Reviews for The Gnome Lyrics

This is as cool as a kindergarten song but with a touch of peculiarity found I suppose in its bleak delivery of vocals. Gnomes here could be metaphorical. Perhaps pointing out to a person who belongs to a lower class, someone carefree, or someone who lacks confidence or is troubled.

I think people (animals too) are gnomes and he's detailing similarities between us. He also talks about the independent merit of beautiful things.

I don't know everything that he says in this song but these are some things I think he says.

Syd Barret was a heavy drug user. If you do your research, he was on acid many times, almost all the time. He went into concert tripping, and he was late a lot of times. Also, during their live concerts, he would sit back and play something completely different. As if he was making new songs in songs that have already been created by themselves. It would make sense for this song to be made on DMT because of the amazing out of body experience, but, it also makes sense that it was an acid trip because of some certain lyrics used in this song, such as, "look at the sky, look at the river, isn't it good?" I don't think of this lyric to be used in a DMT trip, but more of an acid trip. Plus, the creation of the melody and the tune of the words just seems not so DMT if you ask me. Happy Pink Floyd listening(:

Syd Barret was a heavy drug user. If you do your research, he was on acid many times, almost all the time. He went into concert tripping, and he was late a lot of times. Also, during their live concerts, he would sit back and play something completely different. As if he was making new songs in songs that have already been created by themselves. It would make sense for this song to be made on DMT because of the amazing out of body experience, but, it also makes sense that it was an acid trip because of some certain lyrics used in this song, such as, "look at the sky, look at the river, isn't it good?" I don't think of this lyric to be used in a DMT trip, but more of an acid trip. Plus, the creation of the melody and the tune of the words just seems not so DMT if you ask me.

I interpret it like this:
The gnome is living in his home, probably under the surface. One day he is leaving his home and is coming to the surface and is finding incredibly cool things like the sky and rivers, fresh grass etc.

Piper at the gates of dawn is personaly one of my favorite albums. "Gnome" could possibily be interpreted as a representation of self transforming machine elves, commonly associated with DMT meditation, although i'm sure it was never meant specifically to do so.

Wherever did this silly DMT speculation come from? Did this breed from the first 'anonymous' comment? If so, I do believe this anonymous sir was just making a silly joke and you should all just be ashamed for thinking anything but that it was a joke. Though his joke seems somewhat likely, but just as likely as any other psychadelic drug use. But I should be ashamed maybe for thinking otherwise, maybe he did write the song on DMT and those who spoke of its use know more than I do. I guess it doesn't really matter!
Anyways; great song. Bloody brilliant, catchy, attention-grabbing and happy. Smile-inducing. I always assumed he Syd was singing "Hooray" during that part. It would somewhat make sense.
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is a great album. It has sparked a large interest for me in Syd Barrett. All his lyrics are like some sort of insight into the logic of a joyous somewhat-nut. Lol, I rhymed UguyzzQ!@! I culd B tha next Sid Burret!

According to the lyric info supplied with the anniversary edition of "PIPER", the final words are "OOOH MY". Now then, daoesn't that make it all make sense! In my opinion Syd was the greatest of wordsmiths, and, on some of his works, used words and vocal performances as musical phrases rather than meaningfull lyrics, "OCTOPUS" from his solo album, "THE MADCAP LAUGHS" is a classic Syd Barrett piece and uderlines the above perfectly, as does "ASTRONOMY DOMINE". On the otherhand some darker material from later solo albums allow us an insight into his tragic decline. Long may we all love the Crazy Diamond that was Syd Barrett!

You know, Pink Floyd never generally did any drugs, especially when performing. If you read Inside Out you would find out that they were actually very clean, besides the occasional joint but I doubt that was their main influence in creating their songs. They were college boys afterall, not drop outs who wanted to rebel. Though at this time I think that Syd was already on his downward spiral, so this probably is a product of a drug induced fantasy.

I always heard '...another way for gnomes to say alright'... then again, i'm not quite sure what 'oooomray' could mean, but i guess it fits...

Possibly the song's about DMT, I always figured that if anything it may have been written on an acid trip.. Or in retrospect of one... He coulda just had the tune stuck in his head and wanted some really catchy lyrics to couple with it; i know i'll start singing it to myself at least once a day...

Guess we'll never know now, eh :P

what a quality song! so floyd used drugs, the psychedelic experience was my life's greatest!
see you soon syd

they were red and green and live in little huts
yes this is true... "look at the sky look at the river isn't it good?" this is the first thing that shocks you;they work making the world we live in run smoothly .thats there job

just because this song is rather fictional doesnt mean that he had to be on drugs, he was just a highly creative person. Its a great song, and who knows it probably was a little drug induced but that doesnt make the song it just adds to it.

I never new artists would have smoked dmt back then. Any way this almost certainly has to be written about the dmt experience, what else could it mean?

Although i don't especially treasure the Syd Barret/Pyschedelia period of Pink Floyd, i do like some of his fairy tale oriented songs such as 'The Gnome'.
A very playful tune that isn't as inpenetrable as alot of others on 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn',
it also includes the simply wonderful interlude: 'Look at the sky, look at the sky, isn't it goooood....?'
whispered in a friendly, almost conspiratorial fashion that never ceases to be charming and slightly moving everytime i hear it, like Syd is taking you aside personally and asking you to deny if you can the magic in this little ditty.
I dunno, i feel respected by this song, it was one of the few instances in the heavily experimental album i felt Floyd wasn't showing off how weird they could get.