Syd Barrett Biography and Quotes

Syd Barrett Biography

Syd Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006), born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter. He is most remembered as a founding member of the psychedelic/progressive rock band , providing major musical and stylistic direction in their early work, although he left the group in 1968 amidst speculations of mental illness exacerbated by heavy drug use.

Barrett was active as a rock musician for about seven years, recording three singles, two albums, and several unreleased songs with Pink Floyd, and two solo albums before going into self-imposed seclusion lasting more than thirty years. In his post rock-band life, he focused on his art and on gardening; he died in 2006. A number of biographies have been written about him since the 1980s and Pink Floyd wrote and recorded several tributes to him after he left, the most known being the 1975 album Wish You Were Here.

Syd Barrett Quotes

“A lot of people want to make films and do photography and things, but I’m quite happy doing what I’m doing.” – Syd Barrett

“Fairy-tales are nice.” – Syd Barrett

“Getting used to the studio and everything was fun, we freaked about alot. I was working very hard then.” – Syd Barrett

“Have you seen the roses? There’s a whole lot of colours.” – Syd Barrett

“I do tend to take lines from other lines I like, and then write around them.” – Syd Barrett

“I don’t really read a lot. Maybe I should.” – Syd Barrett

“I don’t think I’m easy to talk about. I’ve got a very irregular head. And I’m not anything that you think I am anyway.” – Syd Barrett

“I like songs that are simple.” – Syd Barrett

“I never felt so close to a guitar as that silver one with mirrors that I used on stage all the time.” – Syd Barrett

“I think it’s good if a song has more than one meaning. Maybe that kind of song can reach far more people.” – Syd Barrett

“I think young people should have a lot of fun. But I never seem to have any.” – Syd Barrett

“I wasn’t always this introverted.” – Syd Barrett

“I’d like to be rich. I’d like a lot of money to put into my physicals and to buy food for all my friends.” – Syd Barrett

“I’m disappearing, avoiding most things.” – Syd Barrett

“I’m full of dust and guitars.” – Syd Barrett

“I’m sorry I can’t speak very coherently.” – Syd Barrett

“I’m treading the backward path. Mostly, I just waste my time.” – Syd Barrett

“I’ve just had an operation, but nothing too serious.” – Syd Barrett

“If I’d stayed at college I would have become a teacher.” – Syd Barrett

“It’s always been too slow for me. Playing. The pace of things. I’m a fast sprinter. The trouble was, after playing in the group for a few months, I couldn’t reach that point.” – Syd Barrett

“Living in Cambridge, with nature and everything, it’s so clean.” – 

“The only work I’ve done the last two years is interviews. I’m very good at it.” – Syd Barrett

“When we parted I had written everything for the group. My leaving sort of evened things out within the group.” – Syd Barrett