"Lucy Leave" is one of the first songs of Pink Floyd. It was written in 196… Read Full Bio ↴"Lucy Leave" is one of the first songs of Pink Floyd. It was written in 1965 by Syd Barrett and was recorded in late 1965 from the original line-up of Pink Floyd - Barrett, Bob Klose, Roger Waters, Richard Wright and Nick Mason. This song was recently released in the mini-CD that came with the book Fish Out of Water.

Several other bands have covered the song, including Wellwater Conspiracy and Pink Stainless Tail.

From the 1965 acetate with King Bee.

...an original hinged to the 'Gloria' riff... Rudimentary ...but ...indicat[ing] a defined sense of purpose, particularly [Lucy Leave,] which, although pop R&B, shows a playful imagination.

-- Brian Hogg, 1993, Crazy Diamond Box Set Booklet

Lucy Leave
Pink Floyd Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Leave when I ask you to leave, Lucy
Please fall away from me, Lucy
Oh, go, little girl

See that I'm so broken up about you, Lucy
Mean treatin' me and done me harm, Lucy
Been in love with you and your charms, Lucy
Oh, go, little girl

I'm in love with you, Lucy
You got my heart, you got my heart, oh no
You tear me apart, you just won't let me go
You hold on so tight, so tight I just can't breathe
Now Lucy leave, Lucy

Leave when I ask you to leave, little girl
Please fall away from me, little girl
Yeah, go, little girl

See that I'm so broke up about you, Lucy
Yeah, girl

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Lucy Leave" by Pink Floyd depict the singer's struggle to detach himself from a toxic relationship with a woman named Lucy. The chorus "Leave when I ask you to leave, Lucy. Please fall away from me, Lucy. Oh, go, little girl" serves as a plea for Lucy to leave the singer alone, as she has caused him harm and is holding onto him too tightly. The verses convey the singer's conflicting feelings towards Lucy. He admits to being in love with her, and acknowledges her charms, yet he is also aware that she is treating him poorly and tearing him apart. The line "You hold on so tight, so tight I just can't breathe" conveys a sense of suffocation and the need for space.

The repetition of the name Lucy throughout the song creates a sense of intimacy and familiarity, but also serves as a reminder of the subject of the song- a woman who has a hold on the singer. The line "See that I'm so broken up about you, Lucy" suggests that the singer is aware that he is in a messy situation, but is struggling to let go nevertheless. The use of the word "little girl" in the chorus creates a sense of diminutiveness, which could be interpreted as the singer trying to diminish Lucy's power over him.

Overall, "Lucy Leave" presents a complex emotional journey and represents one of Pink Floyd's earliest attempts at exploring themes of relationships and love.

Line by Line Meaning

Leave when I ask you to leave, Lucy
I am requesting you to leave when I ask you to, Lucy

Please fall away from me, Lucy
I request you to move away from me, Lucy

Oh, go, little girl
Leave now, young lady

See that I'm so broken up about you, Lucy
You can see that I am deeply upset because of you, Lucy

Mean treatin' me and done me harm, Lucy
You have treated me poorly and hurt me, Lucy

Been in love with you and your charms, Lucy
I have been in love with you and your attractive qualities, Lucy

Oh, go, little girl
Leave now, young lady

I'm in love with you, Lucy
I have feelings of love towards you, Lucy

You got my heart, you got my heart, oh no
You have captured my heart, and the situation is not beneficial to me

You tear me apart, you just won't let me go
You are causing me emotional pain and not allowing me to move on

You hold on so tight, so tight I just can't breathe
You hold on to me so strongly that it is suffocating me