Though both “Rock n’ Roll Band” and “Have a Cigar” illustrate the climb to fame in the music industry, “Rock n’ Roll Band” utilizes a nostalgic tone and humbled characterization in order to articulate the gratifying “sensation” fame has brought while “Have a Cigar” incorporates a cynical tone and deliberate ambiguity in order to illuminate the “monster” the prospect of fame has manifested.
Boston regresses back to the time of the beginning of the band in order to provide an accurate account of the events and emotions. Beginning at the start of the climb he remembers how the band used to sleep “in our cars” portraying character and tone. The band’s disposition is further revealed when they “never worry ‘bout the things we were missing” aiding and revealing the humbled nature fame has brought to the band. Utilizing simple words such as “just” and deliberately placing them, the speaker is able to create a nostalgic tone inviting the listeners to delve back into the band’s past. “You’re going to be a sensation” suggest that the bands future looks bright, however the listeners know the band was “outta- sight.” “Rock n’ Roll Band” by Boston expresses through a nostalgic tone the humbled feelings fame has brought the band.
Through a personal recount the band Boston is able to express the positives of fame but the band Pink Floyd takes on the persona of their agent in order to express the negatives of fame. Beginning with a mocking tone as the agent proclaims “you’re never gonna die” the band’s feelings of fame have surfaced. The mocking tone soon progresses into a cynical tone as they fall into the “monster” of fame and are forced to play the “game.” This cynical tone is further expressed through the carefully placed ambiguous words. The agent congratulates the band on their “sell-out,” which on the surface seems like an achievement to be proud of. However, the deliberate placement of the words does not directly point to an achievement, but a failure. The words “sell- out” could be referring to the fact that the band sold themselves to the music industry, a choice, through the mocking cynical tone, they wished they had considered more.
In “Rock n’ Roll Band” character and tone work together to depict the positives fame has brought to the band and also to convey their grateful feelings for having this opportunity. In contrast the song “Have a Cigar” contains tone and ambiguity that also work off each other, but they depict the negatives of fame and the regret they carry for having this opportunity thrust upon them. The similar subjects of the song, the climb to fame, are both clarified in different lights depending on the tone that each was influenced by.
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