Compare and contrast the tone of Boston's "Rock and Roll Band" with the tone of Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar". How do the artists' attitudes towards both subject matter and audience correspond and differ? Cite lyrics from the song to support your analysis.
27 comments:
In Boston's song, there is a happy and excited undertone. They talk about how far they've come and some of the struggles they endured while trying to reach their dream. Pink Floyd's song has more of a dark and cynical tone. They almost mock the lifestyle of being famous.
Where Boston says, "we barely made enough [money] to survive, but when we got up on stage and got ready to play, people came alive." they are talking about how even though they are having a rough time trying to make it in the "big city", when they're doing what they love, everything gets better. The reference to cigars in THIS song is insinuating that being famous would be a good thing, and is something to celebrate. This song definitely has more of a positive tone.
Floyd's song has more of a negative tone. Where they say "oh by the way, which one's pink?" they are saying that record producers are just using them to get money, and the music business is corrupting the purity of music. To the band playing music is not just a lifestyle, it's their whole life. The significance of the cigar in this song is that it represents playing into the lies that the lifestyle of fame is good. It's basically a bribe to pull the band in, when all they want to do is play their music.
So, even though these two songs are very similar in lyrics, the tones are very different, which makes the songs almost completely opposite.
-Victoria Ayer (per.B)
The bands, Boston, and Pink Floyd, are different and similar in many ways. They both show different tones that may express attitudes, or people throughout the song. They also have an important similarity, which is the main subject matter, and the smoking of cigars in which symbolizes success and victory.
The song "Rock n'Role Band", by Boston is a happy song about the band trying to make ends meet in a positive way. The song is saying that even though they didnt have much money, or they werent very successful, when they got up on stage, everything went away. The line, "You know everyone knew our name, livin o rock n' role music", explains how when they got up on the stage, they became noticed, and it felt good. The man who had reached to them to have them sign a record contract, had been smoking a cigar, which symbolized him being very successful and happy. The song, overall, shows a positive tone.
The song, "Have a Cigar," by Pink Floyd, has a much different tone from the song "Rock n' Roll Band". Pink floyds song has a more depressing mood/tone. Its hard for the band to make it to be successful, so they say "Dear boy, have a cigar," because they use the cigar as a thing to kind of 'take you away' from everything, as well as in "Rock n' Roll Band." They explain that having a cigar will equal success and conquest, and will make you go far, and will be "Riding the Gravy Train." 'Riding the Gravy Train' means simply living the good life. This whole song reverts back to the cigar, which brings Boston's Song, and Pink Floyd's song, together.
Both songs have the same subject matter, about the cigar in which represents something being successful and triumphant. Even though both songs have completely different tones, they both come together when it comes to the main plot.
Chelsie Corbeil period B
Both Pink Floyd’s ‘have a cigar” and Boston’s “Rock n’ Roll band are about being in a band and coming up in the world. The tone the way Boston sings the song is blissful. The song says, “Rock and roll band, everybody’s waiting’ Getting crazy Anticipating love and music.” Pink Floyd sings about how the life everyone wants may not be that great. They mock being a rock star. It shows the back side. When all a band wants to do is play, and they have a record company trying to sign them. The band refers to a manager who just cares about the money, and doesn’t even know the members of the band. The song says, “The band is fantastic, this is really what I think. Oh and by the way, which one’s Pink?
Griff Harlow
'Rock n' Roll Band' by Boston, and 'Have a Cigar' by Pink Floyd both have similarities in subject matter, yet the tone, and delivery that both bands use make the attitudes and feel to the songs completely different. Both songs are about signing a record deal and becoming famous.
Boston portrays getting a record deal as being a happy thing to them. In the line 'No, we didnt have much money, we barley made enough to survive, but when we got up on stage and got ready to play, people came alive' This line gives the listener an image of a struggling band who didnt make a lot of money yet when they played people really enjoyed them and they felt like everything was worth it. Also when the man from the record company greets them smoking a cigar and tells them 'Your goin to be a sensation!' it sounds very happy because of the exclemation point, and the way that the singer uses a very happy and excited tone.
In 'Have a Cigar' by Pink Floyd, the tone, as well as the music, does not make the song seem as happy, even though the subject matter is very similar to Boston's
song. Have a Cigar comes off as a dark, and unhappy song. Almost as though the band feels bad about selling out to a man who is all about money. In the line 'I've always had a deep respect, and i mean that most sincere' it sounds as though the man from the record label is trying too hard to convince them that he really likes them, or even like a script that he says to all the bands that he sings. Also in the line 'We heard about the sell out, you gotta get an album out' he is rushing the band to put an album out, to try and make money off of it. Albums take time to write and make great but it seems as though the man from the record label just wants. Floyd knows this and you can clearly feel the dark and almost devious meaning through the tone that is used.
These are two really good examples of how tone can completely change the way a song comes off to the listener. Both of these songs are about making it big and getting a record label, yetg one sounds very happy while the other sounds very dark. Which is why tone is very important to pay attention to in songs because there is a million different ways to say words and although they are the same words or sentences, the tone can completely change the way that the text is intended to mean.
