Astronomy Domine

YAY! BLOG POST NUMBER 100!

I've been waiting for so long to write about this song, and the reason I waited for so long, is that my love for this song is huge! I did not know how to write about this song in a good way, so then I waited. But now I've been waiting in about a year and a half, and since this will be my blog post 100! Yes, that is correct! Number 100 is going to be about a great song from a great album!
I want to thank you all for reading my blog and to all my friends who's been supportive, to all of you who's left a comment and I have to send out a special thank you to my cousin Tone, because she was the one who suggested that I should start a Pink Floyd blog. Thank's for having enough faith in me to suggest something this big!    So a great thank you to all, and hope you will continue reading this blog! :)

Well, now it is time to write about this wonderful song!
"Astronomy Domine" is the very first song from the album "The piper at the gates of dawn" from 1967 and it's sung by Syd Barrett and Richard Wright. The song gives the album a flying start and you know that you are up for a treat and a journey through whimsical tunes, childish songs, instrumental experiences and great vocals. "The piper at the gates of dawn" is the first Pink Floyd album and the first and sadly the last album under Syd Barrett's leadership. But he did such a great job, and I think he had a great influence on the rest of the band, so that when he left, the band had already an album out and they had an idea of what worked and what did not work.

Syd was not exactly a major sience-fiction fan. He did like some of the classics sci-fi films like "Journey into space", but little else beside. Nontheless this is a fine piece of early space rock and boasts some very graphic psychedelic poetry. Their manager, Peter Jenner, has suggested that some of the lyrics were inspired by the pages of "The observer book of planets" especially lines like the chanted "Jupiter and Saturn, Oberon, Miranda and Titania".
In the beginning of the song you can hear this wild, distorted voice recording through a megaphone at the beginning of the track. That voice is Peter Jenners!

"Astronomy Domine" is to be found on other albums as well as "The piper at the gates of dawn". You can also find it on "Echoes - the best of Pink Floyd" (that's where I first heard it. I was around 12-13 when I first discovered this song. And when I'd listen to it over and over again, I found the album "Piper.." and I found myself in heaven!) The song is also to be found on the live side of the album "Ummagumma" and on "Pulse", but here, of course, David Gilmour is singing. David is also singing this song on several live dvd's, like "Live in Gdansk", "Live at Royal Albert's Hall" etc. I think David love this song, even though he did not participate on the album. But he and Syd were good friends, so maybe it's his was of remembering his friend.

David, Syd, Nick, Roger & Richard

All in all, a great song, that I am sure all huge Pink Floyd fans love. For you who like a song or two, try out this one, and a new door may be opened!

Listen and enjoy. Lyrics are to be found under the video

Lime and limpid green, a second scene

A fight between the blue you once knew.

Floating down, the sound surrounds

Around the icy waters underground.

Jupiter and Saturn, Oberon, Miranda and Titania.

Neptune, Titan, Stars can frighten.

Lime and limpid green, a second scene

A fight between the blue you once knew.

Floating down, the sound surrounds

Around the icy waters underground.

Jupiter and Saturn, Oberon, Miranda and Titania.

Neptune, Titan, Stars can frighten.

Blinding signs flap,

Flicker, flicker, flicker blam. Pow, pow.

Stairway scare, Dan Dare, who's there?

Lime and limpid green, the sounds around

The icy waters under

Lime and limpid green, the sounds around

The icy waters underground.