Jugband Blues

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A Saucerful of Secrets

**"Jugband Blues"** is a song released by the English psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, and is the finale track of their second album, *A Saucerful of Secrets* (1968). Jugband Blues is the only song Syd Barrett wrote and sung on the album; in stark contrast to the band's previous album, *The Piper at the Gates of Dawn* (1967), where he contributed eleven. This song has been described as “the sound of insanity”, with the disjointed lyrics and jarring and off key backing music. It was the last song Syd Barrett wrote for Pink Floyd, before his mental breakdown (most likely brought on by an overuse of acid and underlying mental illness). Despite its disjointedness and seeming lack of cohesion, Barrett’s talent as a writer comes through in his lyrical acknowledgement of his own mental absence and growing detachment from the band, before being kicked out before the album's completion and replaced with David Gilmour. The song was later included in the compilation album, *Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd* (2001), along with *Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun*.

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

It’s awfully considerate of you to think of me here

And I’m most obliged to you for making it clear that I’m not here

And I never knew the moon could be so big

And I never knew the moon could be so blue

And I’m grateful that you threw away my old shoes

And brought me here instead dressed in red

And I’m wondering who could be writing this song

[Verse 2]

I don’t care if the sun don’t shine

And I don’t care if nothing is mine

And I don’t care if I’m nervous with you

I’ll do my loving in the winter

[Verse 3]

And the sea isn’t green

And I love the Queen

And what exactly is a dream?

And what exactly is a joke?

## Info

* It was written by Syd Barrett, being his sole writing contribution to the album, and also his last published for the band.
* Pink Floyd made two promo films for the song. The first, available on an early Pink Floyd video collection (now out-of-print), shows a seemingly depressed Barrett wandering around aimlessly, singing the song. The second, more straightforward music video, features Barrett and the group miming to the song in a more conventional stage setting, with psychedelic projections in the background. Roger Waters and Rick Wright switch to tuba and trombone respectively in the brass-driven instrumental break.
* Allegedly, Barrett wanted a Salvation Army band to play on the track. They were brought in, but when he stated that he wanted them to simply play what they wanted to regardless of the rest of the group, Norman Smith insisted on recorded parts. Eventually both versions were recorded, although during the second, scored version, Barrett wandered off. The first, unplanned version is the one which appears on the album.
* The song is viewed by many fans as a sad farewell piece by Barrett who, by the beginning of the recording sessions for Saucerful of Secrets, was already shrinking into a delirious state of mind, exacerbated by his feelings of alienation from the rest of the band, as can be gleaned from the painfully specific lyrics in the song. ("I don't care if the sun don't shine, and I don't care if nothing is mine, and I don't care if I'm nervous with you, I'll do my loving in the winter.")
* Syd stutters on the 'm' in 'making.'

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink\_Floyd\_discography
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A\_Saucerful\_of\_Secrets
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Piper\_at\_the\_Gates\_of\_Dawn
4. ↑ https://genius.com/Pink-floyd-jugband-blues-lyrics
5. ↑ https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/pink-floyd/jugband-blues-chords-43460
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echoes:\_The\_Best\_of\_Pink\_Floyd
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://www.songfacts.com/facts/pink-floyd/jugband-blues