| The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking | |
| Cover: | The pros and cons of hitch hiking single.jpg |
| Alt: | a hand giving a “thumb’s up” on a white background with grey dots |
| Caption: | Brazilian Promotional single cover |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Roger Waters |
| Album: | The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking |
| B-Side: | Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad |
| Released: | 9 April 1984 |
| Recorded: | February–December 1983 |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | (Single edit) (Album version) |
| Label: | Harvest Records (UK) Columbia Records (USA) |
| Producer: |
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| Next Title: | Every Stranger's Eyes |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
"The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking", is a song written and performed by Roger Waters from his debut studio album, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. It was released worldwide on 9 April 1984.
Its meaning consists of the lasting memories of the main character Reg, and displays the benefits and problems associated with his hitchhiking, both figuratively and metaphorically. During the song, Waters mentions such popular icons as Dick Tracy, Shane and Yoko Ono. Waters has said the inclusion of Yoko Ono in the song comes from a dream his drummer Andy Newmark had.
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[1] | 30 |
| US Mainstream Rock Songs (Billboard) | 17 |
| The Netherlands [2] | 16 |
. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 334.