Pink Floyd – Flaming

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Send "Flaming" Ringtone to Cell

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.

Screaming through the starlit sky
Traveling by telephone.
Hey ho, here we go
Ever so high.

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

Send "Flaming" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae

Track duration: 03:18

"Flaming" as written by Syd Barrett

Lyrics © T.R.O. INC.

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Flaming song meanings
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25 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Many of Syd's songs were presenting the point of view of a child. Flaming is one of them. Syd had the Kabbalist's ability to see the World of Forms (as Plato put it).

    This song is soooo good, I can hardly stand to listen to it. It is beautiful, and it makes me feel like I am about to receive the light. I miss Syd Barrett so much, to think of all the incredible music we didn't get to receive from him makes me cry.

    Bless you Syd, you shared the Light with all of us, you're still sharing it today and for generations to come.
    Flag spockmonon February 15, 2013   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    My Interpretation:I dropped recently, and since I'm a Floydian, I listened to several hours of PF music throughout it. One song that I listened to was this one. Of course, I was listening to Piper as a unit, so in it's context, it fit, but as soon as it came on, it evoked an emotion in me that was different from what any of the other songs had pulled out. For starters, it sounds quite popish, with the catchy lyrics and music, but it had a creepy element in it, that made me a little edgy. Overall, I think that a lot of what PF did was made for people who were high, to be honest... "ever so hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh....."
    Flag njadams10on October 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is my favourite Syd Barrett's song. I especially love the lines "Yippi, you can't see me but i can you" and "no fair, you can't hear me but I can you".
    I'm not a native speaker so I might be wrong but "i can you" doesn't mean anything from a grammatical point of view, right? He should've said "i can SEE you", right?
    Tell me if I'm wrong... but I think that makes much more sense like Syd wrote it, it's direct, no verb, just I can you. Looks like a child talking.

    LSD? not LSD? I don't know, everything is possible on LSD, but a trippy song like this with the title "Flaming" could also be on strong marijuana. Drug influence for sure and knowing Syd Barrett, it's certainly LSD!
    Flag garveymon August 02, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is achildhood memory of playing hide and seek--he's alone hiding in the dewy grasslooking up into the clouds and blue sky,, on ablanket of eiderdown--and the other kid is close but can't see or hear him--however at one point he is so close that he could reach out and touch the other kid, but might or might not. Even the language is from childhood--No Fair! and Yippee! The unicorn he is sitting on is a 'unicorn mushroom' perhaps, as he mentions dandelions and buttercups, all three would be found in a meadow where he hides in the grass. He is remembering this day with a friend or sibling over the phone, and it is their voices that are streaming through the starlit sky, traveling by telephone not only through space, but also in time, through their memories. One of my favorites--and my sons love the cuckoo bird,we call it the cuckoo song. I agree with another post that calling the lyrics a meaningless acid trip really takes away from the beauty and artistry of the lyrics.
    Flag cookaroochon July 29, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"too much I won't touch you, but then I might"

    I think this is about him having experienced occasional insanity or severe psychic instability, after which he realized that anyone is capable of doing things they'd never thought themselves capable of. All it takes is a trauma...

    otherwise I'd say it's mostly about isolation and being misunderstood, as mentioned previously..
    Flag McFilkon June 08, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song reminds me of The Science Of Sleep...
    Flag afro_kidon February 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Alone in the clouds all blue
    lying on an eiderdown
    yippie, you can't see me
    but I can you

    High as akite,
    chillin,
    im so clever cuz u cant tell whats goin on my head, but i can you

    Lazing in the foggy dew
    sitting on a unicorn
    no fair, you can't hear me
    but I can you

    chililn,
    haha, you dont know wuts up wiht me, im so clever, but i can read you

    Watching buttercups cuff the light
    sleeping on a dandelion
    too much, I won't touch you
    but then I might

    still havin fun... o shit thats intense, cuz im triping out, but maybe ill do you.. :)

    Screaming through the scarlet sky
    travelling by telephone
    hey, ho here we go
    ever so high

    trippin more intensely.. callin up my freinds, maybe we''ll meet... haha im soo high

    classic psychotomimetic trip... where u think u can read everything, while tripping, stereotype awareness at a high:D
    Flag FFFFFloydon October 27, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:Sid is laying on his eiderdown bed and smoking a sigaret. Through the smoke you can't see him, but he can. He's on his unicorn = fantasy (animal) He''s tripping, ever so high and keeps the pot burning, Flaming!
    Flag MisterFloydon March 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:An eiderdown is usually made from duck feathers hence an eider duck
    Flag AmouseCalledGeraldon November 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Let's steer away from the drugs a minute - they're just too convenient. Instead, look at the mid to late sixties culture when there was a resurgence in interest in legend and the occult (yes, I lived through it near London) and take this as an unseen, unheard sprite (or something similar), probably a mischievous one (I won't touch you, but then I might) As for 'traveling by telephone, ever so high' the first communications satellites had been launched just prior to this, so it fits very well with the whole imagery.
    The whole song brings to mind fairy stories, imps, goblins etc.
    Flag AlanOldieon July 18, 2007   Link

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