How a Stephen Hawking TV Ad Helped Inspire Two Pink Floyd Songs

Renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking revolutionized humanity’s understanding of the cosmos. Beyond his groundbreaking scientific contributions, he also gained unexpected pop culture recognition before his passing in 2018. In 1993, he appeared in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and was also featured in a British Telecom advertisement that aired from 1993 to 1994. Created by the advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, the commercial highlighted Hawking’s recognizable synthesized voice as he spoke about how communication drives human progress. Hawking lived with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a condition that left him unable to speak naturally.

The commercial later caught the attention of Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour, who was deeply moved by its message. Inspired by Hawking’s speech, Gilmour incorporated a sample of the scientist’s voice into the song “Keep Talking,” featured on Pink Floyd’s 1994 album The Division Bell. In a 1994 radio interview, Gilmour explained that he found Hawking’s words so powerful that he felt compelled to incorporate them into music. Ten years later, the band revisited the same inspiration, using Hawking’s voice again for the track “Talkin’ Hawkin’” on their final studio album, The Endless River.

Hawking’s Voice Debuts in “Keep Talking”

Even before seeing the British Telecom advertisement, Gilmour was already familiar with Hawking’s work, particularly the scientist’s bestselling book A Brief History of Time, which explores the origins of the universe. However, it was Hawking’s reflections on communication that emotionally resonated with Gilmour. At the time, Hawking communicated through a keyboard operated by a single finger, which converted his typed words into a computerized voice, later enhanced with early artificial intelligence technology.

Since The Division Bell focused heavily on themes of communication, Gilmour used Hawking’s speech throughout “Keep Talking,” including the introduction, middle segment, and conclusion. The song emphasizes the significance of communication both between individuals and on a global scale. Gilmour’s lyrics express struggles with self-expression, while female backing vocals symbolize dialogue from another perspective. Hawking’s voice reinforces the song’s central message, reminding listeners that continued communication can resolve misunderstandings. The collaboration proved impactful, and Gilmour later revisited Hawking’s words two decades later.

Hawking’s Voice Returns in “Talkin’ Hawkin’”

Pink Floyd once again turned to Hawking’s British Telecom speech for their 2014 album The Endless River, which served as a tribute to keyboardist Rick Wright, who passed away in 2008. The album is largely instrumental and includes reworked recordings originally created by Gilmour and Wright aboard Gilmour’s houseboat studio, the Astoria, prior to Wright’s death. In “Talkin’ Hawkin’,” Hawking’s electronic voice becomes the focal point, as the track features minimal vocals.

Accompanied by Gilmour’s emotional slide guitar, Nick Mason’s atmospheric percussion, and Wright’s expressive keyboard arrangements, Hawking’s words provide thematic grounding. During the track, he speaks about how speech enables humanity to share ideas and accomplish remarkable achievements through collaboration. He also expresses optimism about the future, emphasizing the limitless potential of technology. The song concludes with Hawking repeating the message that progress depends on maintaining communication. Through Pink Floyd’s use of his voice in these two songs, Hawking not only left an enduring mark on science but also made a meaningful contribution to music and artistic expression.