Matilda Mother

The lyrics quote fragments of fairy tales as read from a book to the singer by his mother ("read(ing) the scribbly black", referring to writing in a book as a child sees it), and in the chorus he implores her to "tell me more".Reisch, George A. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qxlBF7G5tjcC&pg=PA234 Pink Floyd and Philosophy: Careful With that Axiom, Eugene!]. Chicago: Open Court, 2007, {{ISBN|978-0-8126-9636-3}}, p. 234. "Matilda Mother" represents a common theme in Barrett's work: his nostalgia for childhood and awareness that it could not be regained.Palacios, Julian. Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd: Dark Globe. London: Plexus, 2010, {{ISBN|978-0-85965-431-9}}, p. 236

The song begins with a bass and organ introduction in which Roger Waters repeatedly plays the B on the 16th fret of the G-string by varying the lower note from D to F# on the D string. Unlike many older beat and pop songs, the guitar rarely plays chords, and most unusually for Western music, Wright provides an organ solo in the F# Phrygian dominant scale with a natural sixth instead of its typical flatted counterpart. The song ends with a simple E mixolydian-based waltz with wordless vocal harmonies of Wright and Barrett. {{Citation needed|date=September 2011}}

Barrett originally wrote the song around verses from Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales,{{cite book |last=Chapman |first=Rob |title=Syd Barrett: A Very Irregular Head |url=https://archive.org/details/sydbarrettveryir00chap |url-access=registration |year=2010 |publisher=Faber |location=London |isbn=978-0-571-23855-2 |edition=Paperback |page=[https://archive.org/details/sydbarrettveryir00chap/page/149 149] |chapter=Distorted View – See Through Baby Blue}} in which a series of naughty children, including Matilda, receive their (often gruesome) comeuppance. He was forced to rewrite{{cite book |last=Chapman |first=Rob |title=Syd Barrett: A Very Irregular Head |url=https://archive.org/details/sydbarrettveryir00chap |url-access=registration |year=2010 |publisher=Faber |location=London |isbn=978-0-571-23855-2 |edition=Paperback |page=[https://archive.org/details/sydbarrettveryir00chap/page/150 150] |chapter=Distorted View – See Through Baby Blue}} and re-record the track when Belloc's estate unexpectedly denied permission to use these lyrics.{{cite web |url=http://sparebricks.fika.org/sbzine16/books.html |title=Syd's Fractured Fairy Tales |accessdate=2008-03-18}}

On the Masters of Rock compilation album, the song was misspelled "Mathilda Mother".

• Syd Barrett – electric guitars, double-tracked lead vocals (choruses, bridge and final verse)
• Richard Wright – Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, double-tracked lead vocals (first two verses and choruses)
• Roger Waters – bass guitar
• Nick Mason – drums

A previously unreleased alternative version was released in a 40th anniversary reissue of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn; parts of this version's lyrics are also from Belloc's Cautionary Tales, i.e. Jim and Henry King, whereas the chorus is the same as in the standard version.

A different, stereo remix of the same alternative version was also released on the Barrett compilation, An Introduction to Syd Barrett in 2010.{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/an-introduction-to-syd-barrett-mw0002038535|title=An Introduction to Syd Barrett - Syd Barrett {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=25 July 2017}} An extended version of this 2010 mix appeared in the Pink Floyd compilation box set The Early Years 1965–1972, which also contains two live recordings of the song.

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Category:Pink Floyd songs

Category:1967 songs

Category:Songs written by Syd Barrett