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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/syd_barrett_mojo.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:'''S'''hine On '''Y'''ou Crazy '''D'''iamond!]]
3
4->''"It's awfully considerate of you to think of me here\
5And I'm most obliged to you for making it clear\
6That I'm not here."''
7-->-- "Jugband Blues", ''Music/ASaucerfulOfSecrets''
8
9Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 - 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician best known as a co-founder of Music/PinkFloyd, and the band's frontman in their [[PsychedelicRock psychedelic]] years. His solo work is also often seen as a prime example of OutsiderMusic.
10
11With the band, Barrett recorded 3 singles and ''Music/ThePiperAtTheGatesOfDawn'' (writing nearly all the songs), but his mental health started to decline considerably as a result of excessive drug use, though many believe his [[CreatorBreakdown breakdown]] would have happened anyway. He was subsequently forced to leave the band at the start of 1968 during the making of their second album ''Music/ASaucerfulOfSecrets'', and was replaced by Music/DavidGilmour. The rest of the band to this day feel extreme guilt for not being able to help him properly, though there was really very little they could do.
12
13After his departure, Barrett would go on to creating two solo albums. The first, ''Music/TheMadcapLaughs'', was marred by poor production at certain songs (the ones produced by former band-mates Music/RogerWaters and David Gilmour), but the second, ''Music/{{Barrett}}'', came off better (this time produced by Gilmour and with contributions by Richard Wright). He gave only one performance in that era -- with Gilmour on bass and Jerry Shirley from Humble Pie on drums -- only to leave the stage after four songs. He did perform for Creator/TheBBC twice, though, and those performances would eventually be officially released.
14
15In January 1972, Barrett performed in a band called "The Last Minute Put Together Boogie Band", which would evolve into the band Stars with John "Twink" Alder [[note]]Who was in Music/ThePrettyThings just long enough to play on ''Music/SFSorrow''[[/note]] on drums and Jack Monck on bass. Their performances ranged from brilliant to disastrous, and after reading a negative review the fragile Barrett quit immediately. The last time Barrett tried to record was in 1974, and that didn't go very well at all. After that, Barrett retired from the music industry for good.
16
17Barrett would visit Pink Floyd one last time in 1975 -- coincidentally, just as they were completing their tribute to him, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" off of ''Music/WishYouWereHere1975''. Upon revisiting them, his hair and eyebrows were shaved off and he had gained quite a bit of weight; [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b6/Syd_Barrett_Abbey_Road_1975.jpg this dramatically changed appearance]] and signs of further mental decline reduced Waters and Wright to tears. Apart from a brief encounter with Waters at Harrods a few years later, Barrett would never see the members of Pink Floyd again after that. Eventually, he moved in his mother's house and became a full-on recluse.
18
19During this time, Barrett went back to using his original name Roger, was often annoyed by paparazzi and fans, approved an odds-and-ends [[GreatestHits compilation album]] called ''Opel'' which is now part of his official discography, and continued to receive royalties from Gilmour for his work with Pink Floyd, which he lived on. Time did little to diminish interest in his work, and although he had become a legendary figure, he simply wanted to be left alone.
20
21Barrett's physical health started to decline in the 1990s due to diabetes and stomach ulcers, culminating in his death in 2006 from pancreatic cancer. The rest of Pink Floyd were naturally devastated, and others who cited Barrett as a major influence, such as Music/DavidBowie, also expressed sorrow. His work with Pink Floyd ensures his legacy, and Barrett remains fondly remembered to this day.
22
23----
24!!Studio and Live Discography:
25
26* 1970 - ''Music/TheMadcapLaughs''
27* 1970 - ''Music/{{Barrett}}''
28* 1987 - ''Peel Sessions'' [[note]]Later included as part of the 2004 album ''The Radio One Sessions''[[/note]]
29* 2004 - ''The Radio One Sessions'' [[note]]Includes tracks from the 1987 album ''Peel Sessions''[[/note]]
30
31----
32!! "What Exactly is a Dream?":
33* BasementDweller: He went back to living with his mother after leaving the music business.
