Hey You (Pink Floyd Song) - Composition

Composition

The song starts off with an acoustic guitar, restrung in a fashion similar to Nashville tuning, but with the low E string replaced by a high E tuned two full octaves higher than normal. It plays arpeggios over E and D minor ninth chords. The alternate stringing allows for adjacent pitches (for example, the E, F♯, and G of the Em9 chord) to ring out separately on separate strings throughout the arpeggio. A fretless bass enters, also played by guitarist David Gilmour. Next to join in is the Fender Rhodes electric piano by Wright, Gilmour's vocals, and overdubbed acoustic guitar and drums at the start of the second verse. In the middle is a guitar solo which is played over the main melody of the song "Another Brick in the Wall" (in E minor and A minor, rather than D minor). After the solo, Roger Waters takes over on lead vocals for the rest of the song. The bridge contains the chord sequence from "Bring the Boys Back Home", ending on an E minor chord as well. A reprise of the instrumental introduction follows, augmented by prominent ARP Quadra riffs and a faintly audible sound of a drill. At this point, there is a piece of indecipherable whispering from the left channel. Drums and vocals then join in. At about 3:23 into the song, a sonar-like sound, similar to the ping in "Echoes", is heard.