Before Pink Floyd’s experimental rock era, Syd Barrett, like many music enthusiasts, was captivated by the enigmatic Bob Dylan. In 1964, Barrett, still a novice in the music scene, played in local bands, seeking solace in music following his father’s death. His girlfriend was a fervent fan of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and he had a newfound friend, David Gilmour, a fellow student at his art college. The turning point came with two tickets to witness Bob Dylan’s transformative performance in London.
In the burgeoning counterculture of the 1960s, Dylan, alongside Joan Baez, emerged as a prominent protest singer, contributing to the folk-rock movement. Barrett, an ordinary music enthusiast at the time, attended Dylan’s London performance with his girlfriend, Libby Gausden. The experience proved to be a catalyst for the young Pink Floyd founder, inspiring him to compose one of his earliest known songs, ‘Bob Dylan’s Blues.’
The lyrics reflect Barrett’s admiration for Dylan, portraying him as “the king” and expressing a desire to follow in his footsteps. The song serves as a personal manifesto, signaling Barrett’s intention to delve into a life of artistic expression. Intriguingly, ‘Bob Dylan’s Blues’ was written long before Barrett secured any publishing or record deals, showcasing his commitment to music in its purest form.
Post-Dylan concert, Barrett experienced a transformative shift. He enrolled at Camberwell College of Art to study painting, joined forces with Roger Waters and Nick Mason in a new band, and embraced the life of an artist wholeheartedly. This newfound inspiration propelled Barrett, once considered shy, into an outgoing and ambitious artist.
The impact of Dylan’s influence on Barrett extended beyond mere admiration; it potentially altered the course of music history. Songs like ‘Terrapin’ and ‘Maisie,’ composed around the same time as ‘Bob Dylan’s Blues,’ reveal Barrett’s evolving interest in blues and folk, expanding his musical palette beyond the classic rock and roll of his earlier years.
As Barrett infused blues, folk, and other eclectic genres into Pink Floyd’s repertoire, the band transitioned from an R&B covers group to creators of a unique and renowned sound. Nick Mason recalled that during Barrett’s early days in the band, it felt like most ideas emanated from the inspired musician. Two years post-Dylan concert, Barrett embodied a fount of inspiration, reminiscent of his idol, Dylan.
The prophetic verses of “Bob Dylan’s Blues” echoed in Barrett’s later psychedelic and dreamlike compositions for Pink Floyd. Lines like “Well I sing about dreams / And I rhymes it with ‘seems'” foreshadowed Barrett’s ability to prophesy through his music, mirroring the surreal and prophetic nature of Pink Floyd’s evolving sound.
“Well I sing about dreams
And I rhymes it with “seems”
‘Cause it seems that my dream always means
That I can prophesy all kinds of things”.
