What were Syd Barrett’s last words?
Your ‘famous last words’ are often a flippant or funny way to describe a situation that might come back to haunt you, but rarely would we ever take that seriously. When the moment does come to utter those fated final phrases, whatever the context, you can only hope it’s something profound or loving that will define your lasting legacy. It’s a thought that troubles many when faced with death – but not Syd Barrett, it seems.
The frontman of Pink Floyd was never exactly known for living life by the rule book, so in that sense, we could have hardly expected his approach to his demise to have been any different. Known for the free-flowing incantations and psychedelic powers in his persona, Barrett’s career shone in a blazing burst before he decided to take a backseat from the high life in 1968, having set his band firmly on the path to glory.
Leading up to his tragic death from pancreatic cancer in 2006, the rock genius was rarely seen in public, let alone in a musical capacity, and since departing Pink Floyd hardly ever acknowledged his presence in the band over the preceding decades. Journalists clamoured to catch a coveted glimpse of Barrett if ever he briefly emerged from obscurity, and it was from one of these limited chance encounters that his final ever public words were spoken.
According to famous urban legend, when a Guardian reporter approached the elusive rock star in his hometown of Cambridge in 2001 and asked him if he was indeed the Pink Floyd frontman, Barrett responded: “Never heard of ‘im. Is he one of them rappers?” before uttering the iconic words, “Leave me alone. I’ve got to get some coleslaw”.
Was “coleslaw” really Syd Barrett’s final word?
As hilariously random as Barrett’s coleslaw mission was – and much as we all want to believe it – it’s not difficult to work out that the folklore of these being his final words probably isn’t totally true. Granted, it would be fantastic if the legacy of one of rock and roll’s most blazing psychedelic stars could be summed up via the medium of salad dressing, but alas, this was not the case.
Following his brief but brilliant flirtation with fame all those years before, Barrett was a highly private man. The crux of the story comes from the fact that these were indeed Barrett’s final publicly recorded comments. But what he said and did in his personal life for the five years after his death and what his actual final words were—well, that’s only for his closest circle to know.
Barrett’s effervescent and frankly zany life was one that proved pivotal for the course of rock music and for the rest of Pink Floyd to continue on the journey that he began. The effects of psychedelia were such that the choice to step back from those heights was effectively one made for him, but it didn’t mean his impact was any less seismic or transcendental. Whether it was in a musical character or buying coleslaw, there’s no denying that Syd Barrett knew his own mind – and he was loved all the more for it.
