Last week my ma came to visit me and the first thing she said after she had entered was: “Comb your hair!” I took the order, because that was what it was, as an insult and retorted that as far as I could remember she was in my house that I had bought with my dough and that after 48 years of living it was about time for me to do what I thought was good for me to do. My father grinned inconspicuously and my LA-girl sighed and told her mother-in-law that she had since long given up trying to mess with my hair. Normally they hate each other guts but this doesn’t apply when there is some Atagong bashing to do.

If Syd Barrett didn’t need to comb his hair why should I, I sulked. This was apparently not the best example I could have given.

What is it with those mothers, anyway? Roger Waters, at 37, couldn’t resist nagging at her on The Wall.

Momma's gonna make all of your nightmares come true.
Momma's gonna put all of her fears into you.
Momma's gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing.
…of course Momma's gonna help build a wall.

No wonder that this is a signature album for a lot of people I have met. Personally, my Floydian reference album dates from earlier on and is Wish You Were Here, but also there Waters couldn’t resist adding some maternal references!

You bought a guitar.
To punish your ma.

A while ago, after my LA-girl had returned from a hospital stay, mother-ma appeared radiantly at my doorstep. She had a bottle of champagne in one hand, a bottle of vinegar in the other...

The champagne was to celebrate my LA-girl’s homecoming.
The vinegar was to clean the toilet, because, according to murder-ma, no man can stay unattended at home without making a mess in the bathroom.

The problem is, that she was probably right.