What a listener might consider their all-time favorite song might not be the artist’s preferred pick, and such is the case for former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters and me. In fact, Waters has gone so far as to say he “regrets” the track that I’ve long considered to be one of my favorites. It’s hard to beat: catchy riffs, fun solos, and that classic Pink Floyd sardonic touch.
However, in a 2011 interview with John Edginton, Waters admitted that he never intended for the song to come across so cynical, despite the fact that the song’s attitude is partially what drew in so many listeners like me. In this writer’s humble opinion (and coming from a musician who is no stranger to questioning their work), I’d argue Waters was overthinking this one.
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The Cynical Beauty Of “Have a Cigar”
Amidst the psychedelic, nine-part compositions and mechanical whirring of factory machinery that comprises most of Pink Floyd’s 1975 album Wish You Were Here is the band’s funky B-side opener, “Have a Cigar.” The bona fide rock song is a far cry from the vulnerable and acoustic “Wish You Were Here” or the washy slow burn of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (pick your part). Nevertheless, the song perfectly fits the album, famously written as a tribute to the band’s former member and co-founder, Syd Barrett.
Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar, you’re gonna go far, the song begins. You’re gonna fly high, you’re never gonna die, you’re gonna make it if you try. They’re gonna love you. If the listener was wondering if the narrator of the song was a caricature of a music industry “suit” who knows more about business than how to relate to a band, the next lines confirm any suspicion. Well, I’ve always had a deep respect, and I mean that most sincere. The band is just fantastic. That is really what I think. Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?
“Have a Cigar” isn’t necessarily the most gleaming perspective of the music industry. But coming from a band known for their brutally honest opinions on fame, society, and mental health, the song seemed authentic, albeit wry. Interestingly, Pink Floyd bassist and songwriter Roger Waters never wanted it to be that way.
Why Roger Water Regrets This Iconic Pink Floyd Cut
According to Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd, Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour didn’t want to sing the lead vocals to “Have a Cigar” because of its seemingly sardonic attitude toward the industry. Bassist and songwriter Roger Waters didn’t quite have the vocal range to get an album-quality version of soaring lines like riding the gravy train. So, the band employed the help of folk-rocker Roy Harper, who was working nearby while Pink Floyd recorded Wish You Were Here.
Speaking of their decision to include Harper, Waters told documentarian John Edginton, “I regret it, and that’s not ‘cause I’ve got anything against Roy. I haven’t, you know. To me, it doesn’t feel very natural, him doing it. I think if I’d persevered with it, I would have done it better. I think if I’d sung it, it would be more vulnerable and less cynical than the way he did it. But that’s not the way Roy sings. It’s like he was singing a sort of parody, which I don’t like.”
To be fair to Waters, I’d understand him feeling particularly protective over songs he wrote with former bandmate and friend Syd Barrett in mind. Take away the cynicism of “Have a Cigar,” and the album’s overarching message of wishing someone was here turns the track into a wistful reaching out to an old friend: “I wish you could be here to see what we’re seeing right now. They’re offering us cigars. They think one of us is actually called Pink.”
But sometimes, the art creates an even more compelling argument than the artist originally intended, and I’d argue that Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” is no exception. Whether or not Waters intended for the song to be dripping with cynicism, it certainly works.
Photo by Mariano Regidor/Redferns