(written by Richard Wright)
Lyrics:
Marigolds are very much in love
But he doesn't mind
Picking up his sister, he makes his way to see saw land
All the way, she smiles
She goes up while he goes down, down
Sits on a stick in the river
Laughter in his sleep
Sister's throwing stones
Hoping for a hit
He doesn't know, so then
She goes up while he goes down, down
Another time, another day
A brother's way to leave
Another time, another day
She'll be selling plastic flowers on a Sunday afternoon
Picking up weeds, she hasn't got the time to care
All can see, he's not there
She grows up for another man, and he's down
Another time, another day
A brother's way to leave
Another time, another day (2x)
A brother's way to leave
Lead vocals: Rick Wright
Guitar: David Gilmour
The sixth song to be recorded for the album (April 1968), See Saw is a major contender for worst (or at least most boring) Floyd song ever. In an interview, Rick referred to his two songs on the Saucerful LP together.
Rick Wright: "They're sort of an embarrassment. I don't think I've listened to them ever since we recorded them. It was a learning process. Through writing these songs, I learned that I'm not a lyric writer, for example. But you have to try it before you find out. The lyrics are appalling—terrible—but so were a lot of lyrics in those days."
Remember a Day is certainly better than See Saw, however, which is made no more interesting by the double meanings and innuendos of incest, sex and drugs apparent in the lyrics, which Rick was seemingly unconscious of. The band does not disagree with the author's opinion on this piece, as its working title was The Most Boring Song I've Ever Heard Bar Two.
TRACK LISTING
Let There Be More LightRemember a Day
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Corporal Clegg
Saucerful of Secrets, A
See-Saw
Jugband Blues
This is a great song, might be one of my all time rick favorites....
ReplyDeleteBullshit, this song is not boring at all >:( Best on Saucerful of Secret in my opinion
ReplyDeleteI just read somewhere that people were calling this song "dull", I can't understand that. I think it's one of the most interesting pieces of music ever...
ReplyDelete"Hoping for a hit!" is one of my favorite lyrics form this song.
Delete(a rock band hit song)
See-saw is a great song with its xylophone parts, though really the lyrics are odd... it is quite pretty and doesn't desrve the bad rap
ReplyDeleteI think is a good song, like most of Pink Floyd ones. About the lyrics, I didn't understand English one year ago, and I like Pink floyd for its music. Some lyrics are very good, and the other ones don't mind to me if they are more or less good lyrics.
ReplyDeleteAh, congratulations for this good, good, good, good web page.
incest!!!?? The song is a innocent song of childhood you fucking cunts!
ReplyDeleteAn innocent song of remembering childhood. Forget the lousy swearing.
DeleteAt least you have the lyrics right! Some people write "seas or land". That is the problem with Rick's lyrics~ hard to hear sometimes (Summer '68 being an example ~ Charlotte Bangles??) Tempo and key changes throughout make this a very interesting song.
ReplyDeleteI've always seen this to be an innocent take on childhood. Growing up your sister is your first love, you take care and look out for her until one day she grows up and starts her own life and you watch from the sides. Anyone with half a brain realizes that family love and romantic love are two separate entities. As for the end "and he's down" referring to the sadness he feels as his sister is not such a large part of his life as she once was. It's a haunting and melancholy song, certainly not incestuous
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Exactly how I understood it
DeleteSister killing her baby:
ReplyDelete"Sits on a stick by the river, laughter in his sleep" (she puts baby on a log in a river)
"Sister's throwing stones, hoping for a hit" (she's trying to knock the baby into the water)
"He doesn't know, so then, she goes up, while he goes down, down" (baby falls into river and drowns)
Others have mentioned the theme of the younger brother getting left behind by the older sister as she grows up and meets boyfriends, leaving the brother behind ("and he's down"). But two other ideas also occurred to me:
ReplyDelete1. The platonic male and female childhood friends, with the boy getting left behind as the girl becomes interested in other young men,
2. Behind the song was Syd Barrett getting left behind as well, as at the time of Richard Wright composing this and the band recording this, Syd was going insane.
Bad song? I think it may be the most depressing song and recording I've ever heard, which also means I think it's awesome.
ReplyDelete