34* BigEater: Apparently, the reason Syd gained so much weight is because he consumed a near endless amount of porkchops.
35* BrokenAce: A classic example, really. A talented, charismatic young man broken down by heavy drug use and severe mental problems, only to retreat into a almost solitary life, completely disconnected from his old life and the world around him.
36* BoxedSet: The 1993 box set ''Crazy Diamond'' which includes ''Music/TheMadcapLaughs'', ''Music/{{Barrett}}'' and ''Opel'' as well as previously unreleased bonus tracks.
37* BunnyEarsLawyer: After being chucked from Pink Floyd, Barrett's two solo albums showed that - even after having gone crazy - he was still a capable, witty songwriter. Pink Floyd themselves were very worried about continuing without Syd, as he had been writing almost all of the band's songs at that point. Waters and Gilmour helped produce Syd's first album and Gilmour and Wright his second, wanting to help their friend. One early suggestion was that David would tour and record with the band, while Syd would keep writing their songs and sing on the albums, like Music/BrianWilson's relationship with their labelmates Music/TheBeachBoys around the same time. The idea failed after Syd infamously taunted them with the unlearn-able "Have You Got It, Yet?". Waters noted that at the time Syd was kicked out of the band, "he was our friend, but most of the time we now wanted to strangle him."
38* ChickMagnet: And HOW! Also TheCharmer, too. However, during his breakdown, his relations with women changed and [[WouldHitAGirl he allegedly became abusive]].
39* CloudCuckoolander: One of the very definitions of it.
40* CompilationRerelease: ''Syd Barrett'' from 1974 was a reissue of Barrett's two solo albums.
41* CreepyCrossdresser: The reason "Arnold Layne" was a PantyThief (see below) in the first place.
42** His bandmates recount Syd doing this [[note]]Fan theory is that maybe "Arnold Layne" was secretly autobiographical. The lyric, ''...It takes two to know...'' being possibly a key. Also; Unlike the song, the police never caught the person raiding the clotheslines at Syd's mother's place, where she would use as a boarding house for folks such as college girls. The song was inspired by this event.[[/note]].
43* TheDandy: [[https://i.ibb.co/12P2nvL/d4-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg In]] his [[https://i.ibb.co/VxdcWRC/d12-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg prime.]] He was quite the [[https://i.ibb.co/R7nyvrZ/f12-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg fashion plate]].
44* DeadpanSnarker
45* DemotedToExtra: This happened with Barrett and Pink Floyd when his erratic behaviour and deteriorating mental health jeopardized the band and David Gilmour was brought in. He only appears on three songs on ''Music/ASaucerfulOfSecrets''[[note]]Wright's "Remember A Day", Waters' "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" and his own "Jugband Blues". "Set The Controls" is the only Floyd song with both Barrett and Gilmour on it.[[/note]].
46* DoNotCallMePaul: Inversion - Barrett, later in life, refused to answer to "Syd," preferring to be addressed by his birth name, Roger.
47* EpicRocking: "Rhamadan" could be considered that, as well as Pink Floyd songs "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Nick's Boogie".
48* EvenTheGuysWantHim:
49-->'''Peter Jenner:''' Syd was a handsome boy, he was beautiful and one more part of the tragedy is that he became such a fat slob, he became ugly. He was true flower power. He came out in this outrageous gear, he had this permanent, which cost 20 pounds[[note]]About £360 today -- in U.S., $532[[/note]] at the time, and he looked like a beautiful woman, all this [[https://agnautacouture.com/2015/12/13/thea-porter-godmother-of-bohemian-chique/ Thea Porter]] stuff[[note]]See also [[https://vintageclothinginfo.com/11-late-20th-century-fashion-designers/ this page (scroll down for Thea bio)]]. The "queen of flower power", her influence on hippie styles cannot be overstated.[[/note]]. He had a lovely girlfriend, Lindsay, [[https://i.ibb.co/RPdtGTN/a9-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg she was the spitting image]] of Syd.
50* EmptyShell: During his breakdown, Syd would frequently go completely blank, barely conscious, to the extent where even his friends have described him as being this while in that state.
