“Shine On You Crazy Diamond!” Remember when you were young, You shone like the sun, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond!” Now there's a look in your eyes, Like black holes in the sky! Wormholes, leading nowhere. Dark shadows of days gone by, Specters commanding our future! Ghostly echoes, hallowed ground, Brief candle, mysteriously flickers! The dead rising up only to lie down! Only to discover they were unaware, Motionless cacophony dead silence! Echoing that which no longer exists! Still the spark within may never die! Light yet penetrates any darkness! "Shine On All You Crazy Diamonds!" You were caught on the crossfire, Placed on a pedestal and used, Treated, like a Trophy prize, Blown, on the steel breeze. Come on you target for faraway laughter, Threatened by shadows and exposed in the light. Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine! You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond!” Well you wore out your welcome, With random precision, rode on the steel breeze. Come on you raver, you seer of visions, Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine! Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, Of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times, And now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. (Pink Floyd, Shakespeare)
I added a few lines about ghosts, shuffled the words around a bit for shape, and presto, instant song about spirits in the material world. I'm working my way up to that one with the smaller stuff. The metaphors used in this poem could have come out of the Bagua itself. Note this poem expresses the fundamental peek-a-boo behavior of nature as a reason why we can consider ourselves spirits in the material world, but it is subtly aimed at the subconscious mind. Of all the Pink Floyd songs, this is the one hippies in particular may appreciate for its humble and elegant metaphors and, of course, anyone can improve on them at any time. Hippies often talk about "sparkle" and this poem encourages people to sparkle without getting all gaudy like a lot of sparkle fans prefer. My poetry definitely stresses more traditional sober metaphors, because I'm better at those, they are easier to write, and I can always go wild when the time comes. Do your homework first, and the end results tend to be better. Being able to add classic Shakespeare is too good an opportunity to pass up with such a simple sentiment that, nonetheless, expresses a lot about life. I went to NA meetings for over four years, and stayed sober the entire time, not because I'm an addict, but because they are good people to hang out with and talk to and feel a sense of community. Our poems often contain messages straight of NA and AA literature to support all the people who love their sober communities.
