See Emily Play

I think pasqualalalala is right. It sounds too gloomy to be another drug song. It makes sense as the confused girl story. I'm not trying to sound off on you guys, but I've been reading some of the other posts for the other Syd songs, and it seems like people has this completely skewed image of Syd as some drugged out reject who writes every song about doing drugs, or that he just writes a bunch of gibberish. That is completely not true. Maybe people think it's gibberish because they can't understand the meanings, but I have been able to figure out most of what I've heard from him (though I mostly just listen to Piper cuz that's my favorite Floyd album). The only gibberish song he's made is the words song, which somebody explains on its interp page. Well, maybe that's not the only one. I'm just saying people should give Syd a little more credit. :)

Before "Syd" Barrett wrote this song he was in a forest and he saw a girl in the distance, and her name was Emily. That's who Emily is in this song.

No other song can make me quite like this one does... To me its about the despair a child feels. There is no past and there is no future, only the eternal present of existence. This song hauntingly beautiful.

The way I heard the Emily story was that Syd woke up in a forest, not knowing why he was there or how he got there and saw her in the distance between the trees and her name was emily, not really certain if her name was emily or he just thought it was, or maybe it was a hallucination, who knows.

Yes, a bt of an Ophelia is Emily

azreal is right the girl used to go to this club that they played at all, the time and she was too young to be there (i think 17 or so) and she would try to fit in and be like everyone but she was still green to it all. "eemily tries, but misunderstands."

also, the song was originally called 'free games for may' after a concert that was held in may in london for free. they ended up getting in trouble because the song was too trippy or whatever the hell margaret thatcher or whoever said (i cant remember exactly who.)

syd barrett made up the girl in the woods story to protect a common attender of pink floyd underground rock concerts identity named Emily kentwood or something like that

means nothing to me BUT.....i love the line "put on a gown that touches the ground....float on a river forever and ever, emily"

I came up with a crazy theory one night that it could be partially about Syd's anima. Just throwing it out there. Especially because Syd doesn't seem like the type who had an exact meaning consciously worked out for everything he wrote.

I was named after this song... I know this for a fact. I also realize that no one cares... oh well, just thought that I would share.