A few words for Roger "Syd" Barrett

FinsburyParkCarrots

I'd often see Roger Barrett around Cambridge, cycling or walking to the shops, but I would never approach him. Cambridge people by principle would keep a respectful distance from the man they admired but didn't wish to bother. We knew who he was, we loved his music, but we wouldn't think of pressing ourselves on someone who hadn't performed on stage since the early seventies and had completely retired from any kind of public life before most of today's pop stars were born. A friend of mine grew up a few doors away from him and though a big music fan, he too would only venture the occasional little hello to his neighbour, this essentially solitary man.

Roger Barrett lived in comfortable near-privacy. Apparently he would get some trouble with the odd over zealous fan banging on his door, but from what I can gather, he found peace and contentment in later years. Though millions of music fans will mourn the loss of Syd Barrett, the tragic acid-casualty and lost leader of the London underground psychedelic era, I'll remember also Roger Barrett, a man I saw often in my everyday Cambridge life and who, to the end, commanded a distant, unspoken awe from his fellow city dwellers.

kdpjam

nice.. i always liked relics because of syd's influence. may he rest in peace.

Jeremy1012

thats really cool. I didn't realise that Syd actually went outside much so it's pretty cool that you say him a lot.

Ledbetterman10

"Got the Bob Dylan blues, and the Bob Dylan shoes and my clothes and my hair is a mess........but you know i just couldn't care less"

Vortex

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

I'd often see Roger Barrett around Cambridge, cycling or walking to the shops, but I would never approach him. Cambridge people by principle would keep a respectful distance from the man they admired but didn't wish to bother. We knew who he was, we loved his music, but we wouldn't think of pressing ourselves on someone who hadn't performed on stage since the early seventies and had completely retired from any kind of public life before most of today's pop stars were born. A friend of mine grew up a few doors away from him and though a big music fan, he too would only venture the occasional little hello to his neighbour, this essentially solitary man.

Roger Barrett lived in comfortable near-privacy. Apparently he would get some trouble with the odd over zealous fan banging on his door, but from what I can gather, he found peace and contentment in later years. Though millions of music fans will mourn the loss of Syd Barrett, the tragic acid-casualty and lost leader of the London underground psychedelic era, I'll remember also Roger Barrett, a man I saw often in my everyday Cambridge life and who, to the end, commanded a distant, unspoken awe from his fellow city dwellers.

Thank you for your story.

I´m really sad today, i don´t have words to express it but i´m really sad about this.

kdpjam

Vortex wrote:

Thank you for your story.

I´m really sad today, i don´t have words to express it but i´m really sad about this.

yeah thanks fins. it is sad. its pouring rain here today too... and i am now CRANKING Arnold Layne... a personal favorite syd song. right into instellar overdrive

Federico

thank you for posting this Finsbury...

PissBottleMan

That's a nice perspective on this story...thanks for posting.

PBM

Drifting Away

Shine on you crazy diamond

Gary Carter

cool story

R.I.P. syd

Red Lukin

RIP Syd

What a sad day in music history.

Time to go listen to the new Pulse dvd.

meme

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

I'd often see Roger Barrett around Cambridge, cycling or walking to the shops, but I would never approach him. Cambridge people by principle would keep a respectful distance from the man they admired but didn't wish to bother. We knew who he was, we loved his music, but we wouldn't think of pressing ourselves on someone who hadn't performed on stage since the early seventies and had completely retired from any kind of public life before most of today's pop stars were born. A friend of mine grew up a few doors away from him and though a big music fan, he too would only venture the occasional little hello to his neighbour, this essentially solitary man.

Roger Barrett lived in comfortable near-privacy. Apparently he would get some trouble with the odd over zealous fan banging on his door, but from what I can gather, he found peace and contentment in later years. Though millions of music fans will mourn the loss of Syd Barrett, the tragic acid-casualty and lost leader of the London underground psychedelic era, I'll remember also Roger Barrett, a man I saw often in my everyday Cambridge life and who, to the end, commanded a distant, unspoken awe from his fellow city dwellers.

Thank you

hippiemom

Thanks for posting this, Fins. A sad day indeed :(

Nobody knows where you are,
How near or how far.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Pile on many more layers
And I'll be joining you there.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
And we'll bask in the shadow
Of yesterday's triumph,
And sail on the steel breeze.
Come on you boy child,
You winner and loser,
Come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!

Wookiee_Blaylock

Thank-you FinsburyParkCarrots for your story.

I can't get over how much this passing has touched me. It is tragic, but I think it's special that he is remembered for nothing but good; for all of the lives he touched/inspired etc. But yeah, it's tough to explain the sort of sorrow that I feel.

inner sense

It's an idea, someday
in my tears, my dreams
don't you want to see her proof?
Life that comes of no harm
you and I, you and I and dominoes, the day goes by...

MeddleDeal

thank u for telling us about Roger Keith Barrett. His music will live forever. I hate it that most people think of him as 'taking too much drugs' and don't think about the music that he created. Without him, there would be NO Pink Floyd

I am terribly sad today. Before I heard the news, I actually was going to bring my Syd Barrett albums with me, but decided not to. then less than 20 mins. later and friend called me to tell me the news:(

I did my Senior research paper on him b/c not a lot of people knew the story behind Pink Floyd. Everyone knows about Gilmour, Waters, Mason and Wright, but not Barrett. That is why I did that. To put a name and a face to it.

Shine on you crazy diamond.

RIP Syd:(

moster78

Nice story, thanks for it.

I listened to all of Wish You Were Here on the way home in honor of Syd.

LimeDisease

I was feeling suffocated about it, I'm glad I came here