‘The Lyrics of Syd Barrett’ (2021)
Some fifteen years after his passing, the musical legacy of psychedelic rock legend Roger Keith Barrett, better known by his nickname Syd, has been compiled in a handsome 96 page purple and white covered hardbound edition, complete with a portrait of Barrett in its center, by the Omnibus Press.
Drawn from two albums and non-LP sides with Pink Floyd, unreleased songs that appeared on PF’s ‘The Early Years 1965-1972’ box set from 2016, a couple of solo albums and a belatedly released 1988 LP of Barrett outtakes, a total of 52 published songs are gathered in this collection.
The book opens with a foreword by Peter Jenner and an introduction by Rob Chapman, followed by the song lyrics arranged alphabetically by title, from ‘Apples And Oranges’ to ‘Word Song’. One small point of contention is that chronological presentation may have been more appropriate, as it would have allowed grouping the songs by release. But it is a small quibble and at most a minor inconvenience to the reader.
Barrett’s works begin with Pink Floyd’s pre-album singles, the first being ‘Arnold Layne’ , the tale of a transvestite with the strange hobby of stealing women’s lingerie and undergarments from clotheslines. The tune reached #20 on the UK charts despite being banned by Radio London when released on 11 March 1967. The b-side ‘Candy And A Currant Bun’, originally titled ‘Let’s Roll Another One’ was about smoking weed, with Barrett cleverly sneaking “fuck” into the first chorus. The follow-up single’s top side was the classic ‘See Emily Play’ written after the ‘Games For May’ concert, reaching #6 after its 16 June 1967 release. The 45’s b-side ‘The Scarecrow’ was included on Pink Floyd’s debut August 1967 LP ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ which also peaked at #6 and included eight tunes written by Barrett as well as two co-written by Syd, among its eleven tracks. Among the album’s strongest compositions are ‘Astronomy Domine’, ‘Lucifer Sam’, ‘The Gnome’, ‘Chapter 24’, ‘Flaming’ and closer ‘The Bike’, all penned by Barrett. ‘Flaming’, written about a childhood game with fantastic imagery and lyrics such as “here we go, ever so high” was issued as a single backed by ‘The Gnome’ although it failed to chart. The album was ranked #253 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2020.
Pink Floyd’s third Barrett written single ‘Apples And Oranges’ failed to chart, with his input on the band’s second album ‘A Saucerful Of Secrets’ limited to ‘Jugband Blues’, a leftover from ‘The Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ sessions, and guitar work on a couple of other tracks as Barrett’s drug usage and mental health issues led to his departure from the band in late 1968 after a few gigs featuring Barrett and replacement David Gilmour appearing together.
Barrett’s first solo album ‘The Madcap Laughs’ was released in July 1970 and is highlighted by tunes such as ‘Terrapin’, ‘Octopus’, ‘Golden Hair’ and ‘Dark Globe’, with all thirteen tracks originals. The album was much mellower than his previous work but was a commercial disappointment, failing to chart. His follow-up LP ‘Barrett’ was issued in November 1970 and features, among its twelve originals, the well known and highly regarded ‘Love Song’, ‘Dominoes’ and especially ‘Baby Lemonade’. ‘Opel’ released in October 1988 was a compilation of fifteen original, unissued tracks recorded between May 1968 and July 1970, including ‘Clowns and Jugglers’ an early version of ‘Octopus’, ‘Wouldn’t You Miss Me’ which evolved into ‘Dark Globe’, ‘Milky Way’ along with alternate instrumental and vocal versions of ‘Golden Hair’.
‘The Lyrics of Syd Barrett’ is illustrated throughout with black and white as well as color photos of the author throughout his career which sadly ended in 1972 when Barrett left the music industry, retired from public life and strictly guarded his privacy until his death. He continued painting and dedicated himself to gardening. Pink Floyd recorded several tributes and homages to him, including the 1975 song suite ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ and the 1979 rock opera ‘The Wall’. Barrett was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of Pink Floyd in 1996 before sadly dying of pancreatic cancer in 2006, at age 6o.
This volume will appeal to Pink Floyd, psychedelic rock and classic rock fans, as well as collectors of rock music lyrics. A bargain at its list price of $19.95 in the US, this book will be a welcome addition to rock fans’ musical libraries and comes highly recommended.
Kevin Rathert
‘The Lyrics of Syd Barrett’ by Syd Barrett and Rob Chapman (Omnibus Press 2021)