'Rock n' Roll Band' by Boston, and 'Have a Cigar' by Pink Floyd both have similarities in subject matter, yet the tone, and delivery that both bands use make the attitudes and feel to the songs completely different. Both songs are about signing a record deal and becoming famous.
Boston portrays getting a record deal as being a happy thing to them. In the line 'No, we didnt have much money, we barley made enough to survive, but when we got up on stage and got ready to play, people came alive' This line gives the listener an image of a struggling band who didnt make a lot of money yet when they played people really enjoyed them and they felt like everything was worth it. Also when the man from the record company greets them smoking a cigar and tells them 'Your goin to be a sensation!' it sounds very happy because of the exclemation point, and the way that the singer uses a very happy and excited tone.
In 'Have a Cigar' by Pink Floyd, the tone, as well as the music, does not make the song seem as happy, even though the subject matter is very similar to Boston's
song. Have a Cigar comes off as a dark, and unhappy song. Almost as though the band feels bad about selling out to a man who is all about money. In the line 'I've always had a deep respect, and i mean that most sincere' it sounds as though the man from the record label is trying too hard to convince them that he really likes them, or even like a script that he says to all the bands that he sings. Also in the line 'We heard about the sell out, you gotta get an album out' he is rushing the band to put an album out, to try and make money off of it. Albums take time to write and make great but it seems as though the man from the record label just wants. Floyd knows this and you can clearly feel the dark and almost devious meaning through the tone that is used.
These are two really good examples of how tone can completely change the way a song comes off to the listener. Both of these songs are about making it big and getting a record label, yetg one sounds very happy while the other sounds very dark. Which is why tone is very important to pay attention to in songs because there is a million different ways to say words and although they are the same words or sentences, the tone can completely change the way that the text is intended to mean.
Even when the tone differs, “Rock and Roll Band” by Boston and Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” share the same meaning about the life of a garage band to a contracted, famous band. These songs are a great example of tone and show the differences in tone that can happen when there is two of the same subject matter. In “Rock and Roll Band” they take a positive concept to the becoming of a famous band and how much fun it is, in “Have a Cigar” they take a negative connotation of the subject and almost mock the whole cycle of becoming famous.
“Rock and Roll Band” by Boston is an amazing song concerning the trial and errors of a famous rock band. It starts off with “No, we didn’t have much money/We barely had enough to survive/But when we go up on stage and got ready to play/People came alive”, which shows that even if they were having hard times and not making a lot of money, they still loved playing shows and having fun. As the song goes on, “A man came to the stage one night/He smoked a big cigar/Drove a Cadillac car”, this is describing the ‘big wig’ of the music industry and how they just show up, and sign the band that they like. The idea of the cigar is a huge symbol used in both Floyd and Boston’s songs that describes a victorious cigar of signing a new band, or just to show the luxury of the manager.
“Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd is another great song that has the exact same meaning as Boston’s, the way a rock band get a record deal. “We call is Riding the Gravy Train” is a line shown up twice that means that they will be taking the easy way to make a lot of money. As this progresses they seem to denounce the music industry in “Everybody else is just green”, referring to the “green with envy” of the other band’s and how they are so jealous of the people. This tone is hard to notice in this song, not as easy as Boston’s song, but its well lit. The cigar is a symbol in the song’s title and in the first line, “Come in here, Dear Boy, have a cigar”, which still shows the luxury and privilege of the record executives going to try and get a contract.
Both these songs are a prime example for tone, and show the differences in which one subject matter could be construed as. Either criticizing or empowering the music industry, tones are in every song, but they are hard to notice unless you actually compare two about the same idea.
The tone of the songs "Rock n' Roll Band" by Boston and "Have a Cigar" by Pink Floyd overall have quite a few meanings in their tones. The tones of both are very similar to eachother, overall. But, both songs also have some smaller differences.
Boston and Pink Floyd's lyrics have a bit more differences in their tones. In Boston's song, there is a very happy tone where they sound very proud to have gotten as far as they had in their career. Floyd, on the other hand, has a tone of more darker meanings. Also, Boston states their success throughout the song whereas, Pink Floryd's lyrics sound more skeptical in their success as rock and roll stars. Boston's positive tone towards fame shows how much they worked for it but, Floyd is more mocking towards fame and looks at the negative sides of fame. These two songs have some different thoughts and tones to the meanings of them
As discussed in the last paragraph, "Rock n' Roll Band" and "Have a Cigar" have some different tones, but there are also similar meanings to their tones, too. Both bands sing about their success in the rock and roll career and how they actually worked very hard for it. For example, both songs compare cigars to fame which is an example of symbolism because cigars are a sign of victory. Also, both songs are about the start of their fame in being in a band.
These song's tones are very similar but, have a few differences too. These are great examples of songs to compare and contrast due to the large amounts of similarities in the meanings of their songs. Both, Boston and Pink Floyd, overall have the same outlook on how they started with fame.
Melissa Cash
Rock n’ Roll Band and Have a cigar are both okay songs. Pink Floyd and Boston have similar themes in their songs. One theme is fame. Both songs are about going on stage and performing; “Everybody’s waiting, they’re gonna love you”. They’re both successful and have a lot of fans. They feel like their dreams have come true. They’ve gotten a contract and now they want to celebrate. Both bands love performing. They have different themes too. Boston has a more positive tone. They’re happier and it seems like they do it for the fun and the fans. Pink Floyd has a darker feeling. It seems like they do it for the money and fame; “Everybody else is just green”. They think everybody else is just jealous because Pink Floyd is a successful band and they have money. However, their tone is skeptical. They use cigars as a motif for celebrating and having fun. Both bands have fame and a sense of accomplishment.
