Brain Damage

The lunatic is on the grass.
The lunatic is on the grass.
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs.
Got to keep the loonies on the path.

The lunatic is in the hall.
The lunatics are in my hall.
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
And everyday the paper boy brings more.

And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too
I'll see you on the Dark Side of the Moon.

The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me 'til I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but it's not me.

And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear.
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the Dark Side of the Moon.

(background vocals:
"I can't think of anything to say except...
i think it's marvelous! HaHaHa!")


- Released 1973

- This song takes a look at mental illness and whether "insanity" is only relative, and growing too old to be who one once was.

- Roger Waters has stated that the insanity-themed lyrics are based on former Floyd frontman Syd Barrett's mental instability, with the line "I'll see you on the dark side of the moon" indicating that Waters felt that he related to Barrett in terms of mental idiosyncrasies.

- "And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes..." is referential to Syd Barrett's behavior towards the end of his tenure with the band; due to his mental problems, there were more than a few occasions where Barrett would actually play a different song than the rest of the band in the middle of a performance.

- "The lunatic is on the grass..." Waters is referring to areas of turf which display signs saying 'PLEASE KEEP OFF THE GRASS' with the exaggerated implication that the disobeying of such signs might be an indication of insanity.

- The line, "Got to keep the loonies on the path" supports this, suggesting the social rule that people must not walk off the path and step onto the grass, but conform to the standards of normal 'sane' society. Incidentally, Waters has said that the particular patch of grass he had in mind when writing was to the rear of Kings College, Cambridge.

- Pink Floyd's road manager Peter Watts (father of actress Naomi Watts) contributed the repeated laughter during "Brain Damage"