Octopus

After Syd Barrett left Pink Floyd in April 1968, Peter Jenner (one of the management team)  led Barrett into EMI Studios to record some tracks that would be released later on his first solo album. The original title of the song "Octopus" was "The madcap laughs" which became the LP album's title, and was recorded as "Clowns and jugglers".
The LP album was released in january 1970.
And "Octopus" EP, released in november 1969 is known as the only single of Syd.

Lyrics

"Trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro', you have no word
Trip, trip to a dream dragon, hide your wings in a ghost tower
Sails cackling at every plate we break
Cracked by scattered needles the little minute gong coughs and clears his throat
Madam you see before you stand, hey ho, never be still
The old original favorite grand, grasshoppers green Herbarian band
And the tune they play is "In Us Confide"
So trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro', you have no word
Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!

Isn't it good to be lost in the wood
Isn't it bad so quiet there, in the wood
Meant even less to me than I thought
With a honey plough of yellow prickly seeds
Clover honey pots and mystic shining feed

Well, the madcap laughed at the man on the border, hey ho, huff the Talbot
"Cheat" he cried shouting kangaroo, it's true in their tree they cried
Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!

Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!

The madcap laughed at the man on the border, hey ho, huff the Talbot
The winds they blew and the leaves did wag
They'll never put me in their bag, the seas will reach and always seep
So high you go, so low you creep, the wind it blows in tropical heat
The drones they throng on mossy seats, the squeaking door will always squeak
Two up, two down we'll never meet, so merrily trip forgo my side
Please leave us here, close our eyes to the octopus ride!"

In France, the single, very rare, gained a picture sleeve, which had the drawing of an octopus on it.

During the "vinyl auction" organised by Radio France, this EP was estimated around 7 000€, but was finaly sold to an anonymous at the phenomenal price of 10 500€ (12 000$) !

Listen to the auction
DOCUMENT INEDIT (archives PALIX)