Pink Floyd’s Tribute Song to Syd Barrett’s Life “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” Still Shines

There is no better song to remember a loved one by than the masterpiece send-off that is Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.” The nine-part composition was written by Roger Waters, Richard Wright and David Gilmour and appears on the 1975 album “Wish You Were Here,” which also features a song of the same name. Both “Wish You Were Here” and “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” are songs about death and loss, with the latter explicitly written for former band member Syd Barrett, who struggled with mental illness and later died of pancreatic cancer.

The 26-minute song, broken up into two parts on the album, is primarily instrumental with cosmic undertones and roaring bluesy guitar solos. Starting with a haunting opening built solely on instrumentals, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” is an out-of-body experience brought forth by a Hammond organ and wineglass harp sounding off in the background.

It is the vocals that really make this classic rock song perfect for a memorial service. The opening lyrics reference the vigor of childhood and the colorful life that has since gone by.  The brilliance of the past is now lost to the present, where eyes are likened to black holes in the sky. This specific metaphor might be referencing Syd Barrett’s actual death or his long-term struggle with mental illness.

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 cross fire
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!

“Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” like most Pink Floyd songs, is a musical journey. Through sparse words and powerful classic rock melodies, the song shares the story of one man’s mortal habitat, his glories and his pains. It pays tribute to Barrett’s life and death and, in doing so, pays tribute to all of us who live and die and reminds us that even in death, our loved ones can, indeed, shine on.