The song “Rock n’ Roll” By Boston sounds happier and more enjoying. This song has a positive tone and is looking on the upside of being rich and famous. Also, it’s looking on the good side of living the good life where everything is nice and people want to be like you. “We barely made enough to survive/ But when we got up on stage and got ready to play/ People come alive”. These lyrics show how everyone loves their music and it makes them come alive. “Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis”. These lyrics show how their music makes everyone want to dance and that the rock n’ roll life is all about the partying life. “Livin’ on rock-n-roll music/ Never worry ‘bout the things we were missing/ When we got up on the stage and got ready to play/ Everybody’d listen”. These lyrics show that rock-n-roll and music makes them seem like nothing is wrong and that they aren’t missing anything because they have nothing to worry or miss out on. All of these lyrics show a positive outlook and a positive tone of rock-n-roll and being famous.
The song “Have A Cigar” By Pink Floyd has a depressed and darker feeling to it. It also has a mocking tone. This song is skeptical and cynical which shows how the life of fame isn’t bad but it isn’t all that great either. “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” . These lyrics show that because they are famous, people are always trying to get to know them and pry into their personal life. “We heard about the sell-out/You gotta get an album out/ You owe it to the people”. These lyrics show that people are trying to get them to do what they want and that fame isn’t all that great. The line “Everybody else is just green” show that everyone is filled with envy because of the band. This song shows the tone of mocking the rich and famous life because it shows that the rock-n-roll life, although seems great, can be a bit of a hassle.
The shared tone qualities that these two songs have are that they are both about the rich, famous, rock-n-roll life. Also, they are both about being in a band getting a contract and becoming rich. The cigar in both songs is a motif and represents victory and celebrating. The cigar also represents age and people usually have cigars as a celebratory thing.
-Ariel Monat
The tone of Boston’s “Rock and Roll Band” greatly contrasts with the tone of Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar”. Both of these songs apply to the theme of fame and success. Although these songs relate to the same topic, they display very different views of the music industry and their success.
“Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston has a strong tone of happiness and positivity. Within the first verse, the lyrics “We didn’t have much money/We barely made enough to survive/but when we got up on stage and got ready to play/People came alive” display how they weren’t rich, but they were successful and had a great time doing what they did. Through their optimism and positivity, Boston talks about “Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis,” Dancing represents happiness, and they applied local color while adding to their tone. The lead’s voice even sounds overjoyed and satisfied with the life he lives as he sings “Rock n’ Roll Band”. In one verse towards the end of the song, Boston sings about getting signed to a record company contract by a man smoking a big cigar, and they remained positive throughout the entire song.
“Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd has a tone which contrasts from Boston’s song. “Have a Cigar” contains a negative tone, criticizing the music industry. Floyd’s song shows their skepticism of a man who is trying to sign their band because he “heard about the sell-out” that the band encountered. The man knew that the band had been successful so far, but he didn’t know much about the band, which was obvious as he asked, “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” He offers the narrator of the song a cigar, which also related to the Boston song, where there’s a man smoking a cigar. In these songs, the cigar represents luxury and success. In “Have a Cigar” Floyd displays their cynicism towards being in the music business just for the money and not for the fun.
Within Boston’s “Rock and Roll Band” and Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” the two bands display contrasting tones. “Rock and Roll Band” contains a tone of positivity and happiness, while “Have a Cigar” holds a tone of darkness and mocking. Both songs use cigars as a symbol of fame and luxury, while expressing different tones.
As we analyzed the songs “Rock n’ Roll Band” by: Boston and “Have a cigar” by: Pink Floyd the two subjects of the songs were consisting of the same subject matter. Both had to do with the subject of victory in some way, as well as two different views on the somewhat same subject.
The song “Rock n’ Roll Band” by” Boston is a great example of an energetic song, “Dancin’ in the street of Hyannis” as you listen to that part of the song it is upbeat, you can almost picture people dancing on the street smiling and laughing. “Livin’ on rock-n-roll music”, Boston uses this line to explain what they live through; they come alive when they listen to it. Pink Floyd’s song “Have a Cigar” is along the same lines as Boston’s song. The meanings of the songs and the lines that they sing have to do with the same subject matter except for the fact that Floyd explains it in more of a questioning, dark way. They explain that they are “Riding on the Gravy train” showing the easy life just like Boston’s song is like. The only difference is that they use it in more of a dark way, they mock more of the happy life and they are very cynical and skeptical towards the life that they are living.
Through analyzing these two songs, one can really see the struggles that people go through in life; some people could be writing about the same thing but have a completely different view on the subject. Both songs compare becoming a rock star to smoking cigars and having great victory through that.
In Rock n' roll music one of the many themes is 'making it' in the recording industry. Both "Have A Cigar" and "Rock n Roll Band" differ and parallel in many fronts. For example, both of those songs encompass this theme of 'making it'. Both of the songs, however, are much different in their tonal qualities.
