Amelia Maloney
Tone Analysis
4/5/12
Though both “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar” utilize the success story of a band, “Rock n’ Roll Band” incorporates energetic tone in order to show that everybody’s “Gettin’ Crazy” about the band’s rise to fame, while “Have a Cigar” uses cynical tone in order to show the demands of a record producer, such as “You gotta get an album out.”
In “Rock n’ Roll Band,” the lyrics that the songwriter uses are energetic and clearly show the rising success of a little known band. Lyrics such as “We were getting pretty good at the game,” show that the band was working hard at practicing and they were getting better and better as they went on in their careers. People were always “Getting Crazy” when the band was playing because they were so good at what they did. The band was always grabbing people’s attention because “Everybody’d be listen[ing].” There is so much positivity and happiness in this song because of the lyrics showing what an average rock and roll band goes through on their way to fame.
In “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd, the tone is more commanding and harsh. The record executive has many demands, such as “You gotta get an album out.” He assumes that the people, “They’re gonna love you” and “You’re gonna go far.” The record executive has a hint of positivity in his attitude, like “You’re gonna make it, if you try.” However, most of the tone of the songwriter is demanding because of the word choice. The song is more of a command rather than a success story.
Both songs have to do with rock and roll bands, but the tones differ greatly in the two songs. One tone is upbeat, while the other song is harsh and demanding. The song “Rock n’ Roll Band is more of a better song because it illustrates a success story without any negative words. “Have a Cigar” is more uptight and can be seen as a cynical song simply because of how the songwriter words the lyrics. The tones are important in both of these songs because they help develop the song more as well as adding to the general message of what the story behind the song is.
