Pink Floyd were founded in 1965 by Syd Barrett (guitar, lead vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals), and Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals). Under Barrett's leadership, they released two charting singles and the successful debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). Guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour joined in December 1967; Barrett left in April 1968 due to deteriorating mental health. Waters became the primary lyricist and thematic leader, devising the concepts behind the band's peak success with the albums The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979). The musical film based on The Wall, Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), won two BAFTA Awards. Pink Floyd also composed several film scores.
Following personal tensions, Wright left Pink Floyd in 1979, followed by Waters in 1985. Gilmour and Mason continued as Pink Floyd, rejoined later by Wright. They produced two more albums—A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987) and The Division Bell (1994)—and toured in support of both before entering a long hiatus. In 2005, all but Barrett reunited for a one-off performance at the global awareness event Live 8. Barrett died in 2006, and Wright in 2008. The last Pink Floyd studio album, The Endless River (2014), was based on unreleased material from the Division Bell recording sessions. In 2022, Gilmour and Mason reformed Pink Floyd to release the song "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" in protest of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
By 2013, Pink Floyd had sold more than 250 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and these albums and Wish You Were Here are among the best-selling albums of all time. Four Pink Floyd albums topped the US Billboard 200, and five topped the UK Album Chart. Pink Floyd's hit singles include "See Emily Play" (1967), "Money" (1973), "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2" (1979), "Not Now John" (1983), "On the Turning Away" (1987) and "High Hopes" (1994). They were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2008, Pink Floyd were awarded the Polar Music Prize in Sweden for their contribution to modern music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd
Studio albums
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
More (1969)
Ummagumma (1969)
Atom Heart Mother (1970)
Meddle (1971)
Obscured by Clouds (1972)
The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Wish You Were Here (1975)
Animals (1977)
The Wall (1979)
The Final Cut (1983)
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (1987)
The Division Bell (1994)
The Endless River (2014)
Octopus
Pink Floyd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trip, trip to a dream dragon, hide your wings in a ghost tower
Sails cackling at every plate we break
Cracked by scattered needles the little minute gong coughs and clears his throat
Madam you see before you stand, hey ho, never be still
The old original favorite grand, grasshoppers green Herbarian band
And the tune they play is "In Us Confide"
So trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro', you have no word
Isn't it good to be lost in the wood
Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood
Meant even less to me than I thought
With a honey plough of yellow prickly seeds
Clover honey pots and mystic shining feed
Well, the madcap laughed at the man on the border, hey ho, huff the Talbot
"Cheat" he cried shouting kangaroo, it's true in their tree they cried
Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!
Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!
The madcap laughed at the man on the border, hey ho, huff the Talbot
The winds they blew and the leaves did wag
They'll never put me in their bag, the seas will reach and always seep
So high you go, so low you creep, the wind it blows in tropical heat
The drones they throng on mossy seats, the squeaking door will always squeak
Two up, two down we'll never meet, so merrily trip forgo my side
Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!
The lyrics to Pink Floyd's "Octopus" are, like many of the band's songs, somewhat difficult to decipher at first glance. However, some possible interpretations of the lyrics suggest that the song is about the journey through life, and the various ups and downs that we all experience along the way. The lines "Trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro', you have no word" suggest a sense of confusion or disorientation, while the repeated reference to the "octopus ride" seems to symbolize the unpredictable and sometimes chaotic nature of life itself.
The imagery in the lyrics is often surreal and dreamlike, with references to dragons, ghosts, and grasshoppers. The line "Isn't it good to be lost in the wood" suggests a desire to escape from the pressures and stresses of everyday life, while the reference to "yellow prickly seeds" and "clover honey pots" hints at the pleasures and delights that can still be found in the world, even amidst the turmoil.
Overall, the lyrics to "Octopus" seem to be both playful and profound. On the one hand, there is a sense of whimsy and lightheartedness in the imagery and wordplay. On the other hand, there is a deeper message about the journey through life, and the need to find meaning and purpose amidst the confusion and chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
Trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro', you have no word
Going through a topsy-turvy ride, an unpredictable life, with no definite purpose or direction.
Trip, trip to a dream dragon, hide your wings in a ghost tower
Escape to a surreal fantasy world, leaving behind your true identity to avoid vulnerability and pain.
Sails cackling at every plate we break
Suffering consequences of our actions, laughing in despair.
Cracked by scattered needles the little minute gong coughs and clears his throat
The passing of time is marked by the sound of a broken or malfunctioning clock, reminding us of our limited lifespan and mortality.
Madam you see before you stand, hey ho, never be still
The woman in front of you is always changing, restless and unpredictable, like life itself.
The old original favorite grand, grasshoppers green Herbarian band, And the tune they play is "In Us Confide"
Nostalgia for the innocent, carefree days of childhood, symbolized by a green grasshopper band playing a tune that represents trust and faith in people.
