David Gilmour played on Body Count’s “Comfortably Numb” version

The American band Body Count which often mixes Heavy Metal with Hip-Hop and is fronted by ICE-T released a powerful version for Pink Floyd‘s classic “Comfortably Numb” and the legendary guitarist David Gilmour played on their new version which also has new lyrics.

The new track is part of their new album “Merciless”, which will be released next November 22. About the new Body Count version for the classic song, David Gilmour said: “Body Count’s version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ is quite radical, but the words really struck me. It astonishes me that a tune I wrote almost 50 years ago is back with this great new approach. They’ve made it relevant again.”

“The initial contact from Ice-T was for permission to use the song, but I thought I might offer to play on it as well. I like the new lyrics. They’re talking about the world we’re living in now, which is quite scary. Ice-T and Body Count played in London recently. Sadly, I couldn’t make it, but if another opportunity came up to play with them, I’d jump at it,” David Gilmour said.

Hear the new Body Count version for “Comfortably Numb” featuring David Gilmour

Body Count’s “Comfortably Numb” lyrics

“How did I get here?
Sitting on this spinning sphere
When will I leave here
We know death is always near
I try to understand but answers don’t come easily
Friends always deceiving me
Is this what life’s supposed to be?
Human animals
We roam the earth in search of blood
Hope for humanity?
I don’t think there ever was
We’re in perpetual war, and that’s the only law
Can I change it? I doubt it
So I write songs about it
I was young once but now I’ve grown old
Right in front of your еyes you’ve seen my life unfold
I had no choicе as I became the underdog’s voice
A young black kid… look what the fuck I did!
When I’m gone there’ll be someone to carry on
We can give in, give up, or we can stay strong
How accepting of the bullshit we’ve all become
This whole world is… comfortably numb

Hello… is anybody out there?
Can anybody hear me?
Hello… is anybody out there?
Can anybody hear me?

You’ve got a TV, a computer, so you don’t care
A roof, some clothes, some food
That’s right, it’s all there
Lock yourself in your house, try to forget about
The millions dyin’ from wars, starvation and drought
You’ve got your own problems – yes, we all do
Nobody is free from stress, not him, or me, or you
But still we judge each other, we want to pick a fight
In the streets we kill each other, each and every weeknight
I don’t want no drama but I carry a gun
I don’t want no problems but they’ll probably come
So we get high to wash away the pain
Self-medication, but that shit is all done in vain
We think that we can hide away from the misery
You can close your eyes but still can plainly see
There’s nowhere to run…
You’re just comfortably numb

Hello… is anybody out there?
Can anybody hear me?
Hello… is anybody out there?
Can anybody hear me?

I spent half my life just trying to survive
And the other half trying to keep you all alive
For some reason I still care
I’ve done my dirt
It’s amazing that i’m still here
There’s true evil out there, I’ve been trying to warn you
You could meet the devil himself, then what you gonna do?
No time to pray, no chance to run
Listen… ’cause I’ve been on both sides of the gun
As you stand before me we’re all here as one

We gotta come together or our chances are none
Maybe I’m just a dreamer, too many obstacles
The though of humans coexisting, that’s impossible
Better to stay numb, live in denial
We’re all going to hell and we did it to ourselves
Too much religious beef, too much racist shit
And if there is a God we probably make him sick

Hello… is anybody out there?
Can anybody hear me?
Hello… is anybody out there?
Can anybody hear me?”

In an official statement, Ice-T also talked about the track, saying: “For me, ‘Comfortably Numb’ is an introspective song. It’s me acknowledging that I’m older now. I’m telling the younger generation, you’ve got two choices: you can keep the fire burning or you can give up. It’s me trying to make sense of what’s happening, but also pointing out that we’re all in a place where we don’t have to face reality. We’ve got flat-screen TVs and popcorn, and we can just sit back and watch the chaos of the world like it’s a TV show. It doesn’t feel real until it shows up at your door. I’m a little numb, too — we all are.”