Syd was the driving force behind Psychedelia. His fantastic lyrics and musical concepts created a new genre. There was nothing like it. Many people tried to copy but they lacked Syd’s imagination and touch. He was an incredibly imaginative person.
Syd is the highest profile Acid casualty. I don’t know if it was the acid or an inherent mental illness. Perhaps the acid precipitated what was already lurking? Perhaps the genius was tied up with the mental illness? Who knows.
All I know is that when I met Syd he was gone. His eyes were those black holes. His speech was slow and labouring. Too much acid had certainly done him no good. Or was it too much dope?
I’ve seen the same thing with two of my friends. One committed suicide at the age of twenty one and the other has recurrent problems following a bad acid experience at Glastonbury.
This song was written as a tribute to Syd’s genius. Pink Floyd are a formidable band; one of the best. They were different without Syd but still brilliant. Syd gave them the kick-start and impetus. He’s gone but not forgotten. He never did shine again. What a great shame.
Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there’s a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the cross fire of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter, come on you stranger,
You legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Treatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome with random precision,
Rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter,
You piper, you prisoner, and shine!
Nobody knows where you are, how near or how far.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Pile on many more layers and I’ll be joining you there.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
And we’ll bask in the shadow of yesterday’s triumph,
And sail on the steel breeze.
Come on you boy child, you winner and loser,
Come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!