Phish.net

The psych-folk acid rock of Dark Side’s penultimate track contains some of Pink Floyd’s most memorable lyrics, not the least of which is the context of the album’s title. This song is a bit of whimsy – albeit a serious bit of whimsy – that is almost never played on radio stations without its album-closing counterpart, “Eclipse.” A great duo they are, inseparable almost to the degree of that of two other well-known album closers, “The Horse” and “Silent in the Morning.”

Phish covered this track in turn as part of the 11/2/98 second set in Utah, and their rendition built the necessary amount of lackadaisical tension that reached its climax and release in “Eclipse.” The original Floyd version may boast some of the band’s most legendary lyrics, but Phish imbued some more of the song’s lyrics with even greater significance in light of the surprise DSOTM performance: “And if the band you’re in starts playing different tunes...”

(Waters)
© Hampshire House Publishing Corp. (ASCAP)

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 every day 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 'till 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

"I can't think of anything to say except...
I think it's marvelous! HaHaHa!"