What is the meaning of all this...?

Question

0Ok, Syd Barrett was known as someone who loved to play with words in his songs... a lot... So, now I have a very hard time figuring out the meaning of some of them. I know what each word means, but problem begins when they are combined. I tried to look it up in all dictionaries I could find, I've been througt all idioms with containing words - but I still don't have a clue what does it all mean. He is full of that, so let me begin with some examples:02br02br00"I'm only a person whose arm bands beats02br00on his hands, hang tall" - The both lines are just so not - undersandable, at least not for me!02br02br00"Please leave us here02br00close our eyes to the octopus ride!" - Ok, I know what octopus and ride mean, but the whole package is just.... what?02br02br00"I don't care if the sun don't shine02br00And I don't care if nothing is mine02br00And I don't care if I'm nervous with you02br01b00I'll do my loving in the winter.02b00 " - I understand this last line, but what's that got to do with the rest?! Is there some other metaphorical meaning to it?!Am I missing something?!02br02br00I would very much appreciate if someone could explain what is the meaning of all this!0-

Mike in Japan · Accepted Answer

0 I'm not so sure it would be a productive use of time trying to find any significant meaning in the line. He 01i00seems02i00 to have frequently been completely devoid of rational thought. Please don't misunderstand me, the line may have, or have had, some significance at least to Barrett, but in my opinion it may well have been simply an arbitrary thought tacked onto the other lines. Who knows what Barrett was thinking - it could also be that he added it simply to add mystery, or even confusion.02br
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00Trying to decypher modern lyrics 01i00can02i00 be a virtual goose chase. Sometimes the 'goose' is no more than the maddening wake of Mandy and the Microdots.02br
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050020yidRTtXVrANEhU

Isidora · Answer

0First of all, I wouldn't say that what he did was to simply tack any thought that just popps in his head onto the other ones. And this concerns especially the last example. This is the song that is deeply autobiographical, and I don't think he would tack just any random thought so that he can have a complete verse. So I couldn't disagree with you more in that particular matter. But it's only fair to say that you were right up there. To some extent... His songs were concidered a bit odd and he did have some unusual topics in them, althought I wouldn't say that his songs are 'completely devoid of rational thought'.02br
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00But that is not the point here. It seems to me that I wasn't quite clear in my question earlier. What I want is an explenation of those 01b00senteces02b00, if I can use that term. You see, I'm someone who is just learning english, and trying to understand the meaning of something (and Barrett is most inspirational for that) is, if not the most productive use of time, then certanly an interesting way of using it. So, my problem is that I already know what each of words from the lines mean; what I don't know is, not the lyrical meaning of the song or of the line/s, but the meaning of those particular sentences. I just can't translate them into a understandable sentence, with words ordered like that. It would be nice if someone could draw me a picture, or just to explain me so I could translate it to myself. 02br
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00And, althought I have a feeling that we don't agree on this matter, I must thank you for the effort Mike.0-

Anonymous · Answer

I don't care if I'm nervous with you - I'll do my loving in the winter"
makes perfect sense to me. nervousness can show as increased sweating, possibly less so if it isn't also hot.

What is the meaning of all this...?

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