The Pre -Rock and Roll Period: 
Nursery Rhymes to Dancehall 78's 
(1946-1954)
 

  Barrett's musical influences were very rich indeed.  As a child, growing up in the late 1940's and early 50's, little Rog was exposed to numerous nursery rhymes, children's songs and  traditional folk songs.  Here are a few that might have influenced his songs, directly and indirectly.  These are mostly guesses, but if you hum the melodies to those old songs, you might find they remind you of Barrett/Floyd ones as well!

  'Sing A Song of Sixpence' with its sing-song cadence can be heard in the verse of 'Matilda Mother' that goes 'Why'd you have to leave me there/Hanging in my infant air'.   The same diatonic progression shows up in 'Bike' as well.  Those falling phrases of notes, such as in 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', in the 'how I wonder what you are' portion show up again in again in Barrett's music.  The descending barre chords of  'Interstellar Overdrive' are a case in point.  Those cascading riffs or phrases that constitute an important part of the Barrett sound.

'Oranges and Lemons' provided provided part of the inspiration for 'Apples and Oranges'.  Brahm's 'Lullaby' might have influenced 'Flaming'; a comparison between the two is amusing.   To my ears, and you may laugh now, 'See Emily Play' suggests 'London Bridge is Falling Down' .

'Green Grow the Rushes, Ho!', the popular folk song, according to Barrett himself, inspired 'Octopus'/'Clowns & Jugglers'.  Not only in its melody, but also in its rather complex arrangement.

 In the 1930's, albums used to come on graphite platters which would be played at 78rpm, they were extremely breakable and tended to wear out very quickly.  Also, they were very short.  Dancehall 78's from the 1930's, probably his mother's, would prove influential in Barrett's development of uptempo songs such as 'The Gnome', 'Love You', and particularly 'Here I Go', which is a direct tribute/parody of songs from that era.

Paul McCartney was also very fond of music from that era, and popular artists of the time included Billy Cotton, George Formby, Jack Hylton and his Orchestra, Henry Hall and Louis Terry and his Gaumont-British Symphony.  They are vastly entertaining records worth remembering and checking out.  Nipper Records has a super compilation on CD.

Gilbert & Sullivan operettas: The final vocal coda in 'Bike', as well as Barrett and Rick Wright's harmonies on 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn', suggest Barrett had both knowledge and appreciation of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, such as 'The Pirates of Penzance'.

....Lonnie Donegan to the Beatles