Both of these artists, Pink Floyd and Boston, are implying the theme of 'making it' in the recording industry. Boston takes a very optimistic view towards this theme, svident in some of their lines such as, "When I hear you on the car radio you're going to be a sensation!", and, "livin on rock n' roll music. never worry bout the things we were missing". Pink Floyd, however, has a more cinical view towards this success, using lines such as "We heard about the sell out".
But how is this different?
The difference is that both bands are talking about being succesful in the music industry, one enjoys it but the other is not so fond of this success. It takes special tonal charecteristics to show sarcasm or happiness, tonal charecteristics which are evidently different in these songs
The songs “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd share and also differ through the subject of tonal qualities. Boston has several positive outlooks where Pink Floyd expresses their tone in a depressing selfish way mocking a producer.
Both songs share tonal qualities. For example Boston and the producer of Floyd are comparing lives to being in a band. They use the motif of a cigar in comparison. Cigar could be an example of victory and success. When we hear the word “cigar” we think of expensive, luxury and older men. This is a connotation to a cigarette; if the artist Boston and Pink Floyd compared their music and lives to cigarette I think this would be a downfall to their record selling. Today when people hear the word cigarette they think cheap and low class.
Within the song “Rock n’ Roll Band” the artist focuses on a happy tone for the audience to enjoy. While using exclamation points and strong vocals they help bring the point across. Their tones are good and positive outlook on being famous. For example a line from the song is “No, we didn’t have much money/ We barely made enough to survive/ But when we got up on stage and got ready to play/ People came alive.” This like is helping express their happy tone because it is showing how the stage is their savior, and that is where they belong. They are going to live their famous life having fun and being happy and being able to share that experience with their listeners. Whereas the song “Have a Cigar” focuses on a deeper tone. They are basically mocking Boston. The lines “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,” reinforce the tone. We see here that Floyd is making fun of the producer because he is over compensating the fact and is being too nice for them to even believe it. This song is also just about success, not enjoy themselves to reach that success. The lines say “You gotta get and album out/ You owe it to the people,” the producers’ wants them to maximize money and its pressure on the band. They are saying that the producer is being overly cocky as well by saying “Everybody else is just green.” Other words everyone is “green with envy” and they are all jealous of Pink Floyd.
The songs “Rock n’ Role Band” and “Have a Cigar,” are great examples of two different types of tones comparing a cigar to reality in life. Tones can affect the type of song, and if people decide to listen to their songs. Boston and Floyd are singing about the same subject but from different points of view.
Boston’s “Rock and Roll Band” and Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” both demonstrate tone. Both artists express tone in different ways; however, they also share tonal qualities. Boston and Pink Floyd have different attitudes toward their sub ject matter and their audiences react differently.
In the song “Rock and Roll Band”, Boston expresses their tone in a positive way. Their tonal quality is happier and shows the good side of fame. Boston has a convincing voice when they sing their song and they have a positive attitude toward their audience. An example of Boston’s positive tone is when they sing, “No, we didn’t have much money/we barely made enough to survive/but when we got up on stage and got ready to play/people came alive.” This is saying that even though they did not have much money, they were famous and their fans came alive when they played there music, so they were meant to be Rock and Roll stars. Also, the line “dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis” is an example because it’s a happy line, and expresses a positive tone.
Pink Floyd differs from Boston because in their song “Have a Cigar”, their tone is more depressing. They are mocking the life of fame, when in the song “Rock and Roll Band” they are expressing the good side of fame. Floyd has a negative tone and has a more depressed and darker feeling to the song. In their song, Floyd is skeptical and cynical about fame and the situations fame puts you in. For example, the line “of by the way, which one’s Pink?” is trying to say how people represent them and record companies want to sign them, but they do not even know who they really are. The line “everybody else is just green” means that everyone is just jealous and envy’s others. Lastly, Floyd says the line, “riding the Gravy Train” meaning the Gravy Train is like living the easy life, but the easy life is not always good and has negatives to it.
Boston and Floyd share tonal qualities as well. Both songs are about being in a band and being famous. Also, both songs compare fame to a cigar because a cigar is a symbol of victory, success, and privilege. Floyd and Boston both express different tone in their songs and are singing about the same thing, but from different viewpoints.
Both songs “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd share the same subject but have different tonal qualities. While the subject is talking about being famous and the positive and negatives about being in a band, the tone of each song has a different attitude toward the subject.
The song “Rock n’ Roll Band” has a positive attitude and tone towards the subject. Boston’s lyrics use positive words that influence the song and tone to show the audience that being famous has its advantages. For example, “we didn’t have much money/We barely made enough to survive/ but when we got up on stage and got ready to play/people came alive.” This lyric shows the artists positive attitude toward being famous by stating that they didn’t need money to survive they just needed to play and see their audience come alive and that was enough for them. Another example is when they say “dancing in the streets of Hyannis”. This line shows pure happiness and joy that helps the audience imagine themselves in Boston’s position and enjoying their life as being famous. Boston is an upbeat song and has a positive attitude towards being famous while the audience gets to experience their happiness.
