Pink Floyd

Released: March 10, 1967

Songwriter: Syd Barrett

Producer: Joe Boyd

[Verse 1]
Arnold Layne
Had a strange hobby
Collecting clothes
Moonshine washing line
They suit him fine

[Verse 2]
On the wall
Hung a tall mirror
Distorted view
See through baby blue
He done it

[Chorus]
Oh, Arnold Layne
It's not the same
Takes two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Why can't you see?
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne

[Verse 3]
Now he's caught
A nasty sort of person
They gave him time
Doors bang, chain gang
He hates it

[Chorus]
Oh, Arnold Layne
It's not the same
Takes two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Two to know
Why can't you see?
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne
Arnold Layne, don't do it again

Pink Floyd was a British rock band who managed to carve a path for progressive and psychedelic music in a way that was uniquely fascinating at the time and has remained equally momentous in the modern age. The name “Pink Floyd” came from two blues musicians that founding member Syd Barrett idolized—Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

The band was formed in 1965 London by Barrett (guitars, vocals), Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass), and Richard Wright (keyboards). Sometime after releasing their debut album, 1967’s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, the group saw the addition of a second singer-guitarist, David Gilmour. This acted largely as a means of replacing Barrett, who was forced to leave in 1968 for mental health reasons, resulting in Waters taking over as the main vocalist.

The band broke into the mainstream with 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon, an album that became one of the best-selling and most influential records in music history. Their follow-up efforts, 1975’s Wish You Were Here and 1977’s Animals, also sold well. However, the band started to see some in-fighting while making their next album, a rock opera about how Waters felt frustrated and detached from his audience. Waters seemingly became extremely controlling, firing Wright over disputes about touring and his contributions to the album. The result, 1979’s The Wall, became the best-selling double album of all time. It spawned iconic songs such as the #1 hit, “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2,” and the melodic “Comfortably Numb.”

more tracks from the album

Cre/ation: The Early Years 1967–1972

From the albums

Arnold Layne / Candy and a Currant Bun (1967)
See Emily Play [EP] (1967)
The Best of the Pink Floyd / Masters of Rock (1970)
Relics (1971)
Works (1983)
The Early Singles (1992)
Shine On (1992)
1967: The First Three Singles (1997)
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd (2001)
Cre/ation: The Early Years 1967–1972 (2016)
1965-67 Cambridge St/ation (2016)

Pink Floyd popular songs

Arnold LaynePink Floyd

Pink Floyd

Cre/ation: The Early Years 1967–1972