Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Flaming Out (post-fading away)

The big news over at Pink Floyd.com today is that Roger and David still are really, really angry at each other, and thus will soooo not be going out on tour together. I quote:

PINK FLOYD AND ROGER WATERS CATEGORICALLY DENY RUMOURS OF A PINK FLOYD TOUR.

Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright are joined by Roger Waters in categorically stating that there is no truth in the recent news reports about a Pink Floyd tour planned for this Autumn.

While it’s unquestionably a shame (well, I don’t question it) that the lads can’t bury the hatchet long enough to get together on any new musical projects, the news is just in that they’ll be getting together to bury founding member Syd Barrett instead, who died last week at the ripe old age of 60.

It’s also a shame that five days out, the Floyd website is still throwing shit at former members instead of offering any kind of acknowledgement and/or appreciation of the passing of the band’s co-founder and spiritual mentor. I’m sure they’ll dash something off eventually, but at the moment, it just adds another shade of blue to Syd’s passing.

Neil Young said it’s better to burn out than to fade away – Syd did both, look what it got him. Squat, that’s what. Just say no, kids...

In spite of all that, I wanted to wrap this up this on as positive a note as circumstances allow, so I combed Syd’s lyrics from the first few Floyd albums to see if I could find something apropos, and maybe, you know, not completely mental yet. The following was written by Syd and is from “The Piper At The Gates of Dawn.”

Peaceful journey, you crazy, shining, mad fucker, you. Thanks for the music.


Flaming

Alone in the clouds all blue
Lying on an eiderdown.
Yippee! You can't see me
But I can you.

Lazing in the foggy dew
Sitting on a unicorn.
No fair, you can't hear me
But I can you.

Watching buttercups cup the light
Sleeping on a dandelion.
Too much, I won't touch you
But then I might.

Alone in the clouds all blue
Lying on an eiderdown.
Yippee! You can't see me
But I can you.

2 Comments:

Blogger Heather Clisby said...

His story isn't as sad as all that - after giving more to the world than I could ever hope for, he managed to live out the rest of his life on his own terms, albeit, a bit damaged. Maybe he just saw too much? I guess every art form needs its Garbo.

9:09 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow! I never knew you were Pink Floyd savvy and I've known you for 44 years ... do you remember my h.s. boyfriend named Jon who was a total pink Floyd freak? Coutesy of this young man, I was able to enjoy a drugged out day at the beach composed of baby oil with iodine for a sexy orange tint, hot sun, a bit of weed, and an 8-track playing a continous loop of what I've come to think of as "the cash register song"...

And here I pause to recommend that all of us who grew up under duress or the influence of controlled substances ask our sib's what they know about us that we ourselves did not cop to, or have entirely forgotten ... best to find this out before they publish memoirs ...

6:39 PM

 

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