When … Read Full Bio ↴Left off of Madcap because Gilmour and Waters were in such a rush.
When Syd transferred all the four tracks to eight-track for the final mixing, Jones noticed that 'Opel' was among them: "Syd obviously intended to include it on the album. I still think to this day that it is one of his best tracks and it's tragic that it wasn't included in the final album."
-- "The Madcap Laughs: Mick Rock Photo Sessions, 1993
The first new song completed was 'Opel'. Nine takes were attempted, the last of which was unquestionably the finest. It remains unfathomable why this mesmerizing performance should have been left unreleased; its exhumation was deserved and the track rightly formed the focal point of that aforementioned collection.
-- Brian Hogg, 1993, Crazy Diamond Box Set Booklet
Opel
Syd Barrett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stands the ebony totem in ebony sand
A dream in a mist of gray
On a far distant shore
The pebble that stood alone
And driftwood lies half buried
Warm shallow waters sweep shells
So the cockles shine
A bare winding carcass, stark
Shimmers as flies scoop up meat, an empty way
Dry tears
Crisp flax squeaks tall reeds
Make a circle of gray in a summer way, around man
Stood on ground
I'm trying
I'm trying to find you!
To find you
I'm living, I'm giving,
To find you, To find you,
I'm living, I'm living,
I'm trying, I'm giving
Syd Barrett's song "Opel" is a hauntingly beautiful piece that seems to speak of a search for something lost, a quest for answers. The lyrics are delivered in a gentle, almost mournful manner, with the slow tempo of the music adding to a sense of melancholy. The first verse suggests a desolate shoreline, where an ebony totem stands tall in the midst of ebony sand. There seems to be a sense of dreamlike quality in this landscape, as if the subject of the song is searching for something that exists only in their imagination. The image of the pebble that stood alone and the half-buried driftwood add to this sense of searching and longing, as if the subject of the song is hoping to find something that has been lost in the sands of time.
The second verse suggests a more desolate landscape, with the imagery of a bare winding carcass and flies that scoop up meat. The dry tears that are mentioned add to a sense of sadness and despair, as if the subject of the song has been through some kind of trauma. The tall reeds and the circle of grey add to the sense of a desolate landscape, suggesting that the search is taking place in a world that has lost its colour and vibrancy. The final lines of the song, with the repeated phrases "I'm trying" and "I'm giving", suggest a sense of determination on the part of the subject, a determination to keep searching, keep giving, keep trying to find what has been lost.
Line by Line Meaning
On a distant shore, miles from land
Syd sings about being in a far-off place that is not connected to anything else.
Stands the ebony totem in ebony sand
He sees a black statue or monument standing among black sand.
A dream in a mist of gray
It's a vague dream shrouded in grayness.
On a far distant shore
He reiterates the distance between himself and everything else.
The pebble that stood alone
The image of a stone that is apart and by itself, perhaps as a metaphor for the singer's own loneliness.
And driftwood lies half buried
He describes a piece of wood that is partially submerged in sand or water, which may be another metaphor for the isolating experience he's having.
Warm shallow waters sweep shells, so the cockles shine
He observes that the warm, shallow waters make the shells look beautiful and bright.
A bare winding carcass, stark
The image of a barren, twisting skeleton or corpse that is striking in its starkness.
Shimmers as flies scoop up meat, an empty way
He sees the carcass shining and being consumed by flies and comments on the emptiness of the scene.
Dry tears
He talks about tears being dry or perhaps not appearing, implying a sense of loss or grief that is not easily expressed.
Crisp flax squeaks tall reeds
He hears the distinctive sound of plants, possibly in a field, rustling and squeaking.
Make a circle of gray in a summer way, around man
There is a gray circle that is formed around a person in a way that's reminiscent of summertime.
Stood on ground
He (or someone else) is standing firmly on the earth. This line may signify a connection to the physical world amidst all the abstractions of the other lyrics.
I'm trying
Syd makes a statement about putting in effort.
I'm trying to find you!
He's exerting an effort to locate someone or something important to him.
To find you
He repeats his desire to locate whatever or whoever he's looking for.
I'm living, I'm giving
He's living his life and putting forth effort.
To find you, To find you
Once again, he emphasizes his desire to find what he's looking for.
I'm living, I'm living
He repeats himself, perhaps to emphasize the sense that he is trying to live his life as fully as possible in the face of his difficulties.
I'm trying, I'm giving
He reiterates his efforts and the amount of energy he's putting into something important.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROGER JOHN BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@grocerewe1935
Here I stand in a box of black choked by nothing
On a distant shore, miles from land
Stands the ebony totem in ebony sand
A dream in a mist of grey...
On a far distant shore...
The pebble that stood alone
And driftwood lies half buried
Warm shallow waters sweep shells
So the cockles shine...
A bare winding carcase, stark
Shimmers as flies scoop up meat, an empty way...
Dry tears...
Crisp flax squeaks tall reeds
Make a circle of grey in a summer way, around man
Stood on ground...
I'm trying
I'm trying to find you!
To find you
I'm living, I'm giving
To find you, To find you
I'm living, I'm living
I'm trying, I'm giving
@robertcarter6939
Syd was like a break in the clouds where the sun shines momentarily.
@svarionare
Yeah, I think so.
@carlosjorgekierigvonborrie3475
Bcause he Is there
@thebrownshadowrecords7966
Well, personally speaking, considering this song shone on the very day he wrote it, up until this day, and most likely onwards from now for at least some time (since it only seems to grow further for followers all over the world), I’d barely call it momentarily!
@guyfaux900
Because the sun was eclipsed by Rodger Waters
@vbassone
Yeah, veryyyy momentarily.
@williamreynolds4435
He didn't really need a band, not even a staggeringly great band like Pink Floyd. Just his voice, his words, and his guitar. This song proves that more than adequately.
@johnhakes20
“I’m trying…to find you.” It’s always given me chills since the day I first heard it…
@1656581
me too !!!
@kkroeger5868
I've been trying for years now to get my teenage son to learn the guitar. I tried Beatle songs, the Stones, the Kinks, Coldplay, Nirvana, Blur, and the list goes on. And a little over a month ago I was playing Syd's Dark Globe and Opel and, suddenly, my son comes downstairs and asks, "Dad, can you teach me to play those songs?" There is something about Syd's songs. Simple, yet complex. And people of any age can connect to them.