How a Children's Choir and a Double Negative Made 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)' an Anthem

The children’s choir on “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” was producer Bob Ezrin’s idea. Roger Waters initially hated it — he wanted the song to feel cold and isolated. Ezrin convinced him by pointing out that kids singing “We don’t need no education” would give the track an ironic, unsettling power, like a rebellion set to a dance beat. The choir came from Islington Green School in London, paid a flat £1,000 (about £45 each) for the session.

The double negative “We don’t need no education” was intentional, not sloppy writing. Waters knew it was grammatically incorrect — he wanted it to sound like angry, uneducated kids shouting back at authority. Margaret Thatcher’s government later tried to ban the song from radio, claiming it promoted illiteracy. That only made it bigger. The choir members later said they were never told the song would be a hit, and some still feel bitter about the pay.