The first manifestation of Barrett's songwriting talents was a bizarre little classic called 'Arnold Layne'. A sinister piece of vaguely commercial fare, it dealt with the twilight wanderings of a transvestite/pervert figure and is both whimsical and singularly creepy.
[David Gilmour speaking about Syd Barrett]
"It wasn't just the drugs, we'd both done acid before the whole Floyd thing, it's just a mental foible which grew out of all proportion. I remember all sorts of strange things happening - at one point he was wearing lipstick, dressing in high heels, and believing he had homosexual tendencies...."
-- Nick Kent, New Musical Express, 1974.
Roger Waters' mother noticed that washing, particularly underwear belonging to her female lodgers, kept vanishing from her line during the night. The Cambridge Knicker Snatcher became the cause of much local gossip and Roger would keep Syd abreast of events as more laundry disappeared from his garden. Amused, Syd began work on a song about the story. It took him three weeks to perfect during frequent train journeys between London and Cambridge....
-- Jones, "Wish You Were Here".
'Arnold Layne' was a true story from the group's Cambridge days. "Both my mother and Syd's had students as lodgers because there was a girl's college up the road," says Waters. "So there were constantly great lines of bras and knickers on our washing lines. Arnold, or whoever he was, took bits and pieces off the washing lines."
-- Mike Watkinson & Pete Anderson, "Crazy Diamond: Syd Barrett & the Dawn of Pink Floyd", edited by Chris Charlesworth, Omnibus Press, 2001; p. 51
Roger Waters says, 'Both my mother and Syd's mother had students as lodgers because there was a girl's college up the road so there was constantly great lines of bras and knickers on our washing lines.' In one curious incident, the bras and knickers that hung on the washing lines in the Barrett's garden proved irresistable to a local underwear fetishist. This character, whom Barrett would later immortalise in song as Arnold Layne, made off with many of poor nursing students' undergarments, presumably to indulge his fantasies. 'Arnold or whoever he was, had bits and pieces off our washing lines. They never caught him. He stopped doing it after a bit, when things got too hot for him.' 'I was in Cambridge at the time I started to write the song,' Syd Barrett told *Melody Maker*. 'I pinched the line about "moonshine washing line" from Roger because he had an enormous washing line in the back garden of his house. Then I thought "Arnold must have a hobby" and it went on from there. Arnold Layne just happened to dig dressing up in women's clothing.'
-- Julian Palacios, "Lost in the Woods: Syd Barrett and the Pink Floyd," Boxtree, 1998; p. 27.
Syd's eccentricity also surfaced from time to time such as when he appeared before [Ronnie] Salmon in the foyer [of Chelsea Cloisters] wearing a dress, his head newly shaven. "He had on a Crombie coat with a dress underneath and a pair of plimsoils. I ran after him because I couldn't believe what I'd seen, and there he was walking down Sloane Avenue." Syd had brought 'Arnold Layne' to life and the disarming display no doubt appealed to his creator's dark sense of humour.
-- Watkinson/Anderson, Crazy Diamond, p. 118.
Arnold Layne
Pink Floyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had a strange hobby
Collecting clothes
Moonshine washing line
They suit him fine
On the wall
Hung a tall mirror
See through baby blue
He done it, oh, Arnold Layne
It's not the same,
It takes two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Why can't you see?
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne, Arnold Layne
Now he's caught
A nasty sort of person
They gave him time
Doors bang, chain gang
He hates it
Oh, Arnold Layne
It's not the same
It takes two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Why can't you see?
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne, don't do it again
Pink Floyd's song "Arnold Layne" tells the story of a man who has a strange hobby of stealing women's clothing and washing them on his moonshine washing line. The first verse describes Arnold's hobby of collecting clothes, indicating that he enjoys wearing women's clothing. The lyrics "they suit him fine" suggest that he feels comfortable in them. The second verse describes how Arnold has a tall mirror on his wall that distorts his view, possibly indicating his confusion about his own identity. The line "see through baby blue" may refer to his view of himself as a fragile, vulnerable person.
