(written by Syd Barrett)
Lyrics:
Alone in the clouds all blue
Lying on an eiderdown
Yippee! You can't see me, but I can you
Lazing in the foggy dew
Sitting on a unicorn
No fair! You can't hear me, but I can you
Watching buttercups cup the light
Sleeping on a dandelion
Too much! I won't touch you, but then I might
Streaming though the starlit sky
Traveling by telephone
Hey ho! Here we go, ever so high
Alone in the clouds all blue
Lying on an eiderdown
Yippee! You can't see me, but I can you Yippee! You can't hear me, but I can you
Lead vocals: Syd Barrett
Probably recorded in June, this was another song cut from the US release, and subsequently released as a single there.
One of several Syd songs to evoke mythological and fay images, it is easy to imagine playful, mischievous fairies acting out the words of the story while listening to this song. The origin of the title, however, remains a mystery, unless it ties in with the idea of a 'fairy' in a rather more contemporary way.
TRACK LISTING
Astronomy DomineLucifer Sam
Matilda Mother
Flaming
Pow R. Toc H.
Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
Interstellar Overdrive
Gnome, The
Chapter 24
Scarecrow, The
Bike
Roger doesn't sing on this song.
ReplyDeleteI've removed "Backing vocals: Roger Waters" from the entry. Thanks for your input!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was "no fair!'not "no fear".The later makes sense in terms of childhood games
ReplyDelete"Fair" enough. ;) Yes, your suggestion makes perfect sense. The word has been changed for this entry from 'fear' to 'fair'. Thanks for your input!
ReplyDeleteBut I have always heard "No fear", and 'fear' carries the internal rhyme with 'hear. If anyone was going to say "No fair," it would be the person he's addressing, not the singer.
DeleteRick Wright sings the backing vocals I'm pretty sure of it. I have listened the live versions of this song like a thousand times, especially the BBC sessions with Syd. Also, Waters didn't sing as much as Wright did, remember that.
ReplyDeleteActually I just checked a live performance of 1968 in which you can see Wright singing this song. Search YouTube for "1969 astronomy domine flaming". It is a performance done in French tv featuring both songs, Astronomy Domine and Flaming but with Gilmour already in.
ReplyDeleteI love the 1968 live version with Gilmour singing.Its so heavy @ the end.
ReplyDelete"eiderdown" reappeared in "Julia Dream", but don't recall that word being used in any other song......travelling by telephone..........Yippee!
ReplyDelete