Barrett's innovative guitar work and exploration of experimental techniques such as using dissonance, distortion, and feedback had an enormous legacy, with a wide variety of musicians from David Bowie to Brian Eno to Jimmy Page and more drawing influence. In his post-musician life, Barrett continued with his painting and dedicated himself to gardening, never to return to the public eye. A number of biographies have been written since the 1980s, and Pink Floyd wrote and recorded several tributes to him after he left, most notably the 1975 track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
Barrett acquired the nickname "Syd" at the age of fifteen, a reference to an old local Cambridge drummer, Sid Barrett. Syd changed the spelling in order to differentiate himself from his namesake. Starting in 1964, the band that would become Pink Floyd underwent various line-up and name changes such as "The Abdabs", "The Screaming Abdabs", "Sigma 6", and "The Meggadeaths". In 1965, Barrett joined them as The Tea Set (sometimes spelled T-Set), and when they found themselves playing a concert with a band of the same name, Barrett came up with the name "The Pink Floyd Sound" (also known as "The Pink Floyd Blues Band", later "The Pink Floyd"), possibly after two obscure bluesmen, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. While the band began by playing cover versions of American R&B songs (much in the same vein as contemporaries The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, and The Kinks), they carved out their own style of improvised rock and roll by 1966, which drew as much from improvised jazz as it did from British pop-rock, such as that championed by The Beatles. In that year, a new rock concert venue, the UFO, opened in London and quickly became a haven for British psychedelic music. Pink Floyd became their most popular attraction, and, after making appearances at the rival Roundhouse, became the most popular musical group of the so-called London Underground psychedelic music scene.
By the end of 1966, Pink Floyd had gained a reliable management team in Andrew King and Peter Jenner. The duo soon befriended American expatriate Joe Boyd, who was actively making a name for himself as one of the more important entrepreneurs on the British music scene. Boyd produced a recording session for the group in January 1967 at Sound Techniques in Chelsea, which resulted in a demo of the single "Arnold Layne". King and Jenner took the song to the recording behemoth EMI, who were impressed enough to offer the band a contract, under which they would be allowed to record an album. The band accepted. By the time the album was released, "Arnold Layne" had reached number twenty-one on the British singles charts (despite a ban by the BBC) and a follow-up single, "See Emily Play" had sold even better, reaching number six.
These first two singles, as well as a third ("Apples and Oranges"), were written by Barrett. Barrett wrote most of the Floyd's early material, and was the principal visionary/author of their critically acclaimed 1967 debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Of the eleven songs on Piper, Barrett wrote eight and co-wrote another two. He was also an innovative guitarist, exploring the musical and sonic possibilities of dissonance, distortion, feedback, and the echo machine; his experimentation was partly inspired by free improvisation guitarist Keith Rowe. One of Barrett's trademarks was playing his Fender Esquire guitar by sliding a Zippo lighter up and down the fret-board through an old echo box to create the mysterious, otherworldly sounds that became associated with the group.
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn was recorded intermittently between January and July 1967. When it was released in August of that year, it became a smash hit in the UK, reaching number six on the British album charts (the album was not nearly so successful in the USA). However, as the band began to attract a large fanbase, the pressures placed on Barrett contributed to him experiencing increasing psychiatric illness.
Barrett's behaviour became increasingly unpredictable, partly as a consequence of frequent experimentation with psychedelic drugs such as LSD. Many report seeing him on stage with the group, strumming on one chord through the entire concert, or not playing at all. At a show in San Francisco, during a performance of "Interstellar Overdrive", Barrett slowly untuned his guitar. Audiences seemed to enjoy such antics, unaware of the rest of the band's consternation. Following a disastrous abridged tour of the United States, David Gilmour (a school friend of Barrett's) was asked to join the band as a second guitarist in order to cover for Barrett, whose erratic behaviour prevented him from performing. For a handful of shows Gilmour played and sang while Barrett wandered around on stage, occasionally deigning to join in playing. The other band members soon tired of Barrett's antics, and in January 1968, on the way to a show at Southampton University, they elected not to pick Barrett up. They attempted to retain him in the group as a songwriter, but this proved unfeasible.
Barrett did not contribute any material to the band after A Saucerful of Secrets was released in 1968. Of the songs he recorded with Pink Floyd after Piper, only one ("Jugband Blues") made it to the band's second album; one became a less-than-successful single ("Apples and Oranges") and two others were never officially released ("Scream Thy Last Scream" and "Vegetable Man"). In March 1968 it was officially announced that he was no longer a member of Pink Floyd.
