David Gilmour reveals what he thinks are the best lyrics Roger Waters ever wrote for Pink Floyd, choosing lyrics his former bandmate Waters considers “appalling”

04 Oct 2024, 14:04 · louder

By Paul Brannigan
( Classic Rock )
published 4 October 2024

Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters has written some memorable lyrics in his time. His former bandmate David Gilmour reveals which are his personal favourites

(Image credit: Dave M. Benett/CI Getty Images Entertainment)

David Gilmour has somewhat mischievously nominated the very first song Roger Waters ever wrote as the best lyrics his former Pink Floyd bandmate ever penned.

Waters and Gilmour have been at loggerheads for years, but Gilmour had the opportunity to pay his former friend and bandmate a compliment when, during a readers' interview conducted for The Guardian, a reader employing the pseudonym 'evermost' asked, 'What were some of the best lyrics you think Roger ever wrote?'

“Gosh, let me have a think about that,” the vocalist/guitarist ponders, before offering, “How about a song called Walk With Me Sydney?”

When Guardian writer Christopher Lord tells Gilmour that he's not familiar with the lyrics in question, Gilmour laughs and replies, “I’m not surprised. I don’t think it’s officially recorded.”

The song in question was actually written by Waters in 1965, and the song's author remembers the lyrics as “appalling”.

Speaking with The Times in 2015, for a feature celebrating 50 years of Pink Floyd, Waters said, “I sang my first song on a Tube train, busking to get money for student Rag Week... It was written to be sung by a girl and called Walk With Me Sydney - relating, yes, to Syd Barrett.”

Asked by writer Alex O'Connel if he could remember the tune, Waters broke into song, saying: “Ha! I’m afraid I can. It went, 'Waaalk with me, Sydney/ I’d love to, love to, love to, baby you know/ Sydney, it’s a daaark night, hold me, hold me hold me tight/ I’d love to, love to, love to/ But I got flat feet and fallen arches and peritonitis and DT’s and a washed up braaaain...”

“It was appalling,” Waters admitted, adding with a laugh, “They don’t write songs like that any more, son!”

Listen to Walk With Me Sydney below.

Walk With Me Sydney - 1965 - YouTube

Watch On

Earlier this week it was revealed that Pink Floyd have struck a deal to sell the rights to their recorded music catalogue.

According to The Financial Times, who broke the news, the deal with Sony is worth 400 million dollars and includes Pink Floyd’s recorded music, the band name and the artists’ “likeness”, meaning that the label will have the rights to merchandise and spin-offs.

Last month, David Gilmour declared that it would be a "dream" of his to sell the band's catalogue.

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Paul Brannigan
Contributing Editor, Louder

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.

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