Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk

Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk 3:05
     (written by Roger Waters)

Lyrics:
Doctor doctor
I'm in bed
Doctor doctor
Achin' head
Doctor doctor
Gold is lead
Doctor doctor
Choke on bread
Doctor doctor
Underfed
Doctor doctor
Gold is lead
Doctor doctor
Jesus bled
Doctor doctor
Pain is red
Doctor doctor

Dar Goon
Grow, go!
Greasy spoon
You spoo!
June Bloom

Music seems to help the pain
Seems to cultivate the brain
Doctor kindly tell your wife that
I'm alive
Flowers thrive
Realise (3x)

Lead vocals: Roger Waters and Syd Barrett

The very first Roger Waters composition to be recorded, this song (probably recorded in late May or June) hardly reaches the lyrical heights he was to later achieve, despite a more meaningful lyric in the last verse. However, it is interesting to note that the first Waters composition to appear on record begins with the same lyric — 'Doctor doctor' — as the most recent Waters composition to appear on record (the title track of Amused to Death, 1992).

The music is really the highlight of this up-tempo piece. Once again displaying their primary talent for improvisational-style jamming, the band rocks out in the middle section, including some good bass from Roger. However, Roger does not remember it fondly, perhaps comparing it too much with his later music, a comparison invalid in this author's opinion because of the totally different genres and styles the band was operating in.

Roger Waters: "A very bad song."

TRACK LISTING
Astronomy Domine
Lucifer Sam
Matilda Mother
Flaming
Pow R. Toc H.
Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
Interstellar Overdrive
Gnome, The
Chapter 24
Scarecrow, The
Bike