the of mirror eye

* Syd Barrett: Arnold Layne (5.0 mb) | Currant And A Candy Bun (4.0 mb) | See Emily Play (4.5 mb) | Vegetable Man (5.0 mb)
From Have You Got It Yet?

Since I was only able to post the one song by Syd Barrett (look here), I decided that I would post a couple more of his shorter songs. These are still from the same compilation as last time.

So, we’ve got acetate versions of their first single, Arnold Layne (about a crossdresser) and Candy And A Currant Bun (originally named, Let’s Roll Another One). Next up is See Emily Play which was the A side follow up to their first single. And last but not least, we’ve got Vegetable Man. This one’s the real interesting one. It’s a fascinating document of the inner workings of Syd Barrett’s mind. Apparently, he wrote this song on the spot by simply describing what he was wearing at the time.

VEGETABLE MAN
(unreleased)

In yellow shoes
I get the blues,
So I walk the street with my plastic feet
with blue velvet trousers make me feel pink.
Theres a kind of stink about blue velvet trousers

In my paisley shirt,
I look a jerk,
and my turquoise wasitcoat is quite outta sight.
But oh, oh, my haircut looks so bad….
Vegetable man! Where are you?

So I change my gear,
and I bugger my knees
and I cover them up with the latest cuts
My pants and socks are all in a box
It does take long to find darn old socks
The watch,
black watch,
my watch
with a black face
and a date in a little hole

and all the luck,
its what I got,
Its what I wear,
Its what you see,
It must be me,
Its what I am!
Vegetable man! Where are you?

Ah, ah ah ah, ah ah ah
Hah, ah ah ah, ah ah ah - oh!
I’ve been looking all over the place
for a place for me
But it ain’t anywhere
It just ain’t anywhere.

Vegetable man, Vegetable man,
Vegetable man. Vegetable man,
Vegetable man, Vegetable man,

He’s the kind of fella you just gotta see if you can,
Vegetable man. (Syd Barrett)

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