My Top 1000 Songs #779: I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.]

I'll admit to having some qualms about "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives," from lo-fi post-punk minimalists Television Personalities (off their 1981 debut And Don't The Kids Just Love It). Given the late Pink Floyd founder's tragic history of mental illness (and/or acid damage, depending whose version one follows), and early departure from the band to live out the remainder of his years as a shadowy recluse, it's hard not to have an initial reaction that this is in questionable taste. But there's layers, man. 

Yes, the audacity! But at the same time, there's a reverence and respect in the song; after the punk-era legend of Johnny Rotten being recruited by the Sex Pistols based in part on his "I Hate Pink Floyd" t-shirt, there's a sense of the post-punks reclaiming their classic rock roots. You can hear the song as exploitative, for sure, but also sympathetic and sad and whimsical, the tweeting birds and cooing children intimately tied to Barrett's own songwriting proclivities. At minimum, the song feels bold in its willingness to delve (however cautiously) into the reality of mental illness--particularly given TP frontman Dan Treacy's own personal struggles over the years. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, one of those songs that feels at first like a silly novelty track but I also find deeply affecting, despite (or even because of) the chirping birds and wide-eyed children.


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