong hatred. There’s also a great guitar solo here, very Gilmour-ish. For some reason it hasn’t really got that overall magic that actually most other songs have, so it gets a little minus for that”

6. Your Possible Pasts

“I love this song, I just can’t get enough of the chorus. Great use of the extreme dynamics technique, it’s powerful yet not stereotypical in any way. The lyrics are mindblowing as usual, good old Roger… (“By the cold and religious we were taken in hand, shown how to feel good and told to feel bad…”) Perhaps a bit too much minimalism on the instrumental part.”

See more: Pink Floyd Songs Ranked

5. Two Suns in the Sunset

“Simply THE track to remember from this album (if you have to choose ONE). There’s a great sax solo here, a great memorable riff, incredible lyrics and a vivid atmosphere that could work as sole inspiration for my dreams from this day forward if it had to. This is one of those songs that, the moment I heard it I looked up the chords and started creating my own version for me to play on the piano and sing. I can’t sing, I really can’t. But when I sing this song, it just feels perfect. So many great phrases, such as “The sun is in the east, even though the day is done” and “Finally I understand the feelings of the few”. The melodies are extremely addictive. I just love pretty much everything about this song except ONE thing. That sample of a child’s voice is just ridiculous (the one after “you’ll never hear their voices”. Not enough to bring the song down in rating though.”

4. One of the Few

Another tiny song, with a great melody that is reused as a passage in “Not Now John”. I like that concept of reusing the melody, it gives the album more of a concept feel, something one (at least I) can’t get enough of.”

3. The Gunners Dream

“Extremely emotional, well-written anti-war song. Don’t say you didn’t think “Roger Waters” there! Great piano playing, of course much more of a studio-personell touch compared to the master (you know who) but as good as it gets I guess. These lyrics stand out as some of the best off the album, only bested by the closing track. “The silver in her hair shines in the cold November air” might be a bit overly dramatic but I just don’t care. The picture those lines paint for me is beyond this world. This song also has something that the album kinda lacks, a great solo. Not our very own favorite Mr. Gilmour but some random guy (Raphael Ravenscroft) on the sax.”

2. The Final Cut

“Not at all a stand-out track, but a great one nonetheless. Great lyrics as always, quite a lot of “The Wall” in the sound picture as well. The last part speaking about “If I show you my dark side, what would you do?” is simply excellent. Oh and also, there’s a great guitar solo here! Quite short though…”

1. Not Now John

“The “hit single” of the album, if it had had any. Great hook in the melody, weird lyrics and a not-completely-functioning bridge with random words like “Stockholm!” “What bomb?” etc. Also the only song off the album to feature such an active choir. I love the kick you get when the song starts, first that mad laughter and then the instant hook from the powerful melody. I gotta admit though that hearing a choir singing “F*ck all that” in a Pink Floyd made me wonder what the f*ck they were doing for a while. Now however, I like the song enough not to be irritated by its flaws. Another great solo here, and actually Gilmour is even singing something, not that I can hear what part it is but still! (Oh and btw, I just love the “oi! where’s the f*cking bar John??!” and “Hammer! Hammer! Hammer! Hammer!” (the wall reference) toward the end. True Floyd imo).”