This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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 in 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!
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 in 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!
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by nasses321
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In the 1980s, sunglasses were a common fashion for people who wanted to adopt a "tough guy" persona (note all the cop shows from that era -- Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, etc. -- where the lead characters wore shades). So I think this song is about a guy who wears shades as a way of hiding his insecurity after learning that his girlfriend is cheating on him. He's trying to pretend that he's a "tough guy" to hide the fact that his girlfriend's affair is disturbing him.
Don't try to find out a metaphore in every line or word of the lyrics. this song is dedicated to syd barrett. this was said by the group members in more than one interview. somebody like to say (and perhaps is ture) that barret came in the studios during the recording of this song. two months ago i've seen a concert of Waters: while the band played this song, behind them the megascreen over the stage was showing pictures of barrett and the first pink floyd. i've interpreted this as a sort of celebration of the utter genius (in this i agree with FelixCloud) and the days gone by... it's true that Water had to kick him out of the band, but in my point of view "kick out" is a bit negative.
One think as a not-english-speaker i'd like to know: how do explain the title? i mean: is it imperative, conjunctive or what? "you" and "crazy diamond" are both subjects or objects or what? thanx to whom answer. bye
I'm not a native English speaker either, but I disagree with the reply above, by vozzy. We, the people, bla bla bla" is one kind of construction, in which "the people" explains to whom the term "we' refers."You crazy diamond" is a vocative, which is a word or phrase used to address a reader or listener directly. This "you" is just a way of calling a person by one of their characteristics. Like; "Stop it, you jerk!" Or "Come over here, you pretty girl". It took me a while to understand this kind of phrase, as in Portuguese, we use possessives for that purpose (We would say something like: "Shine on, your crazy diamond"). Well, after writing all this, I realized the question was posted 12 years ago. I guess you've found out your answer long ago...
As a brazilian, I totally understand what Veronica said. I think the title is just a very gentle way of letting someone go, but at the same time, understanding the greatness and the importance of the one your are separating from your life. Like you are being mad at someone, but in a more gentle way!<br /> And the whole 12 years thing, that is far away from being a problem! :D
@killingFloor About your last paragraph when you ask about how to analyze the title, "shine on" is imperative, kind of like "keep going". "You crazy diamond" is different from "crazy diamond" because the "you" makes it definite and signals that the speaker is speaking to the "crazy diamond". HTH, even though it's pretty much what Veronica said.
@killingFloor <br /> <br /> S-hine on<br /> Y-ou crazy<br /> D-iamond<br /> <br /> SYD
It is a biographical song about Roger Syd Barrett, written love, respect and honesty.
To Killingfloor:
Imagine a comma (,) in the title, like this, "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond." You'll see that the You Crazy Diamond is one construction, the subject of the phrase, as in: "You (Crazy Diamond) Shine On," Or "(You Crazy Diamond) Shine On." Consider the title a command sentence, where the "you" is implied.
"You Crazy Diamond" is a similar construction grammatically to "We Three Kings" or "We the People" or "Bob the Builder". These are all one "subject" or noun-phrase.
Hoping this helps, vozzy
@Vozzy I think an easier way to explain would be like you said first, "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond," or it could be, "Shine On You, Crazy Diamond."<br /> One means to keep shining, and one means that someone, or something, is shining on "You:" the Crazy Diamond.
Ive herd Floyd my whole life. But now is the first time i'm actually listening to them, if thats makes sense.
I am also of the view that this song is about their band member Syd Berrett who left Pink Floyd very early. They are missing him and wanted to say that he (Syd) considered himself as successful very soon and left. But now he is wasting his life , destroying himself... he was a shining like a start but now he is in gloom....
@ishtiaqahmedz I agree that it is about Syd, but I think, for example, the line "you reached for the secret too soon" refers to his drug addiction, which is also the reason that his behaviour changed so much over the years, and why he was kicked out of the band.
@ishtiaqahmedz nope, syd left because he was mentally ill
I always thought Piper could also be a reference to "Piper at the Gates of dawn."
Yes
"Shine on You Crazy Diamond", the title is a acronym for Syd Barrett, Shine You Diamond. S-Y-D. The whole album is a tribute to him.
as lots of people said, this song is written for Syd Barrett. I know a lot about Syd, this is my interpretation: Remember when you were young - Waters, Gilmour and Syd were close childhood friends you shone like the sun - Syd was a very bright and smart child Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky - he turned into a psycho because of drug abuse You reached for the secret too soon - Barrett started doing drugs at quite a young age you cried for the moon - i got insane (crying for the moon like a wolf) Threatened by shadows at night - he also had signs of schitzophrenia, which was well fed by all of the drugs and exposed in the light - everyone saw him being high all the time come on you painter - i used to go to an artist collage because he was a well painter you piper - there was a Pink Floyd's album called "the piper at the gates of dawn" while syd was still in the band You prisoner - poor Barrett was a slave to his drug habbit.
He was probably a prisoner of his schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder or what-have-you by that point.
@jGustainis I can't believe you're just now actually listening to these songs where have you been brah? I love SYD RIP SYD luv u. I think your "interpretation" is spot on btw too bad Waters and Gilmour were so hard on him when he finally "got it".There might have been other people he had to worry about besides himself that doesn't make him a bad guy just FUBARD. He was a slave but I'm sure as most of these "drug addicts" do eventually he realized how he messed up. I've never touched a drug I don't know how any off these idiots could let a drug take control over them. But oh well his loss but at least we got great songs and SOYCD. Rock on
Author may have thought it was about Syd, but it's about ego dissolution.
In youth we chase approval, then fear the laughter of others rather than delight in it (we learn shame and guilt).
"You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon."
Let maya unravel at its own pace, don't rush it or you'll get paranoid and fearful. Ego is dissolved by the light. If you get too precise, carried by
Blown on the steel breeze. becomes Rode on the steel breeze.
We're blown and tossed by life when we try to explain precisely, be clever, or avoid madness, or try to see and interpret visions, express yourself, put your self in prison of conditional love, approval, satisfaction, or peace
ego exposed by the light, when we let ego die, we shine.
If you watch both interviews on Syd from Waters, and Gilmour; you'll hear both mention this song very much is about Syd. Also mentioning influences throughout The Wall.
@machinebor The artist usually knows what a song is about, because (t)he(y) wrote the song.
I totally agree with Floydian. I grew up with Pink Floyd, and I have yet to tire of their music. This is an awesome song and everone should have to listen to it at least once. It's got something for every one. You can listen to country or metal and still like this song. Well.....I dunno bout country, but every thing else you could.