View source for Have a Cigar

{{Infobox song
| name          = Have a Cigar
| cover         = HaveaCigar.jpg
| alt           =
| border        = yes
| caption       = Artwork for Belgian vinyl release<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Have a Cigar / Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Part I) |others=Pink Floyd |publisher=EMI / Harvest |id=4 C 006-97357 }} Side labels say [[SABAM]].</ref>
| type          = single
| artist        = [[Pink Floyd]] featuring [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]]
| album         = [[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]
| B-side        = * "[[Welcome to the Machine]]" (US)<ref>{{Cite AV media notes|title=''"Have A Cigar"''|others=[[Pink Floyd]]|year=1975|url=https://www.discogs.com/Pink-Floyd-Have-A-Cigar/release/4165495#images/8220240|publisher=[[Columbia Records]]|via=[[Discogs]]|type=B-side single record label|id=3-10248|location=US}}</ref>
* "[[Shine On You Crazy Diamond|Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part I)]]" (EU)<ref>{{Cite AV media notes|title=''"Have A Cigar"''|others=[[Pink Floyd]]|year=1976|url=https://www.discogs.com/Pink-Floyd-Have-A-Cigar-/release/5876549#images/13353793|publisher=[[Harvest Records]]|via=[[Discogs]]|type=B-side single record label|id=3C 006-97357|location=Italy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media notes|title=''"Have A Cigar"''|others=[[Pink Floyd]]|year=1976|url=https://www.discogs.com/Pink-Floyd-Have-A-Cigar/release/2966409#images/13779992|publisher=[[Harvest Records]]|via=[[Discogs]]|type=B-side single record label|id=2C 010-97.357|location=France}}</ref>
| released      = {{Start date|1975|11}} (US)
| recorded      = 10 March – 28 July 1975<ref>{{cite book |last=Guesdon |first=Jean-MIchel |title=Pink Floyd All The Songs |publisher=Running Press |date=2017 |isbn=9780316439237 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rF0RDgAAQBAJ}}</ref>
| studio        = [[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]], London
| venue         =
| genre         = * [[Progressive rock]]
* [[blues rock]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Abhinav Jai|date=11 June 2018|title=The Smashing Pumpkins, 070 Shake, Christina Aguilera — a playlist of the best new tracks from past week|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/the-smashing-pumpkins-070-shake-christina-aguilera-playlist-of-the-best-new-tracks-from-past-week-4504645.html|access-date=7 April 2021|website=Firstpost}}</ref>
* [[funk rock]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Wawzenek|first=Bryan|date=4 September 2018|title=All 167 Pink Floyd Songs Ranked Worst to Best|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pink-floyd-songs-ranked/|access-date=7 April 2021|website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref>
| length        = * 3:30 (US promo edit)
* 4:24 (Spain edit)
* 4:50 (France edit)
* 5:07 (album version)
| label         = * [[Harvest Records|Harvest]]
* [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| writer        = [[Roger Waters]]
| producer      = Pink Floyd
| chronology    = [[Pink Floyd]]
| prev_title    = [[Time (Pink Floyd song)|Time]]
| prev_year     = 1974
| next_title    = [[Another Brick in the Wall#"Part 2"|Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)]]
| next_year     = 1979
}}

"'''Have a Cigar'''" is the third track on [[Pink Floyd]]'s 1975 album ''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]''.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Strong | first = Martin C. | title = The Great Rock Discography | publisher = [[Canongate Books]] | location = Edinburgh | isbn = 1-84195-551-5 | page = 1177 | year = 2004 | edition = 7th}}</ref><ref name="mabbett">{{Cite book | last = Mabbett | first = Andy | title = The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd | publisher = [[Omnibus Press]] | location = London | isbn = 0-7119-4301-X | year = 1995}}</ref> It follows "[[Welcome to the Machine]]" and on the original LP opened side two. In some markets, the song was issued as a single.
English folk-rock singer [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]] provided lead vocals on the song. It is one of only three Pink Floyd recordings with a guest singer on lead vocals, the others being "[[The Great Gig in the Sky]]" (1973) with [[Clare Torry]] and "[[Hey Hey Rise Up]]" (2022) with [[Andriy Khlyvnyuk]].
The song, written by Waters, is his critique of the rampant greed and cynicism so prevalent in the management of rock groups of that era.

==Composition and recording==
The song's music and lyrics were written by [[Roger Waters]] in critique of hypocrisy and greed within the [[music business]]. Waters has frequently implied it to be a follow-up to "[[Money (Pink Floyd song)|Money]]" with the lyrics representing the demands of a record executive after the runaway success of ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]''.

