Shine On You Crazy Diamond

It is with sadness I report the death of the founding member and original driving force of Pink Floyd.

Whilst his tenure with the group was short his influence on a lot of their subsequent work was massive.

He was probably the most famous 60's casualty of LSD and had lived as a recluse in Cambridge for the best part of the last 35 years.

Only this past month both David Gilmour and Roger Waters have name checked Syd on their respective tours and Dave Gilmour has played a number of solo Syd Barratt songs.

The words to the 1975 Floyd classic says all that needs to be said about their love for him:-

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 crossfire 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.

Threatened 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!