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Pink Floyd – Brain Damage / Eclipse

December 19, 2018 Peter Kimpton
Pink Floyd in 1973, the year of Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd in 1973, the year of Dark Side Of The Moon

Following our previous song The Old Brain, a Floyd-influenced work by Once & Future Band, let’s enjoy that older, but still fresh sounding brain song and final work from that 1973 masterpiece, Dark Side of the Moon. Brain Damage is what many of us may feel during a boozy month of December, but this song, written and sung by Roger Waters is full of dark humoured but affectionate references to mental breakdown of Syd Barrettt (“And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes …”) the genius who sparked, and was at the heart of originality in the rest of the band, leading them being just another white 60s blues group into foremost exponents of psychedelia. The song’s strengths are also in David Gilmour’s guitar (with arpeggios that echo the Beatles’ Dear Prudence), and those clever electric licks after each line, the huge swell of Richard Wright’s Hammond organ going into the chorus., and the madcap laughing of Peter Watts.

Twinned with Eclipse, much is written about the lyrics of both, but the overall picture seems to be concerned with looking for alignment from chaos, clarity from confusion, happiness from disharmony. A powerful sense of closure on Eclipse, including those distinctive powerful backing vocals led by Lesley Duncan, all more than rivals The Beatles The End from Abbey Road as an album closer, With it comes an array of clever tricks and jokes, the return of a heartbeat from the opening track, – the quiet voice of Abbey Road studios doorman Gerry O'Driscoll remarking that “There is no dark side in the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark …” and even a faint echo of orchestra from the Beatles’ Ticket To Ride. The brain may be damaged, but both hemispheres, in tandem, still work beautifully.


The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path
The lunatic is in the hall
The lunatics are in my hall
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor

And every day the paperboy brings more

[Chorus 1]
And if the dam breaks open many years too soon

And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

[Verse 2]
The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change

You rearrange me 'til I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me

[Chorus 2]
And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear

You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

[Outro - Peter Watts ]
I can't think of anything to say except

Hahahahahahaha!
I think it's marvellous!
Hahaha...

Eclipse

All that you touch
And all that you see
All that you taste
All you feel

And all that you love
And all that you hate
All you distrust
All you save

And all that you give
And all that you deal
And all that you buy

Beg, borrow, or steal

And all you create
And all you destroy
And all that you do
And all that you say

And all that you eat

And everyone you meet
And all that you slight
And everyone you fight

And all that is now
And all that is gone
And all that's to come
And everything under


The sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed
By the moon

[Outro]
(There is no dark side in the moon really

Matter of fact it's all dark)

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In 1973, rock Tags songs, song of the day, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, Syd Barrett, Abbey Road, The Beatles
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