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)
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!!