Pink Floyd‘s Nick Mason has spoken out about the band’s initial reaction to founding member Syd Barrett‘s mental health issues and his eventual breakdown.
Barrett’s prolific songwriting in his two years with the band helped shap Pink Floyd’s psychedelic sound and revolutionised rock music. He left the group in 1968 following a breakdown owing to acid-induced schizophrenia. He died from complications arising from diabetes in 2006, aged 60.
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Mason has now described how the band were “young and immature” with regard to “coming to grips” with Barrett’s mental health issues.
Talking to Rolling Stone about ‘Bike’, one of his favourite Barrett-penned songs, Mason said: “The lyrics to this are so very Syd, astonishingly clever.
“It’s fun, but there’s a depth of sadness to them. When I listen to it now, I realise how young and immature we were and how hopeless we were at coming to grips with Syd’s breakdown.”
You can listen to ‘Bike’ below.
Mason continued: “So many songs were written by Syd in such a short time period. It was less than two years from out first public show in October of 1967.
“At that time we had only two or three original songs. And just about a year later, it was already sort of burning out.”
For help and advice on mental health:
- ‘Am I depressed?‘ – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
- Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians
- Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably for young men
- Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
- The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day