Solo years (1968-1972)
After leaving Pink Floyd, Barrett distanced himself from the public eye. However, at the behest of EMI and Harvest Records, he did have a brief solo career, releasing two mercurial solo albums, The Madcap Laughs and Barrett. Much controversy has risen around the production work - which left Barrett's more vulnerable moments on tape to give the records a more "authentic" feel - but many feel the treatment did Barrett few favours and instead took advantage of his fragile condition. Much of the material on both albums dates from Barrett's most productive period of songwriting and it is believed that he wrote few new songs after he left Pink Floyd.
The first album, The Madcap Laughs, was recorded in two distinct sessions: a few tentative sessions took place between May and June 1968 (produced first by Peter Jenner and then by Malcolm Jones), while the bulk of the album was recorded between April and July 1969 (produced by David Gilmour and Roger Waters). This album offers an insight into Barrett's state of mind at the time; tracks such as "Dark Globe", have been seen as first-person narratives of schizophrenia. A few tracks on the album feature overdubs by members of the band Soft Machine.
The second album, Barrett, was recorded more sporadically than the first, with sessions taking place between February and July 1970. This effort sounds more polished than the first, but Barrett was arguably in a worse state. This one was produced by David Gilmour and featured Gilmour on bass guitar, Rick Wright on keyboard and Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley.
Despite the numerous recording dates for his two solo albums, Barrett did very little musically outside the studio between 1968 and 1972. On 24th February 1970 he appeared on John Peel's BBC radio programme Top Gear playing five songs, only one of which had been previously released. Three were re-recorded for the Barrett album, while the song Two of a Kind was a one-off performance. (The song appears on the 2001 greatest hits album The Best of Syd Barrett: Wouldn't You Miss Me?) Barrett was accompanied on this session by David Gilmour and Jerry Shirley who played bass and percussion, respectively.
Gilmour and Shirley also backed Barrett for his one and only live concert during this period. The gig took place on 6th June 1970 at the Olympia Exhibition Hall, London, and was part of a "Music and Fashion Festival". The trio performed four songs, playing for less than half an hour, and due to poor mixing, the vocals were inaudible until part-way through the last number. At the end of the fourth song, Barrett unexpectedly but politely put down his guitar and walked off the stage.
Barrett made one last appearance on BBC Radio, recording three songs at their studios on 16th February 1971. All three came from the Barrett album, and were presumably aired to encourage people to buy the record. At this stage, though, Barrett seemed to have little interest in recording music, and even less interest in performing it live. After this session, he took a break from his music career that lasted more than a year.
Later years (1972-2006)
In 1972, Barrett formed a short-lived band called Stars with ex-Pink Fairies member Twink on drums and Jack Monck on bass. Though the band was initially well-received, one of their gigs at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge proved to be disastrous and Barrett decided to leave soon afterwards.
In 1974, Peter Jenner convinced Barrett to return to Abbey Road Studios in hope of recording another album. However, little became of the sessions, which lasted three days and consisted of blues rhythm tracks with tentative and disjointed guitar overdubs (the only titled track is the intriguing "If You Go, Don't Be Slow"). Once again, Barrett withdrew from the music industry. He sold the rights to his solo albums back to the record label, moved into a London hotel and when the money ran out he walked back to Cambridge to live in his mother's basement. Further attempts to bring him back (including one endeavour by The Damned who wanted him to produce their debut album) were all fruitless. Barrett still received royalties from his work with Pink Floyd from each compilation and some of the live albums and singles that have featured his songs; Gilmour had commented that he "makes sure the money gets to him alright".
Barrett had one noted reunion with Pink Floyd in 1975 during the recording sessions for Wish You Were Here. Barrett attended the Abbey Road session unannounced and watched the band record Shine On You Crazy Diamond - coincidentally, a song about him.
In 1988, EMI Records released an album of Barrett's studio outtakes and previously unreleased material recorded from 1968 to 1970 under the title Opel. In 1993 it issued another release, Crazy Diamond, a box set of all three albums, each loaded with further out-takes from his solo sessions that illustrated vividly Barrett's inability or refusal to play a song the same way twice.
On 7th July 2006, Barrett died at the age of sixty. His death was a result of complications of diabetes.
