The Story Behind “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” By Pink Floyd

From the Animals catalog of 1977, Pink Floyd’s “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” stay within the narrative of the two other songs, “Dogs” and “Sheep”.

The pigs represent people who are wealthy and powerful – those on top of the social ladder – who think they have the right to dictate those below them. The sheep are people who obey or conform to the pigs’ rule, while the dogs represent businessmen who oppose the pigs but have their own personal agendas as well, not hesitant to resort to ruthless methods when needed.

The song’s title alludes to the fact that the three verses of the song talk about three different pigs, although two of them are unknown. The last pig, however, refers to the morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse. Roger Waters had this to say about her in an interview with Mojo Magazine: “Oh, she was everywhere pontificating on TV. Interfering in everybody’s life, making a nuisance of herself and trying to drag English society back to an age of Victorian propriety.” Allegedly, Whitehouse campaigned to keep sex off the TV, and Waters thought that she had no right to decide what people should be watching.