Lucifer Sam
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| "Lucifer Sam" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Pink Floyd | |
| from the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn | |
| Released | 5 August 1967 |
| Recorded | 12–18 April 1967 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:07 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter | Syd Barrett |
| Producer | Norman Smith |
| Audio | |
| "Lucifer Sam" on YouTube | |
"Lucifer Sam" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, featured on the band's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).
The song is built around a descending riff with the dominant instrument being composer Syd Barrett's electric guitar, fed through an echo machine. The resultant sound has been likened to a "sinister" Duane Eddy.[4] This is augmented by bowed bass and increasingly agitated organ and percussion effects.[5]
Although the lyric frequently refers to Lucifer Sam as a cat, some speculation has arisen as to whether this was in fact slang ("a hip cat") for a man, real or imagined, in some type of relationship with Barrett's then-girlfriend, Jenny Spires (referred to in the song as "Jennifer Gentle").[5] However, Sam was simply Barrett's Siamese cat (and is referred to as such in the first line: "Lucifer Sam, Siam cat"), the track was originally called "Percy the Rat Catcher" during the recording sessions, which took place between April and June 1967.[6]
Personnel
Pink Floyd
- Syd Barrett – vocals, guitar, slide guitar
- Richard Wright – Farfisa organ, Hammond organ, piano
- Roger Waters – bass guitar, bowed bass
- Nick Mason – drums, maracas, timpani
