Roger Waters | The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking | Story Explained

Story explanation behind Roger Waters' 1984 album, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

[corycarnine]

Never thought I would see a video about this album... has always been one of my favorites! 🤘

[joseca]

Always wanted someone to do this video, thank you!

[JJHx]

This is my absolute favorite album. Glad to see other people talking about it.

[HomespunBannersglare]

Roger Waters' solo concept albums--usually but not always--involve a protagonist having all of these preconceptions about everything and everyone and he's constantly complaining and judging everyone around him. Then some climatic event happens which causes him to completely reorient his worldview. This type of Watersian concept album was definitely noticed during his time in Pink Floyd with albums from "Animals" to "The FInal Cut."
In the case of 'Hitch-Hiking, " it involves the protagonist's disillusioned marriage and imagining idealized relationships--which end disastrously. The climatic event happens when he's kicked out of the truck. He then comes to a realization that he doesn't need any other relationship beside his wife.
I liked "4:50" for its juxtaposition. It's supposed to be this calm song, but you start picking up the ominous undertone and realize that something is about to happen the moment Waters exclaims "We hacked down some trees!"
Also, I can clearly imagine all of the church ladies dropping their jaws upon first hearing "4:41 AM" hit the airwaves.

[pasvir]

I liked most of Pink Floyd's albums, haven't listened to Water's and Gilmour's solo albums though, this seems like a really
interesting album, i'll definetely check that out .

[Yaddlezap]

some thought from Gpt4o on why Part 2 comes before Part 1: In *The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking*, the sequencing of "For the First Time Today, Part 2" before "Part 1" aligns with the overall narrative structure of the album. The album, written by Roger Waters, unfolds like a continuous, dream-like journey through a man's thoughts and memories during a single night, from 4:30 AM to around 5:00 AM. The songs represent this stream of consciousness, moving between dream-like scenes and reality.

### Why "Part 2" comes first:

1. **Non-linear narrative**: The album doesn't follow a strict linear progression in terms of storytelling. It mirrors how thoughts and dreams can intermingle and jump around in time. By placing "Part 2" before "Part 1, " Waters may have intended to reflect the disjointed, fragmented nature of memory and experience.

2. **Thematic resonance**: "For the First Time Today, Part 2" appears at a moment of emotional reflection, where the protagonist is dealing with his regrets and fears. In contrast, "Part 1" comes later, in a section where the protagonist's thoughts shift again, possibly revisiting earlier emotional experiences. The order could be designed to evoke a feeling of circularity or to highlight the return of themes that have been previously introduced.

3. **Cinematic influence**: Roger Waters has mentioned that this album was inspired by a screenplay idea, and the album is structured almost like a film score. In movies, scenes are often disjointed or presented out of chronological order to enhance emotional impact or to reveal different layers of a character's psychology. Similarly, the album's track listing reflects how the protagonist's mind moves through different emotional stages.

Thus, the unconventional order of "Part 2" before "Part 1" is a deliberate artistic choice meant to serve the album's complex, non-linear story structure rather than a chronological one.

[pricedownproductions]

"sorry about the birds in the background" - that's also what Waters said about Pros and Cons

[rickiedeesnutz]

Kinda nice to have Eric Clapton play on your solo album as well.

[JennaScalzo]

Nooo the gnats!!! I hate those things. I am so curious to hear the theories on why part 2 is before part 1! I don't need sleep, I need answers!

[jimalaimo]

Part 2 is before part 1 because although this album is called a "dream sequence, " there is no real sequence to a dream. Just a thought.

[SuperStrik]

When it comes to Pink Floyd I was always more of a David Gilmour fan than Roger Waters so I paid more attention to Pink Floyd post Waters than I did Roger's solo career. A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and The Division Bell are both albums that I love.

[SuperStrik]

Weird. I don't remember deleting my previous comment. Good old YouTube where comments come to disappear lol. Anyways. Love Pink Floyd. I've never really dug into Roger's solo work though. I should check out this album.

[SuperStrik]

Fuckin' ninja crazy 🥷Hell ya! I can't stand flies and mosquitos so I've gone ninja crazy a few times over the years lol.🤘Blackflies and Horseflies are even worse though. I keep changing my YouTube av but I've finally settled on one. The album cover of Gorefest - False. Perfect OSDM album 🤘I HIGHLY recommend Gorefest performance at Dynamo 1993. Satan tier greatness imo🤘

Actually I've changed my av again to Evildead's band logo. I'm keeping this one dammit! Lol. Sorry. I've had this account since 2010 and had the same Cannibal Corpse av for 13 of the 14 years. It seems like in the past year my account has been going through a "teen angst" period. It could be lining up with my own "midlife crisis" period, but let's not go there lmao. I know nobody cares about this but c'est la vie lmao. Am I insane? Maybe 🤷‍♂