"The Shadow of Yesterday's Triumph": Pink Floyd's "Shine On" and the Stage Theory of Grief. (16th April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cohen, Gilad
• Is Part Of: Music theory spectrum. Volume 40:Number 1(2018:Spring)
• Page Start: 106
• Page End: 120
• Publication Date: 2018-04-16
• Subjects: Pink Floyd -- popular music -- rock -- progressive rock -- guitar solos -- stage theory of grief -- the Kübler-Ross model -- bereavement -- mourning -- music and emotion; Music theory -- Periodicals; Music theory; Periodicals; 781.05
• DOI: 10.1093/mts/mty011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0195-6167

Abstract

Abstract: The epic 1975 Pink Floyd song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" was written, in part, as a requiem for the band's former leader, Syd Barrett, who suffered a mental breakdown. This article suggests that the musical structure of "Shine On" corresponds to the popular model of the five stages of grief: shock, yearning, anger, depression, and acceptance. Portraying the bereavement process of a band that had never recovered from the traumatic loss, this emotional arc imbues the piece with a powerful, genuine framework that demonstrates the band's propensity for evoking emotions through lyrics, composition, and meticulous arrangement and production.