I know where Syd Barrett Lived

Word has come through the internet that Syd Barrett passed away July 7th 2006. He was 60.

First thought that popped into my head was “Poor Syd, Poor damned Syd”

Syd was a co-founder of Pink Floyd, and Rock’s most famous acid victims along with Skip Spence of Moby Grape fame and Roky Erickson of the 13th Floor Elevators. He was Floyd’s main song writer in the beginning and lead singer. Floyd in those days was a very very different band from the Floyd of the Dark Side of the Moon and Wish you were here.

He was a gifted song writer with a childlike sense of wonder about the world and then the darkness came. Schizophrenia, exacerbated by the drugs took him away. At least they think that was Schizophrenia, but this was the 60’s and just about every mental symptom they didn’t understand got dumped into the Schizophrenia bin.

Reading again the story of Syd’s breakdown I get a sense of the rest of Floyd’s confusion and heartbreak – what the hell did they know about mental illness? They were musicians in England in their 20’s it was the swinging sixties it was the summer of love and their band leader and friend was becoming some one else, with brief moments of the old Syd – I the end they didn’t do everything right but I’m not too sure I wouldn’t have acted any differently – and I know from mental illness.

So Syd drifted away doing a couple, three solo albums before going to Cambridge and living with his mother until she died and after that living alone resurfacing from time to time. Once was when Floyd was making “wish you were here”. He walked into the studio having shaved his head (even his eyebrows which is why that bit is in the movie of The Wall) and nobody recognized him. Roger Waters said he broke into tears when he realized it was Syd.

I always found the cult of Syd a little creepy, even though I love Robyh Hitchcock who was a huge fan not only of the Floyd work but the solo stuff – which I never really got. And Dan Trecy of TV Personalities who had a minot hit with “I know were Syd Barret lives”. Trecy is another artist who’s battled depression and the like.

He had a sad life and now he’s gone. I hope his soul is at peace.

We’re going to record tonite – after that I’m putting the wish you were here on my i-pod.