The song “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd has a negative attitude and tone towards the subject. In a way it is mocking Boston’s song and showing that being famous is negative. They have a darker and depressed attitude toward the song. Also, there lyrics are cynical and are always looking for a way to criticize the situation. In the lyrics they tell a story about being famous and how the producers are “overly nice” and fake. An example of this is when they say “oh by the way, which ones pink”. This is showing that the producer doesn’t care about them or even know much about them and he wants to sign them just for the money. Another example of Floyd “making fun” of the producer is when they say “Riding on the Gravey Train” because that is what the producer will say as if they are going to live the good life but the tone shows that they are really making fun of the producer and know that he is full of lies. Floyd’s tone is a great way to analyze and understand the real ups and downs of being famous. The tone helps us show that Boston’s lyrics and song isn’t all the truth.
Although both songs have different tone, they do have something similar about their songs. They compare being famous to smoking cigars. A cigar is a symbol of success and privilege. In conclusion, boston’s lyrics are a positive tone while floyd’s lyrics are a negative tone toward the subject of being famous.
In the song “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston the song describes a band’s rise; the tone is hopeful and you get the sense that the band is truly pleased with their big break. In a similar song “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd the band’s encounter with success has a different feeling entirely. The tone of this song is not so hopeful and despite the prospect of fame the sense is that the band is not delighted with their situation. Both songs explain the same events however the tone is so drastically different the meaning of the songs are nearly opposites.
“Rock n’ Roll Band” is in the point of view of the band and explains how the band feels about their music. For example in the beginning of the song it is stated, “And we practiced right on out in the street; No, we didn’t have much money; We barely made enough to survive; But when we got up on stage and got ready to play; People came alive”, although having to practice on streets and not having much money is not an ideal situation, but despite all that the band played well and enjoyed being on stage. By the middle of the song you get the sense that the band is actually good because of the examples that show the reactions of audience members, “People stood in line and didn’t seem to mind; You know everybody knew our name”, by showing that the band actually is good it lends to the truthful and hopeful tone.
Pink Floyd’s song “Have a Cigar” is in the point of view of a man representing a record company and this does not allow for the listener to get any sense of the band’s music or how successful they actually are. For example the song states, “We heard about the sell-out; You gotta get an album out; You owe it to the people”, you get the sense that the focus is on money and not on the actual music or the band. This gives the song a less hopeful tone and you can tell that the speaker is not being truthful. Despite the success of the band portrayed in the song you do not get the feeling that the band is happy at all.
The songs "Rock n' Roll Band" by Boston and "Have a Cigar' by Pink Floyd both show different tonal qualities and both share some tonal qualities throughout the songs. Each band shows tonal qualities through the lyrics of the song and the way the sing the song towards the audience.
The subject of matter is shared in each song. The bands both talk about becoming famous, signing contracts and being in Rock n’ Roll bands. There is a motif of a cigar that each band talks about. The cigar signifies victory, happy time, and success. Usually when people talk about having a cigar they usually are smoking it because something good has happened. I find the cigar has a different connotation than a cigarette. A cigar I think of old men having a good time. When I think of cigarette’s I think of older woman who smoke because they are stressed out or it relaxes them.
There are many different examples of a happy tonal quality in the song “Rock n’ Roll Band’ by Boston. The band Boston always shows a positive tone and looks for the best in things throughout the song and you can see it in their lyrics, “No, we didn’t have much money/we barely made enough to survive/ But we got up on stage and got ready to play/ People came alive”. This is very positive and it shows that they never gave up when they were as low on the Totem Pole as you can go. Boston live and breathe Rock n’ Roll and they do not care of anything else, “Livin’ on rock-n-roll music/ Never worry ‘bout the things we were missing/ When we got up on the stage and got ready to play/ Everybody’d listen. Boston always showed that being positive rubs off on your audience and will keep your band as positive as possible.
“Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd sows a depressed and darker feeling of tone quality in their song. The tone is almost mocking. They are “skeptical” and they ask questions throughout the song as if they didn’t know their future and aren’t very positive about their future. “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink”, no one from the group is named Pink Floyd. This is a representation of Sinicism of the group, because they do not even know who they are and what they are suppose to be doing. “Everyone is just green”, Pink Floyd thought that everyone was jealous of them because of the money they were making. Also Pink Floyd mentions “And did we tell you the name of the game, Boy?/ we call it Riding the Gravy Train”, “Gravy Train” represents a luxury kind of life, that’s what it seems like by the tone they are singing in but Pink Floyd are making fun of the Producers.
The tonal qualities of happiness positive tones and a depressed darker feeling are displayed throughout the songs “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar”. Each band connects with their audience by the different tonal qualities and shared tonal qualities. It is amazing how each song contrasted each other by the different tonal qualities.
Two songs can have extremely similar content while having nearly opposite tones. A perfect example of this is in "Rock n' Roll" by Boston and "Have a Cigar" by Pink Floyd. Both songs are about rising to the top of the charts and becoming rockstars. While they are both about success each band has a completely different description of it.
In "Rock n' Roll" there is an obvious tone of optimism. In the third verse when they say "you know i've got great expectations when i hear you on the car radio Your going to be a great sensation!" it is there agent telling them they are going to be stars. They have worked hard and are excited about the news. They believe every word of it and it shows in the tone. The tone is also naive. They are willing to trust this agent just because he is complimenting them.