The song is more straightforwardly [[Rock music|rock]]-oriented than the rest of the album, and is the only one on the album that starts abruptly (the other four either fade in or segue from the previous song). It begins with a churning [[riff]] played on [[electric guitar]] and [[bass guitar|bass]] and is filled out with additional guitar, [[electric piano]] and [[synthesizer]] parts to create a [[rock music|rock]] texture.

"Have a Cigar" concludes with a [[guitar solo]], which is abruptly interrupted by a synthesizer filter-sweep [[sound effect]] as the music reduces in volume to tinny, [[AM radio]]-like levels. Finally, the song ends with the sound of a radio being dialled off-station; this effect is used as a transition to the title track, "[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd song)|Wish You Were Here]]".

Harper's involvement with the recording arose from the dissatisfaction that Waters and [[David Gilmour]] felt with their own attempts to sing the lead vocal line. After trying it both separately and as a duet, with Harper still technically on the track singing vocals on the bridge (available on the 2011 [[Why Pink Floyd...?#Experience 2|Experience]] and [[Why Pink Floyd...?#Immersion 2|Immersion]] editions of ''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]''), they turned to Harper to sing lead, who was recording his album ''[[HQ (album)|HQ]]'' at [[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]] at the same time as Pink Floyd. Harper agreed to sing the part as a way of repaying a favour to Gilmour, who had earlier provided him with some guitar licks ("...for a price").<ref name="The Story of Wish You Were Here (BBC 2012)">{{Cite book | title = [[The Story of Wish You Were Here]] | year = 2012 }}</ref>

In his book ''Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd'', author Mark Blake recounts that Gilmour had been unwilling to sing the lead vocal as he did not share Waters' opinions, as expressed in the lyrics, on the nature of the music industry.<ref name="Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd">{{Cite book | title = [[Pigs Might Fly: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd]] | author = Mark Blake | year = 2007 }}</ref> Waters has since said he dislikes Harper's version, saying he would have liked it to emerge "more vulnerable and less cynical", adding that Harper's version was too parodic. On the other hand, Gilmour loved Harper's vocal delivery and called it the "perfect version".<ref name="The Story of Wish You Were Here">{{Cite AV media | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbM2_-JeDuY | title = The Story of Wish You Were Here}}</ref>

==Reception==
''[[Cash Box]]'' said that it "sounds to us like a synopsis of some of the fingerpoppers who have probably tried to capitalize off the talents of the Pink Floyd group. We were wrong, no doubt, but the music is the thing here: a cerebral message."<ref name=cb>{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=15 November 1975 |page=22 |accessdate=2021-12-11 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-11-15.pdf |newspaper=Cash Box}}</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' said that "These progressive pioneers mix ethereal keyboard sounds with crunchy guitar rhythms for a sound that many have attempted, but few have mastered."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=November 15, 1975|accessdate=2023-03-09|title=Single Picks|page=18|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/75/RW-1975-11-15.pdf}}</ref>

==Live==
Harper performed the song with the band on one occasion, the group's 1975 [[Concerts at Knebworth House|Knebworth Festival]] appearance, during the period ''[[Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)|Wish You Were Here]]'' was being recorded. The song was also performed on the band's 1975 [[Wish You Were Here Tour|North American tours]] sandwiched in between the multi-part "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", with Gilmour and Waters singing lead. It was last performed by the band on the 1977 [[In the Flesh (Pink Floyd tour)|In the Flesh tour]], as part of the ''Wish You Were Here'' set with Waters on lead vocals, Gilmour on backing vocals and rhythm guitar and [[Snowy White]] playing the guitar solos.

Waters has also played the song on nearly every one of his solo tours, except for the 1999–2002 [[In the Flesh (Roger Waters tour)|In the Flesh tour]], the 2009–11 Wall tour, and the 2017 [[Us + Them Tour]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/roger-waters/2017/meadowlands-arena-east-rutherford-nj-43e7d3db.html|title=Roger Waters Setlist at Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford|website=setlist.fm|access-date=24 May 2017}}</ref>

