Mid-Life Crisis Songs #19: A bike, a mouse and a clan of gingerbread men...

19. Pink Floyd - Bike

Guy Garvey played this a couple of weeks back and I couldn't believe I'd never heard it before.

I now feel like I've known it forever. Perhaps because I've listened to little else for the last few days...

Why have I chosen it as Mid-Life Crisis Song?

Two reasons.

Firstly, because I always said the day I found myself getting into Pink Floyd, I'd know I was finally over the hill. In my defence, this is Syd Barrett era Floyd, and it might as well be a Syd Barrett solo song... you get the feeling the rest of Floyd bunged it on the end of their debut album back in 1969 just to keep him happy. I have always considered Barrett the only really interesting member of the band. Though who knows, give me a couple more years and I might be embracing the flying pigs too.

The other reason though is that this is clearly a song about youth. About innocence. About first love, before you really understand what love is. Before all the yucky stuff gets in the way. Those days are a distant memory now, of course, it's hard to believe they ever existed. But this song brings it back...

I've got a bike, you can ride it if you like.

It's got a basket, a bell that rings

And things to make it look good.

I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world.

I'll give you anything, everything if you want things.

I've got a cloak it's a bit of a joke.

There's a tear up the front. It's red and black.

I've had it for months.

If you think it could look good, then I guess it should.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world.

I'll give you anything, everything if you want things.

I know a mouse, and he hasn't got a house.

I don't know why I call him Gerald.

He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world.

I'll give you anything, everything if you want things.

I've got a clan of gingerbread men.

Here a man, there a man, lots of gingerbread men.

Take a couple if you wish. They're on the dish.

You're the kind of girl that fits in with my world.

I'll give you anything, everything if you want things.

I know a room full of musical tunes.

Some rhyme, some ching, most of them are clockwork.

Let's go into the other room and make them work.

The mouse called Gerald is a stroke of genius.