In the brief moments after being resurrected from his self-induced comatose state and before taking the stage at his own concert, Pink experiences an instant of mental clarity in which he assesses his present condition and decides how to continue, if at all. While the theatrical style of the song stands in contrast to the ethereal "Comfortably Numb," it fits quite well in the context of the album's second half. In one sense it's only fitting that "the Show Must Go On" is written in such a theatric style when considering that Pink, much like the actor waiting in the wing's of the playhouse, is about to take the stage of his own concert. Like any actor, most entertainers must adopt a certain stage presence, living up to the audience's expectations of what they are there to see. Roger Waters has made numerous comments about how the rock star, while onstage, becomes a sort of god to the audience, and must carry a larger-than-life persona. Yet when it comes down to it, they are merely human like the rest of us, a simple person playing a role for the amusement and entertainment of those who have paid money to see them. And so the song reiterates the previously introduced themes of masks and disguises, though in this instance, Pink must decide whether to wear his "rock star" mask once again and take the stage or shed the disguise and start anew.

Yet before we get to Pink's dilemma and decision, I think it's interesting to note the childlike lyrics and vocals in the first half of the song. While the voice beseeching "Ma" and "Pa" to "take me home...[and]...let me go" may seem quite random in the context of the rest of the song (and the album for that matter) I think they are rather appropriate at this moment in Pink's life. The lines, very much like the tantrum of a tired child, parallel Pink's own tantrum after becoming exhausted with his mind, his wall, and life itself. And like the misbehaving child who grows weary of a place or activity, Pink has grown weary of his own lot in life and only seeks the comforts of home, a possible reference to his earlier attempts to rediscover his childhood innocence. Furthermore, note that the childlike singer also commands his mother to "let me go," possibly paralleling Pink's earlier desire to escape from his mother's overprotective grasp while reflecting his partial desire to be released from life.

The italicized lyrics above were printed on the lyric sheet yet cut from the song for some unknown reason. After addressing his growing apprehension at performing "in the spotlight" yet again in the italicized lyrics, Pink goes on to his current state in the succeeding lines, ambiguously speaking of the impending "show" in terms of both the concert and his wall. Perhaps his audience has taken his soul, in a sense, forcing him to perform behind the mask of "rock star Pink" rather than as himself. The songs he sings have lost their original depth of feeling just as he has lost his ambition to sing them for the crowd that both revere and alienate him. Possibly paralleling the line in "Mother" in which he asks if "they'll like this song," Pink then wonders if he'll even be able to remember "the song," that is if he'll even be able to perform in the state he's in. Nevertheless, despite all obstacles, Pink concludes with the old theatrical adage that "the show must go on" and takes the stage in the next the song.

From another perspective, Pink might be experiencing a true moment of clarity in which he fully realizes the negative effects of his wall, aware that it has taken away his individuality and, as he sings in the next few lines, his "feeling." And for a brief second, Pink is faced with the consequences of his previous actions (alienation, loss of personal feeling) and the choice of what to do next. Should he continue in his current path, do what he is told, and see where he ends up? Should he lock himself away again and attempt to recommence his journey towards self-realization? Or could this be a choice as old, and equally theatrical, as Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy? Is this simply a choice between continuing life or committing suicide? Whatever his choices may be, Pink ultimately decides that "the show must go on" as he prepares to take the stage and proceed with his current path, a path that quickly leads to decay, corruption, and quite possibly redemption.