4 Songs That Were Inspired by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd inspired an entire generation of musicians. Radiohead, Tame Impala, Porcupine Tree, Air, Tool, and many other great bands have been inspired by the psychedelic prog-rock icons. That being said, there are also quite a few songs out there that are directly inspired by the band and Syd Barrett specifically. Let’s look at a few songs that were inspired by Pink Floyd!

1. “Sirens” by Pearl Jam 

“Sirens” came out in 2013 and was an excellent little release from the alternative rock band Pearl Jam, as was their studio album Lightning Bolt. Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready said that “Sirens” was heavily inspired by Roger Waters’ 2011 The Wall Live Tour. 

McCready went on to say that he wanted to “write something that would have a Pink Floyd-type feel.” The resulting song had lyrics penned carefully by Eddie Vedder about death and the future for new generations. A great Pink Floyd-esque track, indeed.

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2. “Pink’s Song” by Richard Wright

This song is obviously inspired by Pink Floyd, considering that it was written by the founding songwriter and keyboardist of the band. But Richard Wright’s song “Pink’s Song” has more to it than simple inspiration from his work with the band. 

It’s clearly about co-founder of Pink Floyd Syd Barrett and his departure from the band, as well as Wright’s need to leave the band following disagreements with bassist Roger Waters.

3. “Mr. Barrett” by Flaming Star

This Flaming Star track was written by John Steele. The 1974 song was dedicated to Syd Barrett. “Mr. Barrett” was part of Flaming Star’s self-produced album that was also likely dedicated to Barrett and Pink Floyd as a whole.

4. “Oranges And Apples” by The Trashcan Sinatras

This Scottish alternative rock band released “Oranges And Apples” back in 2008 along with their album In The Music. The band noted that the track was heavily inspired by the life of Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett.

“In the months after Syd’s passing, I became entranced and intrigued again by him and his wonderful unique work,” said the band’s guitarist and vocalist John Douglas. “A friend of mine, the great English songwriter Boo Hewerdine, lives in Cambridge and had told me of seeing Syd on occasion riding around town on his bike. […] This picture of Syd seemed at odds with the historically documented version. I was relieved and pleased to discover that Syd had found a degree of peace and ‘normality’ in his years there. […] His highly individual attitude to song-writing was, it seemed, a reflection of his attitude to life in general.”

Proceeds from sales from the single were donated to the Syd Barrett Trust.

Photo by David Redfern

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