Two Suns in the Sunset

In my rear view mirror the sun is going down
Sinking behind bridges in the road
And I think of all the good things
That we have left undone
And I suffer premonitions
Confirm suspicions
Of the holocaust to come

The rusty wire that holds the cork
That keeps the anger in
Gives way, and suddenly it's day again
The sun is in the east
Even though the day is done
Two suns in the sunset
Could be the human race is run

Like the moment when the brakes lock
And you slide towards the big truck
"Oh no!"
You stretch the frozen moments with your fear
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
And you'll never hear their voices
"Daddy, Daddy!"
And you'll never see their faces
You have no recourse to the law anymore

And as the windshield melts
And my tears evaporate
Leaving only charcoal to defend
Finally, I understand the feelings of the few
Ashes and diamonds
Foe and friend
We were all equal in the end



- Released April 2, 1983

- "The sun is in the east, even though the day is done" Is a metaphor for the glowing fireball of a nuclear explosion.

- The Final Cut's main proponent was Roger Waters, previously a chair of the youth branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in Cambridge. "Two Suns in the Sunset" was his view on the world's end, thermonuclear war, which would ultimately end in nuclear winter.

- Towards the end of the song, we hear the same passing car and radio sound effects that we heard at the start of the album. This cyclical effect was also heard on some of the band's previous albums, for example the use of "Outside the Wall" on The Wall and the heartbeat on The Dark Side of the Moon.

- "Finally, I understand the feelings of the few" Is a reference to anti-war organizations who have a strong following of activists, albeit a temporary interest for many.

- "Foe and friend, we were all equal in the end" This is rather interesting considering this is the final song by the original band with Roger Waters. It not only represents the end of human life as we understood it, but could it also represent the all-knowing end of an iconic band? The creative conflicts between Roger Waters and the rest of the band had grown incessantly bitter by the production of this album, so I find it rather compelling the band chose this song to end their outstanding career together.