"Have a Cigar" By Pink Floyd is the exact opposite. While they are also talking to an agent about making it big they are much more skeptical. This agent is talking it up like they're the next big thing but they think it seems to good to be true. Unlike Boston they know what it's like to be famous and are much less excited about making more money.
While both songs are about the same thing they provoke completely different emotions. Boston is more excited and it deffinatly shows in their music. Pink Floyd on the other hand is much darker. They know they are great and someone telling them that doesn't change anything. they seem almost bored with fame and that also shows in their music.
-Mike Adler
Breaking out of the rock-n-roll mainstream, the bands Pink Floyd and Boston decided to take two contrasting perspectives on their stardom. Though the songs “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd reflect upon their general feeling towards becoming a success, Boston offers a youthful, positive tone while Pink Floyd has a realistic, pessimistic tone. It is through their words that the audience receives insight on the realities of rock-n-roll.
As apparent in both “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar”, the excitement and energy of the crowd remains the same, yet the artists feel differently towards them. Filled with youthful aspiration, Boston sings, “No, we didn’t have much money/ We barely made enough to survive/ But when we got up on stage and got ready to play/ People came alive.” In this spirit, they are inspired and driven by the crowd while in “Have a Cigar” by Floyd, they mention, “We heard about the sell out/ You gotta get an album out/ You owe it to the people,” which emphasizes their obligation to their fans, not their passion towards them. Both songs relate their success to specifically smoking cigars, yet though both bands earned their contracts, Floyd is more skeptical in response to the music industry; whereas, Boston takes a more optimistic tone, “when I hear you on the car radio/ You’re gonna be a sensation.” This verse from Boston’s “Rock n’ Roll Band” is contrasted with Floyd’s satirical verse, “The band is just fantastic/ that is really what I think/ Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” Floyd seemingly understands the practical side of the music industry; while, Boston maintains a young, ignorant outlook.
Though the bands are in the same competitive industry, they focus on different aspects of their experiences. There is no doubt that both bands are grateful for having the chance to play in front of a live audience, yet it is apparent that they offer two different realities in their experiences.
Boston’s “Rock and Roll Band” and Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” are both very similar and dissimilar to each other. Both of these songs are both talking about the same concept of fame. However, Pink Floyd’s tone in his song, “Have a Cigar”, is not quite the same as the tone of Boston’s “Rock and Roll Band.”
Boston and Pink Floyd’s songs both contain many similarities. The subject matter, fame, is very similar within both of the songs however; it is conveyed very differently within each band’s overall tone. Pink Floyd mocks fame and uses a very dark and depressing feeling throughout the song, “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.” They are talking about how somebody is trying to sign the band and the members of the band feel as though the person who is talking to the band about signing them seems very sarcastic and twofaced. Also, Pink Floyd felt as though the person that was trying to sign them doesn’t really know who they are when they ask, “Oh by the way, which one’s pink?” This is an example of cynicism which adds to the overall tone of the song. However, Boston has a very different take on the theme of fame. Boston uses a very positive, optimistic tone throughout their song. They make becoming famous sound as though it is a very good thing within their lyrics, for example, “Livin’ on rock-n-roll music/Never worry ‘bout the things we were missing/When we got up on the stage and got ready to play/Everybody’d listen.” This exemplifies how they live for making music and love being famous, and shows how they feel their fame is a very positive thing. Boston also sounds very happy throughout the whole song when they sing about, “Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis/We were getting pretty good at the game…” This shows how happy they are because of fame. A similarity between the songs of Pink Floyd and Boston is they both use the same symbol, a cigar. A cigar symbolizes victory, success, and privilege and both of these songs contain the symbol of a cigar. Boston uses the symbol when they say, “A man came to the stage one night/He smoked a big cigar/Drove a Cadillac car/And said, boys, I think this bands outta-sight/Sign a record company contract.” Using the cigar shows how they were about to become very successful and how the person smoking the guitar was successful. In Pink Floyd’s song they say, “Come in here, Dear boy, have a cigar, You’re gonna go far, You’re gonna fly high, You’re never gonna die, You’re gonna make it, if you try; They’re gonna love you.” This is being said to the band and the person who is offering them a contract is offering them a cigar as well which is a symbol of success, just as it was used in Boston’s song. However, Pink Floyd conveys the symbol of the cigar as very dark and depressing.
Overall, both Pink Floyd and Boston's songs are exemplary of the poetic device, tone. In Pink Floyd's song, you can tell that the band uses a depressed or dark tone just by the way they're singing the song. Also, the lyrics depict what they are singing about, fame, is very dark as well. Boston's uses a very optimistic tone throughout their song. They depict fame as a very good thing and it makes them dance and love what they're doing. All in all, both groups do an exemplary job at expressing the way they feel about what they are singing, and you can tell the way they feel by their tone.
Tone is the attitude of the band toward their listeners. In the case of Boston’s “Rock n’ Roll Band” and Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar”, the bands are singing about the same subject matter, fame in rock and roll music. However, the tone that is conveyed by the bands are entirely different. Boston’s “Rock and Roll Band” suggests the ease and happiness that can be associated with fame in the rock and roll industry. On the contrary, Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” mocks the fame that is associated with rock and roll, and communicates the depressing and dark realties of this fame.