==Personnel==
* [[David Gilmour]] – electric guitars
* [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] – [[Wurlitzer electric piano]], [[ARP String Ensemble]], [[Minimoog]], Hohner [[clavinet]] D6, piano
* [[Roger Waters]] – bass
* [[Nick Mason]] – drums

with:
* [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]] – lead vocals

==Roy Harper reaction==
In a 2011 video interview with John Edginton, Roy Harper said that he was unhappy he had not been credited by the band for singing the song "for the first 10 or 15 years" after it came out. He also said he was not paid the agreed payment; he wanted tickets for life to Lord's (cricket grounds) but received "a few hundred quid" instead. Harper had to hire a lawyer to resolve this grievance, which he called "ironic" and said it made the song (which is about ripoffs in the music business) into a self-fulfilling prophecy by turning the collaboration among friends into "the dirty music business."<ref name="EDGINTON">{{cite web |last1=EDGINTON |first1=JOHN |title=ROY HARPER ON WHY HIS VOICE WAS ON PINK FLOYD'S 'HAVE A CIGAR'. NOT ROGER WATERS OR DAVID GILMOUR |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsmJxXut_N0 |website=YouTube |publisher=JOHN EDGINTON DOCUMENTARIES |access-date=1 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==Quotes==
{{quote|A lot of people think I can't sing, including me a bit. I'm very unclear about what singing is. I know I find it hard to pitch, and I know the sound of my voice isn't very good in purely aesthetic terms, and Roy Harper was recording his own album in another EMI studio at the time, he's a mate, and we thought he could probably do a job on it.|Roger Waters, October 1975|Interviewed by Nick Sedgewick in the ''Wish You Were Here'' songbook<ref name="songbook">''Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here'' Songbook. 1975 Pink Floyd Music Publishers Ltd., London, England. {{ISBN|0-7119-1029-4}} (USA {{ISBN|0-8256-1079-6}}).</ref>}}

{{quote|"Have a Cigar" was a whole track on which I used the guitar and keyboards at once. There are some extra guitars which I dubbed on later, but I did the basic guitar tracks at one time.|David Gilmour, October 1975|Interviewed by Gary Cooper in the ''Wish You Were Here'' songbook<ref name="songbook" />}}

{{quote|We did have people who would say to us "Which one's Pink?" and stuff like that. There were an awful lot of people who thought Pink Floyd was the name of the lead singer and that was Pink himself and the band. That's how it all came about, it was quite genuine.|David Gilmour, December 1992|''[[In the Studio (radio show)|In the Studio with Redbeard]]'' for "Making of Shine On" and "Making of Wish You Were Here"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inthestudio.net/online-on-demand/pink-floyd-wish-40th-anniversary-roger-waters-david-gilmour-nick-mason/|title=Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here-Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason - In The Studio with Redbeard|date=6 September 2015|access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref>}}

==Charts==
{|class="wikitable"
!Chart (1975)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|US ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Looking Ahead<ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=2015 |title=The Comparison Book |location=Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |page=393 |isbn=978-0-89820-213-7}}</ref>
|align="center"|119
|-
|US ''[[Record World]]'' Singles Chart 101–150<ref name="Whitburn" />
|align="center"|126
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Pink Floyd|title=Have a Cigar|award=Gold|source=radioscope|certyear=2022|access-date=20 January 2025}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

