Pink Floyd - Bike

Artist: Pink Floyd

Song: Bike

Album: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967)

 

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is Pink Floyd's debut album and the only one made under Syd Barrett's leadership, although he made some contributions to the follow-up, A Saucerful of Secrets. It has been regarded as one of the most influential albums ever made, being a tremendous influence on the psychedelic rock scene of the time and much of what followed.

The album has whimsical lyrics about space, scarecrows, gnomes, bicycles and fairytales, along with psychedelic instrumental passages.

 

The album concludes with the whimsical "Bike" (also left off the original US vinyl release in favor of "See Emily Play") which then turns into a collage of sound effects and duck-call noises. "Bike" was originally entitled "The Bike Song", and it was recorded on 21 May 1967.

 

Bike is absolutely out of this world because it's so magical, the absolute raw energy spitting out of Barrett's mouth is wonerously beutiful and rising intense sound effects seem to spiral all over the place.'I know a mouse and he has'nt got a house i don't know why i call him Gerald' and 'I've got a clan of gingerbread men, take a couple if you wish they're on the dish' are just a sample of the wizards magic it seems as if Syd's mind is a magical wand that can cast any spell he desires and inflicts it upon the musical world filling it with curious amounts of magic, pure brilliance. Bike poseses a speedy tempo and the way Barrett sings it along with Masons drums creating pauses after each verse it feels like a nursery rhyme that we can all sing along to.

 

… “Bike” split the difference between quirky pop songs and explorations of the nightmarish found-sound fringe, setting a twisted template for countless acts to come. By 1980's The Wall, Pink Floyd had become sterile and solipsistic. At this auspicious start, Pink Floyd were thrilling. Anything was possible.

 

music

 

review

 

I've got a bike.
You can ride it if you like.
It's got a basket, a bell that rings,
and things to make it look good.
I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world.
I'll give you anything, everything, if you want things.

I've got a cloak, it's a bit of a joke.
There's a tear up the front, it's red and black,
I've had it for months.
If you think it could look good then I guess it should.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world
I'll give you anything, everything, if you want things

I know a mouse and he hasn't got a house.
I don't know why I call him Gerald.
He's getting rather old but he's a good mouse.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world.
I'll give you anything, everything, if you want things.

I've got a clan of gingerbread men.
Here a man, there a man, lots of gingerbread men.
Take a couple if you wish, they're on the dish.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world.
I'll give you anything, everything, if you want things

I know a room of musical tunes.
Some rhyme, some ching, most of them are clockwork.

Let's go into the other room and make them work.