Perspectives on Lunacy

Lunacy
n.
1. obsolete term for legal insanity.
2. foolish or senseless behaviour.
Origin: 1541. In ref. to intermittent periods of insanity, such as were believed to be triggered by the moon's cycle.

In simple terms, Madness. What I understand about it, is that it is an altered perception of reality. However, reality is never absolute and as a result every person's perceptions of the same(?) reality is likely to be as different as the individuals themselves are. So it is ultimately all about perspectives. And so here are different perspectives on the same subject - lunacy. Am I running around in circles here without ever leaving my chair? Anyway, here goes.

But before delving into it, a bit of a prelude.

Two of my most favourite musicians are Pink Floyd and Cat Stevens. Both of these have had a seminal influence in not just my taste in music, but having heard them since the ripe old age of 3, I like to imagine that they have even influenced me as a person that I am today.

Interestingly, musically, these are as apart as chalk and cheese. But then even chalk and cheese is ultimately created by the same law of cause and effect, thereby giving them an essential nature which is identical. Anyway, that's the tough part of writing about madness. One tends to veer away from the point.

The point is that Cat Stevens and Pink Floyd however apart are probably equally brilliant in their respective world-views. I will save the eulogies for another post, but here are two particular takes from each of them - divergent but strangely convergent - on the subject of lunacy.

Pink Floyd - Brain Damage, from Dark Side of the Moon, 1973.

The lunatic is on the grass
The lunatic is on the grass
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs
Got to keep the loonies on the path

The lunatic is in the hall
The lunatics are in my hall
The paper holds their folded faces to the floor
And every day the paper boy brings more

And if the dam breaks open many years too soon
And if there is no room upon the hill
And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon

The lunatic is in my head
The lunatic is in my head
You raise the blade, you make the change
You re-arrange me till I'm sane
You lock the door
And throw away the key
There's someone in my head but its not me.

And if the cloud bursts, thunder in your ear
You shout and no one seems to hear
And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon


Cat Stevens - Moonshadow from Teaser and the Firecat, 1971.

Oh, I'm bein' followed by a moonshadow, moonshadow, moonshadow
Leapin' and hoppin' on a moonshadow, moonshadow, moonshadow
And if I ever lose my hands, lose my plough, lose my land,
Oh if I ever lose my hands, oh if.... I won't have to work no more.

And if I ever lose my eyes, if my colours all run dry,
Yes if I ever lose my eyes, oh if.... I won't have to cry no more.
And if I ever lose my legs, I won't moan, and I won't beg,
Yes if I ever lose my legs, oh if.... I won't have to walk no more.

And if I ever lose my mouth, all my teeth, north and south,
Yes if I ever lose my mouth, oh if.... I won't have to talk...

Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light.
Did it take long to find me? And are you gonna stay the night?


Sheer genius both of them. It is the limitation of the medium that one can only reproduce the words without the music. But sublime to say the least if you have ever heard them. This musical divinity is the thread that actually binds together these absolutely divergent perspectives together. Apart from this, there is nothing in common.

Pink Floyd's take on Lunacy is all about darkness. The title of the album itself - Dark Side of the Moon - gives 'Dark Forebodings' of the kind of music that it contains.

Cat Stevens is a lot more ambivalent. There's the 'shadow' of the moon. But it is not a 'dark side'. A shadow is calm, soothing and a constant companion. And towards, the end he actually talks about an elusive faithful light and urges it to stay 'the night'.

Pink Floyd says that lunatics are aberrants. They are on the grass while an unsaid sign is instructing to keep off it. That's why they have to be kept 'on the path'.

Cat Stevens says that all of us are lunatics, 'leapin' and hoppin' on a Moonshadow', at some time or the other; indeed at all times.

Pink Floyd’s Lunacy is slowly and menacingly approaching from the grass, to the hall, to ‘in my head’. It is something to fear and loathe. Something that will possess and trap – ‘there’s someone in my head, but it’s not me’.

Cat Steven’s Lunacy is approaching slowly, but lovingly. It is something to love and cherish. Something that will caress and liberate – ‘Did it take long to find me? I asked the faithful light. Did it take long to find me? And are you gonna stay the night?’.

Pink Floyd talks about Lunacy as something that isolates – ‘You lock the door and throw away the key’. Cat Stevens talks about Lunacy as something that embraces – ‘Leapin’ and hoppin’ on a moonshadow’.

Pink Floyd’s Lunatic is sad and coming to terms with his lunacy in disturbing ways. Cat Stevens’ Lunatic is happy and is actually finding the madness liberating.

So where are we with all of this?

Back to the point that probably there are no absolute takes on anything. Extending that logic, either everyone is mad or no one is. But that too is an absolute statement. Ultimately, the truth is that everyone is mad and no one is, at the same time.

Shouldn’t that make us a lot more tolerant, a lot less judgemental? But in fact it works towards just the opposite. There are probably no answers to this whole conundrum. In the meanwhile though, it helps to find release in listening to genius.

Another sidebar fact: I was born in 1972. Moonshadow was released in 1971. While Brain Damage was released in 1973. Maybe a small reason why I can’t make up my mind who I agree with or like more.

Perpetually sandwiched between conflicting view-points and a Gemini to boot. That’s me.

To wrap up, here are a couple more lyrics from the same two musicians.

Everything under the Sun is in tune, but the Sun is eclipsed by the Moon.
- Eclipse, Pink Floyd.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day
- Morning has broken, Cat Stevens.

Hard to agree with one. Actually hard to disagree with either. At least for me.