I’m thinking a lot about Syd Barrett lately. It’s very difficult not to any day, but lately… I don’t know exactly what to say...that someone so incredibly far from my reach is so dear and important to me right now. His story breaks my heart. More than others I’ve read of beautiful, young rockers and rollers drowning, dying, crashing…at least they died the same person they were when they were born. Altered by humanity, age, reality, time, and substance, but essentially they think and are the same. But with Syd, he had been changed from a glorious, groundbreaking ray of love & light, to an ever-silent, tripped out tragedy. And it’s just so sad..you know..? I just wish I could have met him. Before or after his meltdown, I don’t care. Just to know him would be enough. Find out truths, lies, learn from him.. Talk about the weather.. I don’t and wouldn’t mind. I just want to thank him for being how he was, and making people think and be happy. It sounds silly, but it all means a lot. Everything, actually. I wonder, now, if he really existed. If he really lived from—what was it?—1946 to 2006?—and if he really led the Floyd to existance, and laughed and painted and sang and gave the mad their king. I bet I just sound silly and stupid with all my fever-dream ranting..but I had to write about Syd. Because I was reading a bunch of things from the Floyd, producers, colleagues, friends, girls, and Syd himself. And because he was a lovely creature. It was very fun to read and it took a while. And then it was done with: Syd Barrett: (when asked if people still remember him) "Yes, I should think so..."
Upon reading that quote, I busted into tears and I couldn’t breathe, my throat was so tight. For some reason, that quote hit me so so hard. Then when I gathered my wits again, what i’ve been writing happened. I could hear him say it—the quote, I mean. There has to be some connection with me and this man. The Dark Side Of The Moon and myself were both born in 1973 and i've had a very deep attraction to Shine On my entire life, remembering as a child... and watching The Wall and not understanding it but being ok with that. A sort of hibernation period in my life and not really understanding anything actually. Feeling a deep sense of something was in me...but it was burried pretty deep. Surfacing in recent years and growing tremendously. Which seems to me like the perfect setting to re-discover Pink Floyd, including and especially early Floyd. I should really go on to something else now... Starting with my big bad reveal and how I was into Syd for about a month and a half when I found out he had died 5 years previous (I got into him 2011). I was absolutely devastated—because I was being
forced to trade my hero for a ghost. The still-living, still-breathing, beautiful Syd that I thought still was had been ripped away. But I soon adjusted to the realization “your sweet little scarecrow is dead, Lynn.” and here I am now, crying over the bones of a stranger. I don’t know what to say now, except that 'im tired' and 'Roger’s very nice, still caring about Syd no matter what', and 'if you dont know who Syd Barrett is, i recommend you get lost in his story for most of your day' or 'I really should take a nap..but this man is better than sleep' but none of that matters, because my chocolate is gone and so is my attention span. To put it simple, spending any kind of time with Syd Barrett is necessary and beautiful...
And with that...I will say, (with absolute vulnerability), at this point in my life...i would give anything to have a soul like Syd to talk to. They just don't make men like that anymore...someone with deep thoughts, the charisma, the talent, the amazing vocabulary...and those eyes, oh my god those beautiful, soulful eyes. And what if... he held me really tight and sang to me as we slow danced? How about if we take a walk... and i pick him flowers and listen to him play and sing and he could read me alice in wonderland under a tree... while we are eating ice cream and after this, we take a nap on the grass together? How about the two of us simply enjoying an herbal session?
Perhaps in another life,
Lynn