In Boston’s “Rock n’ Roll Band”, the band has a positive outlook on the fame that is associated with being in a rock and roll band. “No, we didn’t have much money/We barely made enough to survive/But when we got up on stage and got ready to play/People come alive” (Boston). The tone of the band as displayed in this song is that fame is worthwhile, even though it may be hard to come by. Fame, as is portrayed in “Rock n’ Roll Band”, shows that fame in rock and roll is valuable and always exciting. Because the tone of the song is positive, the band is able to convince their listeners with their optimism.
Unlike Boston’s tone toward fame in the rock and roll industry, Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” depicts a depressing and darker feeling toward the industry. The band makes use of satire by mocking the fame that is associated with fame in the rock and roll industry. Throughout “Have a Cigar”, a skeptical and cynical outlook on being famous is apparent. “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” (Floyd).
The two bands take a different approach at describing fame in rock and roll, and the tones in the two songs are dissimilar even though the subject matter is the same. Despite this, the two songs have some similarities. “Have a Cigar” and “Rock n’ Roll Band” are both about being in a rock and roll band and the fame that entails. Also, both bands use the motif of a cigar and compare this with fame in the industry. Ordinarily, cigars are used to represent victory, privilege, and celebration. In Floyd's "Have a Cigar", the use of the cigar is to mock the ease that is thought to accompany fame in the music industry. “Come in here, Dear boy, have a cigar/You’re gonna go far/You’re gonna fly high” (Floyd). However, Boston uses the motif of a cigar as a symbol of prosperity and affluence in “Rock n’ Roll Band”. “A man came to the stage one night/He smoked a big cigar/Drove a Cadillac car” (Boston).
The bands Boston and Pink Floyd both have songs about fame. In both songs someone tells them at the band is great and a cigar is described, a cigar which would celebrate their success. Only in one song it’s a good thing and in the other is a bad thing.
The tone in “Rock and Roll Band” by Boston is a positive one. The song is fast and their attitude is heard through their voices, happiness of their success and fame. They talk about how they play along the streets of Hyannis and “you know everyone knew our name.” The chorus is about how everyone was waiting for music and love, probably love for the band.
On the other hand Pink Floyds, “Have a Cigar” is slow, negative and it’s totally narrated by their record company. The tone is mocking how great fame is because they’ve heard the same phrase used to describe every band. The annoyed tone comes in when the record company says, oh I really have a great respect for you, and you’re fantastic, “oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” Meaning they think that there is a member of the group named Pink Floyd. That statement makes everything said before, artificial, because if they did have respect they would know there isn’t a person named Pink.
-Katie Rogers
When listening to the songs “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd, one might notice at first how similar the songs are. They have the same subject matter and even similar symbols. If one were to listen to the tone of the songs, however, they could be considered opposites of each other. The tones of the song are able to create the correct message the writers wanted.
The lyrics of both the songs may seem very similar. Both are about the bands being offered record contracts. The two songs even contain the same symbol, a cigar, which is meant to represent success and celebration. Both have the potential for success. The tones that the songs give are what make them extreme differences. Boston’s song gives off a tone of excitement and happiness even though they go through hard times to be able to play their music. Lines such as, “No, we didn’t have much money/we barely made enough to survive/But we got up on stage and got ready to play/People came alive” show how performing their music was worth their troubles. Their clear use of exclamation points like, “You’re gonna be a sensation!” are clear examples of their happy tone. Pink Floyd is able o convey a completely different tone in “Have a Cigar”. Floyd tries to highlight a more cynical side of the music industry. They portray a man trying to sign them that overcompensates with kindness for the little knowledge he has of the band. An example of this is when the man says to them, “The band is just fantastic/that is really what I think/ Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” Floyd goes on to sing about how, “Everyone else is just green,” and how the manager is pressuring them to move forward for his own selfish reasons. Both of the songs are about beginning in the elite world of music, but they both have clear and different tones.
Listening to these two songs really show the importance of understanding tone. Without their tones, many would not understand the bands intentions. Floyd’s more cynical idea of being signed might be confused by some to be the same as Boston’s idea of it being exciting. Although both songs share the same subject matter, the tones of each song set them apart.
Both Boston and Pink Floyd had fame and iconic rock star status in their day. “Rock and Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd are both about fame and making it big in the music business. Many bands and artists write songs about their personal successes. It is a sort of rite of passage when someone gets famous to celebrate by writing a song about their successes. Both songs are about the same thing while demonstrating opposite tones.
The music in these two songs is the first thing that sets them apart. The music in Boston’s song is based on a major scale, thus having a happier and more upbeat music. Floyd’s song is in a minor blues scale, giving it a much slower and solemn feel to the music. The lyrics, along with the music in Boston’s song, are very joyous and fun. With lines like “Getting crazy/anticipating love and music,” and “Dancin in the streets of Hyannis,” this song sounds like so much fun! In Floyd’s song, David Gilmore sings like he doesn’t really care about what is going on. Everything he says sounds very sarcastic, so even the lines that seem like they could be happy and upbeat are really mocking and sarcastic. There are also many similarities between these two songs. Both are about fame and making it big in the Rock scene. The successes of these bands are communicated with the motif of a celebratory cigar.
