And when they’ve given you their all,
some stagger and fall.
After all, it’s not easy —
banging your heart against some mad bugger’s wall.
Lyrics from “Outside the Wall” by Pink Floyd, 1979.
Photo by Rick Stachura. December 11, 2018.
From the steps of Federal Hall, at 26 Wall Street, looking south on Broad Street.
If you were standing here anytime between 1653 and 1699, you’d truly be “outside the wall.” A 12-foot high palisade that followed the path of today’s Wall Street would block your view. It would also bar you from easily entering the city called “New Amsterdam.”