51* FormerlyFat: What little pictures exist of Syd [[https://i.ibb.co/VS7jBbg/1978-Barrett.jpg after retiring]] from the public eye showed that he lost most of the weight he put on.
52* FormerlyFit: Infamously, Syd gained a [[https://i.ibb.co/nMF68FS/barrettweightgain.png huge amount]] of weight during the mid-70s
53* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Well, they all liked him, but mostly they were sick of him screwing with them.
54* TheGadfly: Syd liked messing with his friends. After his sanity started to go he became even more frequent and elaborate.
55** One very famous example is when he introduced a purposefully unlearnable song to his bandmates. Every time they had nailed the chording Syd would change it up, all while teasing them in song. This was one of the last times Syd rehearsed with Floyd.
56* {{Gaslighting}}: Barrett's flatmates were apparently fond of spiking all his food and drink with LSD. While it may not have been the origin of his mental problems, it certainly didn't help.
57* GenreRoulette: Syd was quite fittingly rather unpredictable with his sound, going from British Invasion style pop, to acoustic folk, psychedelic pop and most notably, experimental rock.
58* GrowingUpSucks: He was a proverbial "Literature/PeterPan" who loved all things "childhood". [[note]]''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' refers to chapter 7 of ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows'', Syd's favorite book, where the god Pan is shown as a protector of baby animals.[[/note]] He was particularly affected by the death of his father as a pre-teen.
59* {{Guyliner}}: He wore this during his brief solo career. The effect was rather creepy, giving rise to his eyes being described as "black holes in the sky" in Pink Floyd's [[Music/WishYouWereHere1975 "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"]]
60* IAmTheBand: During his time with Pink Floyd.
61* IconicItem: Syd's mirror-covered [[https://i.ibb.co/XpSy3MC/c5-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg Fender Esquire]], and to a lesser extent his Danelectro '59.
62* {{Instrumentals}}: "Rhamadan".
63** Also, "Interstellar Overdrive", the unreleased "Reaction In G", "Lanky (Part 2)" and the second, instrumental version of "Golden Hair".
64* {{Keet}}: Started [[https://i.ibb.co/yFg1F4g/syddytrunks-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.png life]] as [[https://i.ibb.co/bsxHnjs/c14-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg this]]. Then came the [[https://i.ibb.co/vPKVprR/4-syd-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg mental breakdown]] and he made a [[https://i.ibb.co/5jT69dW/sadsyd.jpg complete 180]], becoming a quiet, monosyllabic recluse. Basically he went [[Franchise/WinnieThePooh from Tigger to Eeyore]].
65* LooksLikeCesare: [[https://i.ibb.co/BNJZHwz/b20-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg Syd Barrett]] in [[https://i.ibb.co/kysMd4W/a10-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg some photos]]. In fact, he may have been the style inspiration for musical artists such as Music/MarcBolan, [[Music/{{The Cure|Band}} Robert Smith]] and [[Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees Siouxsie Sioux]].
66* LooksLikeOrlok: Not in a ghoulish sense or anything, but late in life, he [[https://i.ibb.co/GdQcgCZ/Old-Man-Barrett.jpg looked like]] a much older Creator/AleisterCrowley or Creator/PabloPicasso.
67* MadArtist
68* ManChild: Not really in a negative way, but his songwriting was noted for its very childlike, innocent nature.
69* MessyHair: Syd had the Music/BobDylan hairdo for most of [[https://i.ibb.co/qxvyY5m/d1-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg his public life]].
70* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: With shades of LonersAreFreaks. Both later in life.
71* MundaneMadeAwesome: Syd was famous for using a slide, normally reserved for standard Blues guitar, for making those trippy, barely guitar-like sound effects.
72* NonAppearingTitle: "Terrapin", although the title does fit the song's mood of underwater fantasy.
73* OneSteveLimit: One might think that he chose a stage name specifically to avoid having two Rogers in Pink Floyd, but he had the nickname Syd from a very young age. Interestingly, it was the other Roger - Roger Waters - who chose to use his middle name as a stage name, rather than his given name George.
