Have A Cigar
From Pink Floyd
| Wish You Were Here | ||
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| Welcome To The Machine | ||
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| Have A Cigar | ||
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| Wish You Were Here (The Song) | ||
Song Name: Have A Cigar
Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: Wish You Were Here, Shine On
Run Time: 5:08
Year: 1975
Track Number: 3
Sung By: Roy Harper
Written By: Roger Waters
Info:
- Like "Welcome to the Machine", the song's music and lyrics were written by Roger Waters in critique of hypocrisy and greed within the music business. The music itself is more straightforwardly rock-orientated than the rest of the album, beginning with a churning riff played on electric guitar and bass. The track is filled out with additional guitar, electric piano and synthesizer parts to create a funk rock texture.
- "Have a Cigar" climaxes with its blistering guitar solo, which is interrupted by a synthesizer filter-sweep sound effect which reduces the music's volume to tinny, AM radio-like levels. Some have speculated that this represents the music's transformation into a worthless, mass-marketed product — which would be almost prophetic, since the track received heavy radio play as a single. Finally, the song ends with the sound of a radio being dialed off-station; this is used as a segue to the title track, "Wish You Were Here".
- The lyric "Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?" is rumored to have actually been asked of the band in their formative years of the mid-to-late 1960s by a record label executive, who met them in the recording studio. Rumour has it that the executive shook hands with all the band members, complimented them highly, and then proceeded to ask the question. Later, the name Pink was used for the main character in The Wall.
- The song first premiered when the band played it on their 1975 North American tour in between the two halves of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" with Waters and Gilmour sharing the vocals.
- The song was played on the 1975 and 1977 Pink Floyd tours. The 1975 performances had Roger Waters on lead vocals with David Gilmour singing backing vocals and the guitar solos in the 1977 performances of "Have a Cigar" were played by Snowy White.
- On the original recording, the song's lead vocals were performed not by any member of Pink Floyd, but by an acquaintance of the band: British singer-songwriter Roy Harper. Roger Waters intended to perform the part himself, as he did during most stage performances, but had strained his voice while recording "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and David Gilmour would not sing the harsh lyrics. Harper was recording his album HQ in Studio 2 of Abbey Road at the same time as Pink Floyd were working in Studio 3; learning of the band's dilemma Harper offered to sing the lead.
- Waters later stated that he (perhaps unconsciously) hoped the other band members would refuse this suggestion, and insist on keeping the song strictly within the confines of Pink Floyd. He was therefore surprised when they immediately accepted the idea, and Harper claims that he requested a lifetime ticket to (the nearby) Lord's Cricket Ground as payment for his services. Harper has described feeling insulted when he was sent a one-time cheque instead (which he says was never cashed).
- Both Primus and the Foo Fighters (on two occasions, once with Brian May) have recorded high-profile covers.
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