The chorus, repeating "It takes two to know, two to know, two to know, why can't you see?" underscores the point that only those who share Arnold Layne's psychology can truly understand him. The repeated mention of Arnold Layne's name in the song also suggests a sense of isolation, as if no one else can understand him or his desires. In the final verse, Arnold Layne is caught and sent to jail, where he hates it. This may suggest that he is punished for being who he is, and that society does not accept him.
Overall, "Arnold Layne" is a song that explores themes of gender identity and societal pressure. It highlights the difficulties that individuals may face if they express themselves in ways that the mainstream deems "deviant." It also suggests that those who do not share Arnold Layne's mindset cannot understand him, indicating a sense of inherent difference or "otherness."
Line by Line Meaning
Arnold Layne
The title character's name
Had a strange hobby
Arnold Layne had strange hobbies.
Collecting clothes
One of Arnold Layne's strange hobbies was collecting clothes.
Moonshine washing line
Arnold Layne hung his stolen clothes on the washing line.
They suit him fine
He is satisfied with his stolen clothing.
On the wall
There is a wall in Arnold's house.
Hung a tall mirror
Arnold also owned a tall mirror which was on the wall.
Distorted view
The mirror's reflection wasn't very clear.
See through baby blue
The mirror was a see-through (or translucent) baby blue color.
He done it, oh, Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne takes responsibility for his own actions.
It's not the same
Arnold Layne's situation has changed.
It takes two to know
There are two sides to a story.
Two to know
Two perspectives are needed.
Why can't you see?
Why don't you understand the situation?
Arnold Layne, Arnold Layne
Reiterating the title character's name.
Now he's caught
Arnold Layne has been caught by the authorities.
A nasty sort of person
The authorities view Arnold Layne as a bad person.
They gave him time
Arnold Layne has been sentenced to a term in jail.
Doors bang, chain gang
Describes the atmosphere of prison.
He hates it
Arnold Layne does not enjoy his time in prison.
Arnold Layne, don't do it again
The song's ending serves as a warning to Arnold Layne to not commit the same crime again.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SYD BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jer Smith
Lyrics
Arnold Layne had a strange hobby
Collecting clothes moonshine washing line
They suit him fine
On the wall hung a tall mirror
Distorted view, see through baby blue
He dug it
Oh, Arnold Layne
It's not the same, takes two to know
Two to know, two to know, two to know
Why can't you see?
Arnold Layne, Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne, Arnold Layne
Now he's caught
A nasty sort of person
They gave him time
Doors bang, chain gang he hates it
Oh, Arnold Layne
It's not the same, takes two to know
Two to know, two to know, two to know
Why can't you see?
Arnold Layne, Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne, Arnold Layne
Don't do it again
Perebynis
While other bands wrote about girls, girls & more girls, Syd Barrett wrote songs about scarecrows, the solar system and crossdressers. That alone makes early Pink Floyd special.
Sean Logan
Lol, yeah.RIP Syd.
Alistair Ewen
The kinks did do LOLA.
Sean Logan
@Alistair Ewen great song 🎵 by an even greater band.
StarFru1tEnterpr1se 1nc
pretty much every f'ing Beetles song was some "Girl' song. lmao thats so true
until sgt pepper. they started expanding
Angel Torres
Burley Pelletier listen to Gloria and Tobacco Road by The Blues Magoos, Syd Barret loved them.
Daz Auto
Amazing to think the Syd Barrett era was basically just one year 1967 and we are still obsessed with it over 50 years later.
John Kudyba
Excellent comment! Absolutely spot on.
Yanik Em
It’s like Elvis in a jumpsuit or Freddie Mercury with his moustache - they were only small eras of their careers but we still think of them like that.
cool username
*1965-1967, but it's still remarkable to hear the stuff Syd came up with!!