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"High Hopes" is a song from the 1994 Pink Floyd album, The Division Bell, composed by David Gilmour with lyrics of Polly Samson. Its lyrics speak of the things one may have gained and lost in life, written from an autobiographical angle by Gilmour. Douglas Adams, a friend of Gilmour's, chose the album title from one of the lyrics in this song.
Song information
Pink Floyd manager, Steve O'Rourke, who lobbied to be included on one of the group's albums, appears at the end with Gilmour's stepson, Charlie, who hangs up a telephone on O'Rourke.
The beginning of "High Hopes" is reminiscent of another of his songs, "Fat Old Sun", from the Pink Floyd album Atom Heart Mother. Bells chime at the beginning of both pieces, for example.
The bird sounds and fly buzzing can also be traced back to "Grantchester Meadows", a song from the 1969 Pink Floyd album, Ummagumma, written by Roger Waters.
The song features a short guitar tacet, musically similar to a section of "Welcome to the Machine", from approximately 2:57 - 3:48.
This being the very last song that Pink Floyd has written to date (and its placement at the end of their last album of new material to date) lends itself to the interpretation that the song narrates the story of the band's career, from their beginnings to their grandiose success (with The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall) to their breakup to their carrying on. The final line ("The endless river, forever and ever") ties into one of the band's first hits, "See Emily Play" ("Float on a river, forever and ever").
"High Hopes" was included in the 2001 compilation, Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd with a shortened slide-guitar solo.
Quote
| “ |
"High Hopes" was really the last one, it was written after all the other (songs) were sort of, in some form or another. I think I wrote it in July or something. It was very, very quick. It's one of those ones that works, quickly, but beautifully, almost immediately and, I came up with a tiny bit of music, just had it on a cassette, just a few bars of piano. And then I went off to get away to a small house somewhere with my girlfriend, Polly, and try and make some progress on the lyric writing. And she gave me a phrase about something about before time wears you down. And I took it from there, and...got stuck into a whole sort of thing about, I suppose, my, it's autobiographical really, I suppose I'd have to say on that one, it's about my life, Cambridge life, and my childhood, I suppose. Yeah, we came up with it very, very quickly, we wrote the words to it in, most of the words to it in a day. And then I went back to the studio, with no one else there, the minute I got back, and put a demo down of it. Did everything myself on it, and it was virtually complete in a day. |
” |
David Gilmour talking about "High Hopes" from the US radio premiere of The Division Bell with Redbeard, March, 1994.
Music video
The music video to High Hopes was used as a screen film on the Division Bell tour, as seen on P•U•L•S•E and is set mostly on Fenland in Cambridgeshire. The video features a man looking over the Fens at Ely Cathedral, the same building which can be seen between the metal heads on the cover of the album. Also, the video has many references to Cambridge, where Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and David Gilmour grew up. The university scarves, bikes and punts on the river being obvious ones. In particular many scenes are set in St John's College, including the Bridge of Sighs. Also shown is an oversized bust of Syd Barrett.
Personnel
Cover versions
- A cover of High Hopes by Shark 'N The Smoke appears on 2003 tribute album A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd.
- Nightwish has released two different live versions; one on a compilation album Highest Hopes and another one on the DVD End of an Era
- The song was covered by Gregorian for their album Masters of Chant Chapter IV.
- The song was covered by the German band Sylvan in 2000 for the album 'Signs of Life - A Tribute to Pink Floyd'
- The song was covered by the French Power Metal band Karelia in 2005 for the album 'Raise'
Track listings
- CD single
- "High Hopes" — 7:57
- "Marooned" — 5:31
- CD maxi
- "High Hopes" (radio edit) — 5:16
- "Keep Talking" (radio edit) — 4:55
- "One of These Days" (live) — 6:57
Charts
| Chart (1994) |
Peak
position |
| French SNEP Singles Chart[1] |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart[2] |
26 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Singles Chart[3] |
7 |
|
| End of year chart (1994) |
Position |
| French Singles Chart[4] |
36 |
|
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