Pink Floyd

Released: November 16, 1974

Songwriter: Roger Waters Richard Wright David Gilmour

Producer: Pink Floyd

[Part 1 (0:00-1:40): Instrumental]

[Part 2 (1:40-4:48): Instrumental]

[Part 3 (4:48-6:56): Instrumental]

[Part 4 (6:56-9:20)]

[Verse 1: Roger Waters]
Remember when you were young
You shone like the Sun

[Refrain: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
Shine on, you crazy diamond

[Verse 2: Roger Waters]
Now there's a look in your eyes
Like black holes in the sky

[Refrain: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
Shine on, you crazy diamond

[Chorus 1: Roger Waters]
You were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom
Blown on the steel breeze
Come on, you target for faraway laughter
Come on, you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine

[Verse 3: Roger Waters]
You reached for the secret too soon
You cried for the Moon

[Refrain: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
Shine on, you crazy diamond

[Verse 4: Roger Waters]
Threatened by shadows at night
And exposed in the light

[Refrain: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
Shine on (Shine on), you crazy diamond (You crazy diamond)

[Chorus 2: Roger Waters]
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

[Part 5 (9:20-11:14): Instrumental]

[Part 6 (11:14-15:20): Instrumental]

[Part 7 (15:20-16:22)]

[Verse 5: Roger Waters]
Nobody knows where you are
How near or how far

[Refrain: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
Shine on you crazy diamond

[Verse 6: Roger Waters]
Pile on many more layers
And I'll be joining you there

[Refrain: Roger Waters & David Gilmour]
Shine on you crazy diamond

[Chorus 3: Roger Waters]
And we'll bask in the shadow of yesterday's triumph
And sail on the steel breeze
Come on, you boy child, you winner and loser
Come on, you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!

[Part 8 (16:22-18:30): Instrumental]

[Part 9 (18:30-19:55): Instrumental]

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

Wish You Were Here (Experience Edition)

From the album

Wish You Were Here (Experience Edition) (2011)

Pink Floyd popular songs

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Live at Wembley 1974)Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd

Wish You Were Here (Experience Edition)