==Cover versions==
* In 1979, [[Warner Bros. Records]] released a [[12-inch single|12" single]] containing a special [[disco]] version of "Have a Cigar" by Rosebud, a studio group led by composer [[Gabriel Yared]], from their album ''Discoballs: A Tribute to Pink Floyd''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/discoballs-a-tribute-to-pink-floyd-mw0000794069|title=Discoballs: A Tribute to Pink Floyd - Rosebud {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Rosebud-Discoballs-A-Tribute-To-Pink-Floyd/release/1036570|title=Rosebud - Discoballs (A Tribute To Pink Floyd)|website=Discogs|year=1980 |language=en|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref> The song peaked at number 4 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'''s [[Hot Dance Club Songs|Disco Top 80]] chart in June 1979. The [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] was a [[disco]] version of "[[Money (Pink Floyd song)|Money]]"
* In 1992, the band [[Primus (band)|Primus]] recorded a cover of the song and included it as the closing track to their ''[[Miscellaneous Debris]]'' EP.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000093452|title=Miscellaneous Debris - Primus {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref> Their version changed the lyrics slightly: "The band is just fantastic, of the town you are the talk/Man, but who the hell's this guy they call [[Bob Cock]]?"
* [[Foo Fighters]] recorded two different [[cover version]]s of the song. The first was used as b-side for the "[[Learn to Fly]]" CD single,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Foo-Fighters-Learn-To-Fly/release/559812|title=Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly|website=Discogs|year=1999 |language=en|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref> while the second one, with [[Brian May]] on lead guitar, first appeared on the [[Mission: Impossible 2 (soundtrack)|''Mission: Impossible 2'' soundtrack]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mission-impossible-2-original-soundtrack-mw0001059731|title=Mission: Impossible 2 [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref> and later as an [[Amazon.com]] bonus track on their 2009 ''[[Greatest Hits (Foo Fighters album)|Greatest Hits]]'' album and in the 2011 limited-edition vinyl only release ''[[Medium Rare (Foo Fighters album)|Medium Rare]]'', released for Record Store Day<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Foo-Fighters-Medium-Rare/master/328652|title=Foo Fighters - Medium Rare|website=Discogs|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110423190300/http://www.discogs.com/Foo-Fighters-Medium-Rare/master/328652|archive-date=2011-04-23|url-status=dead|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/foo_fighters_to_release_covers_album.html|title=Foo Fighters To Release Covers Album|date=2011-03-14|publisher=ultimateguitar.com|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref> Both versions were sung by drummer [[Taylor Hawkins]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KgHxBQAAQBAJ&q=have+a+cigar+taylor+hawkins&pg=PA132 |title=The Queen Chronology: The Recording & Release History of the Band |last1=Lemieux |first1=Patrick |last2=Unger |first2=Adam |publisher=[[Lulu (company)|Lulu]] |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-9919840-4-6 |page=132}}</ref>
* The album ''[[Instead (album)|Instead]]'', released in 2007 by [[Onetwo (band)|Onetwo]], contains a cover version of "Have a Cigar"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Onetwo-Instead/release/916463|title=Onetwo - Instead|website=Discogs|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731033213/http://www.discogs.com/Onetwo-Instead/release/916463|archive-date=2012-07-31|url-status=dead|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref>
* The main riff of "Have a Cigar" is incorporated into the song "Peruvian Skies"  by [[progressive metal]] band [[Dream Theater]] on their 1998 live album ''[[Once in a LIVEtime]]'' and on the Live DVD ''[[5 Years in a Livetime]]''.  
* A free CD given with the October 2011 issue of UK music magazine ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' includes a cover version of "Have a Cigar" by [[John Foxx]] and The Maths<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metamatic.com/zHaveacigardocs/201108interview.html |title=Connections: Have A Cigar: Interview - August 2011 |publisher=Metamatic.com |access-date=3 March 2012}}</ref> This version was later announced by ''Mojo'' as 'not the finished version' and the correct version was offered as a free download from the website<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2011/08/free_download_john_foxx_the_ma.html |title=John Foxx & The Maths - Have A Cigar - News |publisher=Mojo4music.com |date=25 August 2011 |access-date=3 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316213933/http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2011/08/free_download_john_foxx_the_ma.html |archive-date=16 March 2012 }}</ref>
* [[Gov't Mule]] performed the song as part of their ''Dark Side of the Mule'' live album from 2008, which consisted of half original material, half [[Pink Floyd]] covers<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/dark-side-of-the-mule-mw0002767790 |title=Gov't Mule – Dark Side of the Mule |first=Steve |last=Leggett |website=AllMusic |access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref><ref name="cos">{{cite magazine|last=Kaye|first=Ben|title=Gov't Mule to release Pink Floyd covers album Dark Side of the Mule|url=https://consequence.net/2014/11/govt-mule-to-release-pink-floyd-covers-album-dark-side-of-the-mule/|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|date=16 November 2014|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref>
* [[Fidlar]] recorded a cover of the song featuring [[Dr. Dre]] and [[AM (musician)|AM]] in 2018 with slightly modified lyrics (“We’ll buy you a new liver. By the way, which one is FIDLAR/fiddler?”)<ref>{{cite web|last=Haas|first=Anna|date=8 June 2018|title=FIDLAR Drop Roughed-Up, Modern Version of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar"|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/06/fidlar-covers-pink-floyds-have-a-cigar.html|access-date=2 February 2019|website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd album)}}

{{Wish You Were Here}}
{{Pink Floyd}}
{{Roy Harper}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1975 singles]]
[[Category:Pink Floyd songs]]
[[Category:Primus (band) songs]]
[[Category:British protest songs]]
[[Category:British satirical songs]]
[[Category:Songs about music]]
[[Category:Songs written by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by David Gilmour]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Richard Wright (musician)]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Nick Mason]]
[[Category:Roy Harper (singer) songs]]
[[Category:1975 songs]]
[[Category:CBS Records singles]]
[[Category:Columbia Records singles]]
[[Category:Harvest Records singles]]
[[Category:British blues rock songs]]
[[Category:Funk rock songs]]