Roger Waters was angry. Really angry. It wasn’t just the usual rockstar "the world is unfair" kind of vibe either. It was a visceral, spitting-at-the-audience type of rage that eventually birthed Animals in 1977. If you look at the Pink Floyd Animals songs, you aren’t just looking at a tracklist. You're looking at a bleak, cynical, and weirdly prophetic map of human greed.
The album is basically a loose adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, but Waters swapped the anti-Stalinist satire for a brutal takedown of late-70s British capitalism. It’s dark. It’s long. It’s mostly devoid of the "radio-friendly" shimmer found on Dark Side of the Moon. Honestly, it’s a miracle it became a classic at all.
The Brutality of "Dogs"
Clocking in at seventeen minutes, "Dogs" is the meat of the record. It’s an exhausting listen in the best way possible. David Gilmour and Roger Waters co-wrote this one—back when they were still speaking to each other—and it shows. The song originally started as "You've Got to Be Crazy," but by the time it hit the studio for Animals, it had morphed into a predatory anthem.
Gilmour’s guitar work here is legendary. Those layered acoustic tracks and the biting Telecaster solos don't just sound like music; they sound like a corporate ladder being kicked out from under someone. The lyrics describe the "dog"—the businessman who is "trained not to spit in the fan" but eventually gets "dragged down by the stone."
It’s about the cost of being a predator. You spend your whole life backstabbing and climbing, only to end up old, lonely, and dying of cancer in some sterile room. Waters doesn't offer any sympathy. He basically says, "You chose this."
The mid-section of the song is just... haunting. You get these processed dog barks and synthesizers that swirl around your head. It’s supposed to feel claustrophobic. It feels like the burnout of a 60-hour work week condensed into a few minutes of audio.
"Pigs (Three Different Ones)" and the Moral Police
If "Dogs" was about the corporate world, "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" was a direct shot at the people running the show. Specifically, Mary Whitehouse.
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Who was she?
She was a conservative moral crusader in the UK who hated everything fun. Waters didn't just dislike her; he saw her as the ultimate hypocrite. The "pig" in the third verse is explicitly her. When he sings about the "fucked up old hag," he isn't being subtle.
Musically, this track is funkier than you’d expect from Pink Floyd. The bassline (played by Gilmour, actually, because Waters was busy with lyrics) is thick and driving. Then there's the talk box. That "wa-wa" sound on the guitar that mimics a pig’s squeal? It’s iconic. It’s also one of the few times Floyd felt genuinely "punk," even though the actual punk rockers of 1977 famously wore "I Hate Pink Floyd" t-shirts. Johnny Rotten later admitted he actually liked them, which is hilarious in hindsight.
The Sadness of "Sheep"
"Sheep" is the fastest, most aggressive track on the album. Originally titled "Raving and Drooling," it’s about the masses. The people who just follow orders. The people who don't want to think for themselves.
Waters gets really weird here.
In the middle of the song, he does a distorted parody of Psalm 23. You can barely hear it unless you’re really leaning into the speakers. "He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places... he converteth me to lamb cutlets." It’s grim. But the twist at the end of the song is what makes it a masterpiece. The sheep don't just stay sheep. They revolt. They learn "karate" and they kill the dogs.
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But then?
They just go back to being sheep. They stay in their houses and don't come out. It’s a hopeless cycle. Waters’ bass playing on this (or Gilmour’s, depending on which session log you believe) is relentless. It’s a galloping rhythm that feels like a panic attack.
The Bookends: "Pigs on the Wing"
The album starts and ends with two short, acoustic pieces called "Pigs on the Wing." These are the only moments of light. Legend has it they were written for Waters’ wife at the time, Caroline Christie.
They provide the "why" for the whole mess. The world is full of dogs, pigs, and sheep, but if we care for each other, we can find a way out. "You know that I care what happens to you / And I know that you care for me too."
Without these two minutes of folk-style strumming, the album would probably be too depressing to finish. They act as the safety valve.
Why Does This Album Still Matter in 2026?
You’d think a record about 1970s British industrial decay would be a fossil by now. It isn't. If anything, the Pink Floyd Animals songs feel more relevant in the age of social media algorithms and corporate monopolies than they did back then.
Look at the "Dogs" of today. We call them "hustle culture" influencers.
Look at the "Pigs." They’re the tech billionaires and the politicians yelling on news cycles.
Look at the "Sheep." That’s all of us, doomscrolling through feeds designed to keep us compliant.
The production on the album is also surprisingly modern. Working at their own Britannia Row Studios allowed the band to experiment without the clock ticking. They used a lot of dry, upfront sounds. Unlike the lush, reverb-heavy Wish You Were Here, Animals feels like it’s happening right in front of your face. It’s abrasive.
Common Misconceptions About Animals
- It was a commercial failure: People think because it didn't have a "Money" or "Comfortably Numb," it bombed. Not true. It hit number 2 in the UK and number 3 in the US.
- Waters did everything: While Roger wrote almost all the lyrics and the concepts, Gilmour’s musical contributions to "Dogs" are what give the album its soul. Without those solos, it's just a guy complaining over a synth.
- It's a "Punk" album: It isn't, but it shares the same DNA of resentment. The band was reacting to the same shitty economy that inspired The Clash and The Sex Pistols.
The Famous Flying Pig Incident
You can't talk about these songs without mentioning Algie. Algie was the forty-foot inflatable pig they tried to photograph over Battersea Power Station for the cover.
It broke loose.
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A giant inflatable pig flew into the flight paths of Heathrow Airport. Pilots actually reported seeing it. It eventually landed in a field in Kent, and the farmer was pissed because it scared his cows. You can't make this stuff up. That image—the pig floating over the decaying industrial monolith—is the perfect visual metaphor for the music inside. It’s absurd, looming, and slightly dangerous.
How to Listen Properly
If you're going to dive into the Pink Floyd Animals songs, don't do it on shuffle. This isn't a "greatest hits" experience.
- Get the 2018 Remix: It was actually released a few years ago (after a long delay because of band infighting, shocker). It clears up the mud in the original mix. You can actually hear the drums now. Nick Mason’s percussion is way more intricate than people give him credit for.
- Read the lyrics while listening: Waters is a dense writer. If you miss the words, you miss half the point.
- Check out the live versions: The 1977 "In the Flesh" tour recordings (mostly bootlegs) show a band that was literally falling apart. The tension makes the songs even more aggressive.
Honestly, Animals is the "cool" favorite for Floyd fans. Dark Side is for everyone. The Wall is for the theater kids. Animals? That’s for the people who want to hear the band growl. It’s the sound of a group of people who were incredibly successful but also incredibly unhappy with the world they lived in.
There’s a certain honesty in that. No polished pop hooks. Just long, winding explorations of why people act the way they do. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but it’s one of the most rewarding albums in the history of rock.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to go deeper into the lore of these tracks, your next move should be looking into the Britannia Row Studios history. It was the first time the band had their own space, and the freedom (and isolation) of that studio is what gave the songs their cold, clinical edge.
Also, track down the early live bootlegs of "Raving and Drooling" from 1974. Comparing those early, jam-heavy versions to the final "Sheep" reveals exactly how much the band's mood soured over three years. It's a masterclass in how a song evolves from a psychedelic trip into a political weapon.
Finally, take a look at the Battersea Power Station today. It's been turned into a high-end shopping mall and luxury apartments. There's a dark irony in that which Roger Waters probably has a lot to say about. The "Pigs" eventually won, and they turned the "Dogs" and "Sheep" into consumers.