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.
Agree there. One thing that comes through so clearly in Syd's songs is a childlike sense of wonder at the world.
Agree there. One thing that comes through so clearly in Syd's songs is a childlike sense of wonder at the world.
Interesting that we think of that as "childlike", though; most of us have it at an early age, then lose it (or replace it with something else) later. Fairy tales are for children, but why? At that age we have already begun to understand the difference between "magic" and "real", which is what makes the magic so exciting! But as chldren we're happy to entertain the magic and the real together anyway, because there's something really fun about that. Adults typically stop responding to fairy tales with that level of interest, but do at least remember this part of childhood and so are happy to retell those stories to children. Only a few adults, like Hans Christian Andersen, can actually compose such stories with any success. Syd appears to have kept the ability to see the world in that mode through his twenties at least.
In that view, it doesn't pay to over-anlyze Syd's songs with "close readings". He might just have been stringing together some beautiful thoughts and word-pictures he wanted to share with the rest of us. I am grateful that he did.
Well, he appears to have kept that ability into his early twenties anyway. After that it's hard to tell.
Well, he appears to have kept that ability into his early twenties anyway. After that it's hard to tell.
As for Syd's fascination with childhood themes, here's a surmise: By age 20, when he wrote most of these songs, he was probably the first to notice that something was going wrong for him. Faced with the horrifying thought that he might actually be losing control over his own mind, he enjoyed recalling a time when things worked better. Which, at age 20, would have meant childhood.
As for Syd's fascination with childhood themes, here's a surmise: By age 20, when he wrote most of these songs, he was probably the first to notice that something was going wrong for him. Faced with the horrifying thought that he might actually be losing control over his own mind, he enjoyed recalling a time when things worked better. Which, at age 20, would have meant childhood.
In any case, these songs are treasures. He held on just long enough to create them.
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.
PS - it's not about drugs, or being on drugs. That point of view is belittling to the childish beauty of Syd's music, his art, his philosophy.
PS - it's not about drugs, or being on drugs. That point of view is belittling to the childish beauty of Syd's music, his art, his philosophy.
Agree there. One thing that comes through so clearly in Syd's songs is a childlike sense of wonder at the world.
Agree there. One thing that comes through so clearly in Syd's songs is a childlike sense of wonder at the world.
Interesting that we think of that as "childlike", though; most of us have it at an early age, then lose it (or replace it with something else) later. Fairy tales are for children, but why? At that age we have already begun to understand the difference between "magic" and "real", which is what makes the magic so exciting! But as chldren we're happy to entertain the magic and the real together anyway, because there's something really fun about that. Adults typically stop responding to fairy tales with that level of interest, but do at least remember this part of childhood and so are happy to retell those stories to children. Only a few adults, like Hans Christian Andersen, can actually compose such stories with any success. Syd appears to have kept the ability to see the world in that mode through his twenties at least.
In that view, it doesn't pay to over-anlyze Syd's songs with "close readings". He might just have been stringing together some beautiful thoughts and word-pictures he wanted to share with the rest of us. I am grateful that he did.
Well, he appears to have kept that ability into his early twenties anyway. After that it's hard to tell.
Well, he appears to have kept that ability into his early twenties anyway. After that it's hard to tell.
As for Syd's fascination with childhood themes, here's a surmise: By age 20, when he wrote most of these songs, he was probably the first to notice that something was going wrong for him. Faced with the horrifying thought that he might actually be losing control over his own mind, he enjoyed recalling a time when things worked better. Which, at age 20, would have meant childhood.
As for Syd's fascination with childhood themes, here's a surmise: By age 20, when he wrote most of these songs, he was probably the first to notice that something was going wrong for him. Faced with the horrifying thought that he might actually be losing control over his own mind, he enjoyed recalling a time when things worked better. Which, at age 20, would have meant childhood.
In any case, these songs are treasures. He held on just long enough to create them.