As we dry off from the emotional downpour of November Rain, the next piece of music we’ve decided to pair with some cigars has a very different vibe. Have a Cigar was a psychedelic 1975 hit for one of the most innovative rock bands in music history. However, it’s nothing to do with the calming and relaxing effects of cigar smoking.
Instead, it’s a scathing attack on the music industry, written about corporations and their greed within the business and control of their musicians. Folk rock singer-songwriter Roy Harper performs the lead vocal, but who is the band beseeched to ‘ride the gravy train?’
Who sang Have a Cigar?
The third track off their conceptual Wish You Were album (1975), the music and lyrics for Have a Cigar were written by Roger Waters of the band Pink Floyd. The LP was the follow-up to their blockbuster album Dark Side of the Moon (1973), which brought them international fame.
One of the group’s most underrated and funkiest songs, the biting lyrics are their way of saying to the record company “Just give me a cigar, and we’ll be just fine.” This was a response to constantly being bugged for a huge sequel to the Dark Side of the Moon record.
In the US, Have a Cigar was released as a single but did not chart. It was last performed live by the band in 1977 and is still a favorite with many diehard Pink Floyd fans. Boasting a stunning melody and swirling synth riff, it features an amazing outro culminating in a magical bluesy solo from their legendary guitarist, Dave Gilmour.
Another interesting fact about the song is it’s represented on the back cover of the album. It depicts an image of a salesman standing in a desert offering Pink Floyd albums. However, the salesman lacks a body or soul, which sums up how they felt about the record company.
Best cigars to smoke while listening to Have a Cigar
Given the Wish You Were album has a 26-minute composition divided into nine parts (Shine on You Crazy Diamond), Have a Cigar seems merely a baby with its 5:17 running time.
These cigars are all quick-fire smokes that will 20-30 minutes, but you can choose a classic Robusto if you’re listening to this epic album in full, which comes in just under 45 minutes.
Arturo Fuente Exquisito Maduro
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Length: 4.50
Ring: 33
Strength: Mellow - Medium
Smoke Time: 22 minutes
A little piece of magic that delivers roasted coffee, dark cocoa, and pepper tones, the Arturo Fuente Exquisito Maduro uses the highest quality vintage Dominican binder and filler tobaccos from the Fuente family’s own Chateau de la Fuente fields.
It’s draped in a rich, tantalizing brown Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper that gives the stick a natural vanilla and honey sweetness, and is a great-sized smoke with your morning coffee.
If your palate is more suited for creamy smooth flavors, you can choose the Arturo Fuente Exquisito to be dressed in a specially grown Connecticut Shade wrapper.
AJ Fernandez Last Call Habano Chiquitas
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Rosado Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 3.50
Ring: 50
Strength: Medium
Smoke Time: 30 minutes
Cloaked in an enticing, oily Ecuadorian Rosado Habano wrapper, this dynamite cigar delivers quite a punch in its 30-minute burn time. It’s carefully blended by the masterful Fernandez using filler tobaccos grown from prized seeds proprietary to his family and is as easy on the wallet as it is on the palate.
Fire up the Last Call Habano Chiquitas for a saucerful of secrets, including black pepper, cinnamon, earth, and walnuts. Don’t worry if your palate is possessed by the dark side (of the moon), as this tiny powerhouse cigar is also available in a Maduro Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper.
Oliva Serie V Melanio Petite Corona
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Jalapa Valley Ligero
Length: 4.50
Ring: 46
Strength: Full
Smoke Time: 25 minutes
Expertly constructed and seamlessly rolled using a carefully aged Jalapa blend, the Oliva Serie V Melanio Petite Corona extols the palate with a heavy dose of Ligero spice. It utilizes an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that oozes a light coffee bean hue and pleasant pre-light hints of cedar and natural tobacco.
This box-pressed mini robusto has a flawless burn, teasing the tastebuds with an exciting tapestry of caramel, cardamom, leather, toast, and white pepper. The ligero spice intensifies as you make your way down this sublime smoke without leaving you feeling uncomfortably numb.