Isn't it good to be lost in the wood
Sometimes it's liberating to be lost, free from social norms and expectations, and to find oneself.
Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood
The silence and loneliness of the woods can also be scary and unsettling, prompting one to question their existence and purpose.
Meant even less to me than I thought
When one is lost and alone, the things that used to matter may no longer hold the same significance, causing a sense of disillusionment or apathy.
With a honey plough of yellow prickly seeds, Clover honey pots and mystic shining feed
The simple pleasures of nature can provide nourishment and healing, like a metaphorical honeycomb filled with mystical energy.
The winds they blew and the leaves did wag, They'll never put me in their bag, the seas will reach and always seep, So high you go, so low you creep
No one can contain or control us, like the wind that moves the leaves, we will always resist and strive to be free.
The wind it blows in tropical heat, The drones they throng on mossy seats, The squeaking door will always squeak, Two up, two down we'll never meet, so merrily trip forgo my side
Life is full of contradictions, and we may never find resolution or connection, so it's better to just accept it and enjoy the ride.
Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!
Please spare us from the chaos and confusion of life, and let us rest in peace, away from the uncontrollable forces of the world.
Contributed by Mia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@miyazsignora5184
Trip to heave and ho
Up down, to and fro'
You have no word
Trip, trip to a dream dragon
Hide your wings in a ghost tower
Sails cackling at every plate we break
Cracked by scattered needles
The little minute gong coughs and clears his throat
Madam you see before you stand
Hey ho, never be still
The old original favorite grand
Grasshoppers green Herbarian band
And the tune they play is "In Us Confide"
So trip to heave and ho
Up down, to and fro'
You have no word
Please leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride!
Isn't it good to be lost in the wood
Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood
Meant even less to me than I thought
With a honey plough of yellow prickly seeds
Clover honey pots and mystic shining feed
Well, the mad cat laughed
At the man on the border
Hey ho, huff the Talbot
"Cheat" he cried shouting kangaroo
It's true in their tree they cried
Please leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride!
Please leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride!
The mad cat laughed
At the man on the border
Hey ho, huff the Talbot
The winds they blew and the leaves did wag
They'll never put me in their bag
The seas will reach and always seep
So high you go, so low you creep
The wind it blows in tropical heat
The drones they throng on mossy seats
The squeaking door will always squeak
Two up, two down we'll never meet
So merrily trip forgo my side
Please leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride!
@chadpittman3025
Octopus/Syd Barrett
Trip to heave and ho
Up down, to and fro'
You have no word
Trip, trip to a dream dragon
Hide your wings in a ghost tower
Sails cackling at every plate we break
Was cracked by scattered needles
The little minute gong
Coughs and clears his throat
Madam you see before you stand
Hey ho, never be still
The old original favorite grand
Grasshoppers green Herbarian band
And the tune they play is "In Us Confide"
So trip to heave and ho
Up down, to and fro'
You have no word
Please, leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride
Isn't it good to be lost in the wood?
Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood?
Meant even less to me than I thought
With a honey plough of yellow prickly seeds
Clover honey pots and mystic shining feed
The madcap laughed at the man on the border
Hey ho, huff the Tolbert
"Cheat" he cried shouting kangaroo
It's true in their tree they cried please leave us here close our eyes to the octopus ride
The winds they blew and the leaves did wag
They'll never put me in their bag
The raging seas will always seep
So high you go, so low you creep
The wind it blows in tropical heat
The drones they throng on mossy seats
The squeaking door will always squeak
Two up, two down we'll never meet
Please, leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride
Please, leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride
@brandonanderson6561
David Bowie cited Syd Barrett as his primary influence
@Pr0jectFM
He did a cover of See Emily Play on Pin Ups, too.
@perhapsxarb7226
The guitar solo at 1:53 almost sounds like "Fame"...
@LikenewvegasScoob
Space odyssey had a similar sound to Barrett too
@peternicholls8529
check out the laughing gnome by Bowie if you doubt it; Sad barrett was the founding father of Glam Rock as well as Space and Psychedelic Rock. His wearing of a feather boa and glamour directly influenced Mark Bolan, Bowie and Donovan in the London scene
@thenbdy_
Holy shit. Im just noticing they have such a similar voice.
@SophieLovesSunsets
I've always felt David Bowie perfectly summed up Syd when he said "There was something not quite with us about Syd that really appealed to me strongly. There was a Peter Pan quality about him" Beautiful human being. Shine on you crazy diamond 🎸💎
@amorningwiththelord4783
thats beautiful gave ma smile on adark day{jf
@jamesthompson316
Bowie was obviously influenced off syd, this reminds me of an early Bowie song
@thedude4795
poof