Pink Floyd, ‘Young Lust (Demo Version)’ – Song Review

One secret revealed on the Pink Floyd Immersion Edition of 'The Wall' box set is that the original recording of 'Young Lust' was a smooth and sultry blues tune, instead of the edgy, guitar-and-drum driven sexual liberation anthem fans have come to love.

Roger Waters,who sings lead on this demo version, isn't nearly as charismatic as David Gilmour. Instead of "I need a dirty woman," he should be singing "A dirty woman would be nice, but honestly I'll take whatever you have available. Cheerio!"

"Standing away from those desperate days / Leaving a trail of fear and degradation," Waters sings to open the song. From there the lyrics dive into far more poetic and literary landscapes, although at times the words are quite difficult to understand.

"Deep down next to his heart on the inside / Hugging in his cheap leather jacket (unintelligible)." The band definitely made the right choice as to which version to include on the original 1979 album, but the newly revealed demo version is a fascinating listen that adds depth to a story that isn't completely understood without visual aid.

In short, Pink Floyd traded bluesy psychedelia for a menacing rock song. It was the better deal then, but it's more than interesting to see how the song progressed through various stages.

'The Wall' Immersion Edition will be available on Feb. 28.