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From: polivier@jrv.interax.net
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 06:54:04 -0500
- L U C I F E R S A M -
P i n k F l o y d
Words and Music by Syd Barrett
|----|----------------------------------|
|----|----------------------------------| Repeat 2342334 times
|----|----------------------------------| Eat an Acid and add lots
|----|----------------------------------| Of variations to sound like
|----|-------4------3-----2-----0-------| James Bond...
|-0--|--0-2----2-2----2-2---2-2---------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|----------------------------------------|
|-------2------1-----0-------------------|
|-0-1-2---2-2----2-2---2-2--4------------|
|----------------------------------------|
b(1/4)
F#m G
Lucifer Sam, siam cat.
B
Always sitting by your side
E
Always by your side.
C G D
That cat's something I can't explain.
Ginger, ginger you're a witch.
You're the left side
He's the right side.
Oh, no!
That cat's something I can't explain.
Lucifer go to sea.
Be a hip cat, be a ship's cat.
Somewhere, anywhere.
That cat's something I can't explain.
At night prowling sifting sand.
Hiding around on the ground.
He'll be found when you're around.
That cat's something I can't explain.
Trip on this!!!
See ya!
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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No Picture
Euroynmous Average |
#1 by Euroynmous at Oct 19, 1970 at 8:14 AM EST |
| I like how the audio goes "woosh!" left to right and back and forth in the beginning. Anyway I think this song is describing how the cats are very aloof and independent, which make them seem very intelligent and mysterious. "That cat's something I can't explain". Yeah, cats are quite mysterious. | |
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Derek Average |
#2 by Derek Lamberty at Aug 23, 1971 at 3:57 PM EST |
| I'm sure the cat is Syd's dark side (siam as in siamese) - or something very dark coming through him steering his life and taking him away from Jeniifer. His impulse maybe. And it does come through at night and it takes over - John Frusciante knows. Wow - simba, ace, I hadn't noticed that & it's not in the published lyrics but it's definitely there. So maybe Lucifer's also the tiger in Effervecsing Elephant. 38 years on and it just gets better all the time. That's proper quantum. | |
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skater-boy Rhythm Player |
#3 by skater-boy at Dec 30, 1973 at 2:14 AM EST |
| "Lucifer Sam saw your cat always sitting by your side always by you side that cat's something I can't explain". this part reminds me of a Edgar Allan Poe's tale called "The Black Cat". | |
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kenzie Professional Badass |
#4 by kenzie at Mar 15, 1977 at 9:51 PM EST |
| i still don't see what he's getting at...wat was the problem between him and his girlfriend...all i know about her is that she existed, i'm surprised w/ all the little details you can find about syd barrett's life u can't find out stuff about his girlfriend(who was apparently pretty nice lookin)...anyway, this is surely one of the greatest guitar riffs ever...i just figured it was all some paranoid vision...is that all it is, he was hopped up on acid and saw one of his cats sitting by his girlfriend, and he was paranoid about his girlfriend being a witch b/c of the cat...o well | |
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No Picture
Razor Wanna Be |
#5 by Razor Edge at Mar 5, 1981 at 9:18 PM EST |
| HA, i like that last comment | |
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Mike Average |
#6 by Mike Fraguglia at Apr 17, 1983 at 4:38 PM EST |
| That song's something I can't explain! | |
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ToRRi Average |
#7 by ToRRi L at May 6, 1984 at 1:25 AM EST |
| OK...well IF you belive our bible-thumpin' buddies on CTS, Lucifer is the FUNCTION of the angel named SAMAEL, who along with his brother MICHAEL were the first, and only creations that god (note the lower case case 'g' is not a typo) made with his own hand. Everything else was created by Miachael and Samael. "Lucifer" actually means 'Light-Bringer' or 'Light-Bearer', usually in reference to Prometheuse who had a similar fate as Samael, getting slaped down for going against the will of the gods. Anywho, just wanted to point out that the name of the song may not have been as silly as every body thinks. Then again, who fu**in' knows with Floyd, right? Maybe Sid had a really evil drug-dealer named Sam? Oh that Sid, what a silly arse! My goodness. | |
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No Picture
jim Professional |
#8 by jim d.f at Oct 28, 1986 at 10:03 AM EST |
| I think it's a psychotic paranoid delusion about a real cat. | |
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No Picture
Josh Lead Player |
#9 by Josh Ripley at May 19, 1989 at 1:00 PM EST |
| Ok everyone seems to be wrong this song is about Jeniffer Syd's ex girlfriend I found this out by reading his biog "Crazy Diamond" which is aproved by his own family. I am a huge Syd fan and the other thing I noticed was the lyrics are wrong and the last verse is missing. The real lyrics are Lucifer Sam, Siam cat. Always sitting by your side Always by your side. That cat's something I can't explain. Jennifer Gentle you're a witch. You're the left side He's the right side. Oh, no! That cat's something I can't explain. Lucifer simba go to sea. Be a hip cat, be a ship's cat. Somewhere, anywhere. That cat's something I can't explain. At night prowling sifting sand. Hiding around on the ground. He'll be found when you're around. That cat's something I can't explain. The metaphore is using a cursed cat in place of Jeniffer so as not to directly insult her. All of syd's songs are quite more complex then at first they appear. | |
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No Picture
Failure by Desi Average |
#10 by Failure by Design at Nov 7, 1992 at 11:12 AM EST |
| Craigus is right. He's trying to see past his girlfriend's faults so he divides her into the part he likes (Jennifer Gentle) and the part he dislikes (Lucifer Sam). Then he tries to banish the part he dislikes but ultimately he concedes that Lucifer Sam is a part of her and isn't going anywhere. | |
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Fat Man Goz Lead Player |
#11 by Fat Man Goz at Jul 13, 1999 at 9:07 AM EST |
| What the hell happened to the lyrics? | |
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No Picture
bec Average |
#12 by bec madden at Jan 10, 2001 at 11:32 AM EST |
| There is no "simba" or "surfer", it's Lu-ci-fer. The word is just lengthened. The way he sings it makes it sound like something more is there. | |
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