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Pigs (three Different Ones)




  Cover PinkfloydAnimalsjpg
  Artist Pink Floyd
  Album Animals
  Released January 23 1977 ( UK )<br /> February 2 1977 ( US )
  Track No 3
  Recorded April - May 1976
  Genre Progressive Rock
  Length ~11:22 (Depends on album)
  Writer Roger Waters
  Label Harvest Records (UK)<br /> Capitol Records (US)
  Producer Pink Floyd
  "" class="copylinks" target="_blank">Chart position = <!-- none -->
  Prev Dogs
  Prev No 2
  Next Sheep
  Next No 4


"Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is a song from Pink Floyd 's 1977 album '' Animals ''. In the three parts of " Dogs ", " Pigs " and " Sheep ", Pigs represents the people Roger Waters considers at the top of the Social Ladder , the ones with the Wealth and the Power . It also delves into who manipulates and encourages the rest of society to be viciously competitive and cutthroat in order for them to remain powerful. Waters suggests the Pigs manipulate the Dogs in the line, "Gotta admit, that I'm a little bit confused, Sometimes it seems to me, as if I'm just being used."


SUMMARY

The first verse refers to no one in particular, rather Businessmen in general. The second verse, however, is an all out assault on then opposition leader Margaret Thatcher (who the band indirectly say they wish to shoot - "Good fun with a hand gun" - and call a "bus stop rat bag/fucked up old hag"). She is, however, never mentioned by name.

The third mentions Mary Whitehouse by name, painting her as a Prudish , sexually repressed "house proud Town Mouse ". This could not have done more to contribute to Whitehouse's negative image of Pink Floyd, who she thought were immorally promoting Sex and Drugs . Some people misconstrued this verse as "Hey You White House " as in taking a shot at the US political climate.

Apparently during this part of song, some of the original words were in fact censored by the band or its management before the final mix was recorded for release. Consequently we do not hear the actual words that the group used to describe Mary Whitehouse in detail - just a few "grunting sounds" and the words previously mentioned.

Halfway through the song, Gilmour uses a Heil Talk Box on the guitar solo and Waters uses a Vocoder to mimic the sound of pigs. Because of this song, guitars played with talk boxes are commonly referred to as "pig guitars".


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TRIVIA

  • This song was referenced in the South Park episode, Fourth Grade, in which Cartman says "Ha Ha, Charade You Are" to Ms. Choksondik, and this line is repeated to his babysitter Shelly in the episode entitled "Cat Orgy".

  • This song includes the first use of a talk box by Pink Floyd. ''Animals'' album trivia

  • In the 1977 tour, during this song, Roger Waters shouted a different number for each concert. This purportedly has the purpose of identifying Bootleg Recording s. The Roger Numbers Game



PERSONNEL


Recording Date(s) - April, and May 1976 at the band's own Britannia Row Studios , Islington , London .


REFERENCES