74* PantyThief: "Arnold Layne".
75* ThePigPen: During his mental breakdown, Syd was, for a period, this (his apartment during 'The Madcap Laughs'/'Barrett' would border on TrashOfTheTitans, complete with cigarette butts and pet doo left on the floor). Later, old Roger Barrett was described as veering the opposite direction towards being a NeatFreak who bathed a lot and kept a decent home.
76* PornStache: Maybe not a PornStache, but Syd very briefly wore a light, [[https://i.ibb.co/cNG8g29/a4-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.png soft, fuzzy]] one circa early 1966.
77* PrettyBoy: [[https://i.ibb.co/c1pdDdC/c5-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg Oh]], my! [[https://i.ibb.co/r3x7N3X/a7-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.png yes!]]
78* PrematurelyBald: Syd infamously shaved off all his hair (and eyebrows) during his breakdown.
79** There are pictures of Syd a [[https://i.ibb.co/nfTw6Zg/Annotation-2020-04-12-144243.png few years later]], just in his early thirties but with a seriously receding hairline as well.
80* PutOnABus: During the sessions for ''Music/ASaucerfulOfSecrets''.
81** TheBusCameBack: Barrett's two 1970 solo albums, which - despite his less than perfect mental state - contained some very well-received songs. Unfortunately by 1972, he'd completely lost even his ability to write a cracking song and [[PutOnABusToHell back on the]] [[BusCrash bus he went]].
82* SelfTitledAlbum: ''Music/{{Barrett}}'', more or less.
83* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: Being one of the trendiest and most charismatic musicians, girls and drugs came very, very easy for Syd. Sadly, the drugs played a huge part in his downfall.
84* SoBeautifulItsACurse: A possible case. He was constantly swamped by fans, especially horny fangirls...So sometime between 1974-75 he apparently got into overeating binges to get fat and shaved off all his hair (including brows & body). This resulted in him looking like [[Franchise/TheAddamsFamily Uncle Fester]] when he visited Abbey Road during the recording of ''Music/WishYouWereHere1975''.
85* SomethingBlues:
86** "Music/BobDylan Blues".
87** The title to "Jugband Blues". Subverted in that the song involves neither Blues music or Jugbands (Barrett's feelings, however, could be 'the blues' in question. Poor guy).
88* StageNames: "Syd" Barrett was born Roger Keith Barrett. He earned the nickname "Syd" when he was still a child, either after an old local jazz bassist called Sid Barrett or after he showed up at school wearing a flat cap. He went back to using his given name after leaving the music business.
89* TheStoner: Well, [[https://i.ibb.co/0KcgHw8/Annotation-2020-04-12-144320.png NO DUH!]]
90* ThatManIsDead: In his later years, he refused to answer to "Syd", preferring his birth name, Roger.
91* {{Troll}}: Before his mental decline, Syd would partake in or be the leader of many pranks pulled on either the press or his fellow bandmates.
92* ThousandYardStare: Did this a lot [[https://i.ibb.co/nkcPSvn/e1-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg during the period]] where he was undergoing his [[https://i.ibb.co/r0mtVBK/d11-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg mental breakdown]]...OR otherwise relatively mentally-healthy [[https://i.ibb.co/7yJ84Xc/c1-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg but tripping on LSD]] (like he likely was in some photos)[[note]]Leave it to Syd to make a ThousandYardStare strangely beautiful[[/note]].
93* WhatBeautifulEyes: Syd Barrett was famous [[https://i.ibb.co/jVXzJjP/g4-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg for his]], oft-lined, dramatic eyes. Those same eyes, however, could pull off the haunting ThousandYardStare.
94* [[WhenSheSmiles When He Smiles]]: Syd [[https://i.ibb.co/mDM7FD0/8a-sydoud-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.png had]] the most [[https://i.ibb.co/hHjP0kc/a14-2016-03-01-06-37-58-UTC.jpg adorable]], beaming [[https://i.ibb.co/87HY2J8/17190923-10158445452360232-5985987813599769078-n.jpg smile]].
95
96----
97!! "And What Exactly is a Joke?"

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