Both Iconic groups have had great amazing success. Although both of these songs are about the same thing, they couldn't be more different. "Rock and Roll Band" celebrates the victory of making it in one of the toughest industries. To the contrary, "Have a cigar" mocks fame. Viewing it as an unworthy prize that will corrupt their band. Tone is the only thing that separates the true meaning of these songs.
Boston’s song, “Rock n’ Roll Band” and Pink Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” both display tone. Tone is a literary technique that is part of a composition, which accommodates attitude towards the subject and audience implied in the literary work. Tone can be formal, informal, playful, ironic or many other possible attitudes. Both songs can be compared and contrasted to one another pertaining to tonal qualities.
The tone objected in "Rock n' Roll Band" by Boston is a positive tone. When singing about reaching their fame, they sing it with a happy tone of voice. They looked at trying to reach their success in an optomistic way when they say "We barely made enough to survive but when we got up on stage and got ready to play people came alive." Also, their actions and confidence in themselves are clearly portraid when they say "Never worry 'bout the things we were missing when we got up on stage and got ready to play everybody'd listen."
The tone that is objected in "Have a Cigar" by Pink Floyd is a negitive tone. It almost has a "mocking" tone of voice to it when a record company tells them that "The band is just fantastic, that is really what i think. Oh by the way, which one's Pink?" Also, he tells them that "Well i've always had a deep respect, and i mean that most sincere," when he didn't even know much about the band. The song is also known to be skeptical when they say "It's a hell of a start, It could be made into a monster if we all pull together as a team." He is reassuring how great their success can be.
Both songs, "Rock n Roll Band" and "Have a Cigar" sing about trying to reach their fame in the form of a narration. They both compaire their success as a "game". Boston says as they were "Dancing in the streets of Hyannis," they were "Getting pretty good at the game." This game is more like a metaphor of the process/steps to becoming famous. Pink Floyd's interpritation of the game in, "And did we tell you the name of the game, boy? We call it Riding the Gravy Train," is more of a glorified way to say they can be lazy and still have the glory without the kind of potential Boston has.
In the two songs, “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd, there is a clear difference in tones that is expressed through their lyrics. Boston’s song has an upbeat, positive tone and Floyd’s is more of a depressed, mocking tone. Even though there clear differences there are some similarities within the lyrics as well; some of the same symbols and comparisons are used to transfer the understanding of what it is like to be famous. “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar” have similar subjects about fame and being in a band. These artists use different techniques and their different view to show what how fame has affected them; with both a positive and negative tones to help the listener further understand the lyrics.
In the song “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston gives the listener a feeling of a positive attitude and the upbeat feeling on what it is like to be in a band. Talking about “Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis” and “Livin’ on rock-n-roll music” shows the reader that these people love what they are doing. They use the line, “he smoked a big cigar” to explain that to them being a rockstar is a celebratory thing. Boston explains the good side of being famous and about “Getin’ crazy” while traveling in on the road. “Rock n’ Roll Band” is different from “Have a Cigar” because it has a positive tone with the view of being famous is the life.
Now in the song “Have a Cigar” by Floyd is almost the complete opposite of the tone in the first song. The lyrics contain a negative, depressive and almost mocking tone with a solemn attitude of being famous. They make it look like being famous is a joke and that every record dealer makes it appear like everyone can be famous. The whole idea of a “celebratory cigar” is completely different then the song by Boston. The band gives the impression of mocking the whole idea of being famous.
Both songs have a different view on being famous one being happy, optimistic and upbeat the other depressing and mocking. Boston and Floyd have extreme different point of view but on the same idea.
In the two songs, “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston and “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd, there is a clear difference in tones that is expressed through their lyrics. Boston’s song has an upbeat, positive tone and Floyd’s is more of a depressed, mocking tone. Even though there clear differences there are some similarities within the lyrics as well; some of the same symbols and comparisons are used to transfer the understanding of what it is like to be famous. “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar” have similar subjects about fame and being in a band. These artists use different techniques and their different view to show what how fame has affected them; with both a positive and negative tones to help the listener further understand the lyrics.
In the song “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston gives the listener a feeling of a positive attitude and the upbeat feeling on what it is like to be in a band. Talking about “Dancin’ in the streets of Hyannis” and “Livin’ on rock-n-roll music” shows the reader that these people love what they are doing. They use the line, “he smoked a big cigar” to explain that to them being a rockstar is a celebratory thing. Boston explains the good side of being famous and about “Getin’ crazy” while traveling in on the road. “Rock n’ Roll Band” is different from “Have a Cigar” because it has a positive tone with the view of being famous is the life.
Now in the song “Have a Cigar” by Floyd is almost the complete opposite of the tone in the first song. The lyrics contain a negative, depressive and almost mocking tone with a solemn attitude of being famous. They make it look like being famous is a joke and that every record dealer makes it appear like everyone can be famous. The whole idea of a “celebratory cigar” is completely different then the song by Boston. The band gives the impression of mocking the whole idea of being famous.
Both songs have a different view on being famous one being happy, optimistic and upbeat the other depressing and mocking. Boston and Floyd have extreme different point of view but on the same idea.
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