Editing Free Four

{{Short description|Song by Pink Floyd}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Free Four
| cover      = FreeFour.jpg
| alt        =
| caption    = Cover of the 1972 Italy single
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Pink Floyd]]
| album      = [[Obscured by Clouds]]
| B-side     = {{unbulleted list|"Stay"|"The Gold It's in The..."}}
| released   = {{Start date|1972|07|10|df=yes}}
| recorded   = {{unbulleted list|February–March 1972|[[Château d'Hérouville|Strawberry Studios]], France}}
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Folk rock]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Wawzenek|first=Bryan|date=4 September 2018|title=All 167 Pink Floyd Songs Ranked Worst to Best|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pink-floyd-songs-ranked/|access-date=28 February 2021|website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref>
| length     = {{Duration|m=4|s=15}}
| label      = [[Harvest Records|Harvest]]
| writer     = [[Roger Waters]]
| producer   = Pink Floyd
| prev_title = [[One of These Days (instrumental)|One of These Days]]
| prev_year  = 1971
| next_title = [[Money (Pink Floyd song)|Money]]
| next_year  = 1973
}}

"'''Free Four'''" is a song by the English [[rock music|rock]] band [[Pink Floyd]], written by [[Roger Waters]] and released on the band's 1972 album ''[[Obscured by Clouds]]''.<ref name="fXSLG" /><ref name="cmOUW" />

== Recording and lyrics ==
The song begins with a rock and roll count-in, but in this case Pink Floyd decided to play with words and record, "One, Two, Free Four!" The song deals with reflection of one's life, the "evils" of the record industry, and also makes a reference to Roger Waters' father who was killed in World War 2.<ref name="toby165" /> The music begins in an upbeat manner, while the lyrics tell a very cynical and somewhat depressing story. "Free Four" was released as a single in the U.S. in 1972 but did not chart. The song charted at number 29 in [[the Netherlands]] and 35 in [[Wallonia]] (Belgium).

''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' reviewed the single saying "Would you believe a happy song about death?"<ref>{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=15 July 1972|page=20|accessdate=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1972/Cash-Box-1972-07-15.pdf|newspaper=Cashbox}}</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' said that it "is not only musically excellent but also accessible and commercial enough to hit as a single."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=July 15, 1972|accessdate=2023-03-30|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/72/Record-World-1972-07-15.pdf}}</ref>

== Track listing ==

{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| length6 = 
| total_length = 7:28
| length10 = 
| title10 = 
| length9 = 
| title9 = 
| length8 = 
| title8 = 
| length7 = 
| title7 = 
| title6 = 
| title1 = Free Four
| length5 = 
| title5 = 
| length4 = 
| title4 = 
| length3 = 
| title3 = 
| length2 = 3:58
| title2 = Stay
| length1 = 3:30
| headline = American release
}}
{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| length6 = 
| total_length = 7:08
| length10 = 
| title10 = 
| length9 = 
| title9 = 
| length8 = 
| title8 = 
| length7 = 
| title7 = 
| title6 = 
| title1 = Free Four
| length5 = 
| title5 = 
| length4 = 
| title4 = 
| length3 = 
| title3 = 
| length2 = 3:01
| title2 = The Gold It's in The...
| length1 = 4:07
| headline = Italian release
}}
{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| length6 = 
| total_length = 7:09
| length10 = 
| title10 = 
| length9 = 
| title9 = 
| length8 = 
| title8 = 
| length7 = 
| title7 = 
| title6 = 
| title1 = Free Four
| length5 = 
| title5 = 
| length4 = 
| title4 = 
| length3 = 
| title3 = 
| length2 = 3:01
| title2 = The Gold It's in The...
| length1 = 4:08
| headline = German release
}}

== Personnel ==
* [[David Gilmour]] – acoustic and electric guitars, handclapping
* [[Nick Mason]] – drums, tambourine, handclapping
* [[Roger Waters]] – double-tracked lead vocals, backing vocals, bass
* [[Richard Wright (musician)|Richard Wright]] – [[EMS VCS 3]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="toby165">{{cite book |last=Manning |first=Toby |title=The Rough Guide to Pink Floyd |year=2006 |publisher=Rough Guides |location=London |isbn=1-84353-575-0 |page=165 |edition=1st |chapter=The Albums}}</ref>
<ref name="fXSLG">{{Cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |title=The Great Rock Discography |publisher=[[Canongate Books]] | location=Edinburgh |isbn=1-84195-551-5 |page=1177 |year=2004 |edition=7th}}</ref>
<ref name="cmOUW">{{Cite book |last=Mabbett |first=Andy |title=The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] | location=London |isbn=0-7119-4301-X |year=1995}}</ref>
}}
https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/9bfe/Pink-Floyd-Free-Four
https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Pink+Floyd&titel=Free+Four&cat=s

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Obscured by Clouds}}
* [{{AllMusic|class=song/free-four-t1530656|pure_url=yes}} AMG song review]

{{Obscured by Clouds}}
{{Pink Floyd}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Pink Floyd songs]]
[[Category:1972 singles]]
[[Category:Harvest Records singles]]
[[Category:Protest songs]]
[[Category:Songs about music]]
[[Category:Songs inspired by deaths]]
[[Category:Songs written by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by David Gilmour]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Roger Waters]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Richard Wright (musician)]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Nick Mason]]
[[Category:British folk rock songs]]