Octopus
Syd Barrett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have no word
Trip, trip to a dream dragon
Hide your wings in a ghost tower
Sails crackling at every plate we break
Cracked by scattered needles
Little minute gong
Coughs and clears his throat
Hey ho, never be still
The old original favorite grand
Grasshoppers green Herbarian band
And the tune they play 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 madcap laughed at the man on the border
Hey ho, huff the Talbot
Cheetah he cried shouted kangaroo
So through their tree they cried
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
And they'll never put me in their bag
The seas will reach and always see
So high you go, so low you creep
The winds it blows in tropical heat
The drones they throng on mossy seats
The squeaking door will always creep
Two up, two down we'll never meet
So merrily trip for good my side
Please leave us here
Close our eyes to the octopus ride
Syd Barrett's "Octopus" is a whimsical and surreal song full of psychedelic imagery that invites the listener to take a trip through a dream-like world. The song starts with a series of nonsensical phrases that create an otherworldly atmosphere. The "trip to heave and ho" suggests a voyage to a magical land while "hide your wings in a ghost tower" evokes the mystery of an enchanted place. The sound of "sails crackling" suggests the movement of a ship, and the "little minute gong" adds an eerie quality to the scene. The lyrics seem to be portraying a world that is both beautiful and dangerous, full of wonders to behold but also of hidden threats to escape.
The chorus "Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride" repeats throughout the song, reinforcing the idea of a dream-like journey through a strange land. The octopus ride might represent the unpredictable nature of life, with its ups and downs and unexpected twists and turns. The line "isn't it good to be lost in the wood" could be seen as a metaphor for getting lost in one's thoughts or imagination. The song ends with a set of contrasting images that convey the sense of a world that is difficult to grasp and comprehend.
Line by Line Meaning
Trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro
The ups and downs of life, the constant changes we make as we navigate through life
You have no word
We are speechless in the face of life's journey; we are simply along for the ride
Trip, trip to a dream dragon
A journey to an imaginary creature, symbolizing the mystical experiences that one may encounter in their mind
Hide your wings in a ghost tower
Our true selves must be hidden in the face of a world that does not understand us; we must protect ourselves by keeping our inner selves safe
Sails crackling at every plate we break
Our actions hold consequences, and every time we make a mistake, it affects us deeply
Cracked by scattered needles
Our souls are fragile and may break under the weight of criticism by those we love
Little minute gong coughs and clears his throat
Time moves forward, but sometimes it stalls; it waits for no one and demands our attention
Madam, you see before you stand
Addressing a woman who may have power over someone's perceptions, thoughts, or emotions.
Hey ho, never be still
Life demands constant movement and changes; we cannot afford to sit still or become stagnant
The old original favorite grand
Referring to something that has been around for a long time, but still holds its value and Importance.
Grasshoppers green Herbarian band
A tribe of grasshoppers represented under a banner of a herbalist or naturalist
And the tune they play in us confide
The melody that speaks to us in a personal and spiritual level
Please leave us here
As much as we may enjoy our journey, there are times when we need to stop, take a break, and enjoy the present moment
Close our eyes to the octopus ride
Looking within oneself and ignoring the chaos and confusion of the world around us; turning inward and closing out the external world
Isn't it good to be lost in the wood
The beauty and simplicity of getting lost in nature and escaping from the complexities of the world
Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood
The solitude of the woods can be peaceful, but it can also be unsettling when one is forced to face their inner demons
Meant even less to me than I thought
Something that may have initially held meaning, but that meaning has faded overtime
With a honey plough of yellow prickly seeds
Representing something that produced a sweet ending but also held a harsh and perilous journey
Clover honey pots and mystic shining feed
Something that has a calming effect and fills us with a sense of satisfaction
Well, the madcap laughed at the man on the border
Emphasis on the lunacy that exists between societal norms and the defiance that exists in a few
Hey ho, huff the Talbot
A whimsical remark aimed at mocking those who take themselves too seriously
Cheetah he cried shouted kangaroo
A sense of urgency and adventure, similar to the pace of these animals
So through their tree they cried
The emotions and expressions of humans that resonate through trees and nature
The winds they blew and the leaves did wag
The rapid pace at which life can change and how quickly we must adapt to these changes
And they'll never put me in their bag
The refusal to conform and be categorized, the desire for individuality
The seas will reach and always see
The seas represent something vast and unreachable that forever lies in the background of our thoughts
So high you go, so low you creep
Life has its highs and lows, and we must experience all of it to lead a fulfilling life
The winds it blows in tropical heat
The unpredictability of life, never knowing what the future may hold
The drones they throng on mossy seats
The monotony of life; we sometimes feel like drones in our daily routine, always treading the same ground
The squeaking door will always creep
The ominous feeling of something lurking in the background, something we cannot escape
Two up, two down we'll never meet
Separation from those we love, either physically or emotionally, creates a divide that may remain forever unbridgeable
So merrily trip for good my side
Find happiness and joy wherever life may take you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SYD BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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