So whats the inside story behind Syd Barrett's(Pink Floyd member) 'self-absorption'?

[humblebee]

I choose to call it self absorption as this is what his sis did. (in the Wikipedia article on him)
His behaviour got my attention as I was thinking that maybe he perceived some things that others didnt which might have been disturbing to him.
And that maybe these things were the very things that Pink Floyd were singing about.
You know - singing about 'not being a brick in the wall' and yet becoming a band that became typecast like other bands. Or maybe they 'started to limit themselves to just singing (maybe for success) as opposed to standing for something and embodying an icon maybe.
Like probably you know becoming a cause for a change. "A group who moved people so much by their art that the society threw out 'depersonalisation' or something"
Something on those lines; though forgive my words, its kind of hard to put my whole thought into words. But you know what I mean.
So maybe he wanted this to be but it didnt turn out so. So the last song he records is unrecordable by band - 'Have You Got It Yet'.

Just Thinking.
Any Thoughts?

 

[Nikhil]

Re: So whats the inside story behind Syd Barrett's(Pink Floyd member) 'self-absorptio

With all due respect to what's written out there - the Syd Barrett story is one of great sadness. His behavior was in my opinion due to a mood disorder which is treatable today. In the 60s unfortunately little was known on the subject and many of the incidents written about him relate classic symptoms of a disorder - the genius was there but struggling with the situation.

If you read more about "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" - the last time the band members met Syd Barrett he was unrecognizable. His condition brought them (Roger Waters specially) to tears as they could not bear to see what he had become.

It was fashionable back then to romanticize the genius - sadly the truth is something different. The LSD, alcohol, etc were all desperate attempt to cope with a tragic situation.

My 0.02 ...

 

[kartick]

Re: So whats the inside story behind Syd Barrett's(Pink Floyd member) 'self-absorptio

Nikhil, your point is right about the lack of progress on the treatments front and what could have been. But one thing to also consider is how many of such beatniks would have been ready to conform to proper treatments? I hardly doubt if Syd would have agreed to proceed with the conventional ways.

But then, we are no ones to comment on what would have transpired that got him to that situation. The best that we can do is interpret the lyrics to our circumstances and to revel in the poetry.

 

[kartick]

Re: So whats the inside story behind Syd Barrett's(Pink Floyd member) 'self-absorptio

What a coincidence that I stumbled upon this article in The Guardian today :

A short history of mental illness in art | Society | The Guardian