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The song can be found as the first and last tracks on the album Wish You Were Here, as well as Parts I-VII as the first track on the second disc of the compilation album Echoes, albeit in a heavily-edited form.
The song is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett. Lyrics such as "Remember when you were young?/You shone like the sun" show strong appreciation for the contributions Syd made to the band.
Parts I–V (1 to 5) make up the songs first half, lasting 13 minutes and 34 seconds.
Parts VI–IX (6 to 9) make up the songs second half, lasting 12 minutes and 31 seconds.
00:00 - 03:55
Part 1 includes the fading in of an organ like keyboard sound, and a harmonized solo by David Gilmour on his stratocaster guitar with mid level distortion (about 7 on an amplifier for those wishing to play it). It lasts for about 4 minutes, ending when the keyboards fade into the background.
03:55 - 08:43
Part 2 begins with the 4 string tune being repeated 6 times, and the drums start playing. It goes through a second solo by Gilmour, drops into a keyboard solo by Richard Wright. It then goes to a third guitar solo much like the second, before finishing around the 8 and a half minute mark.
In the Echoes version of the song, the third guitar solo was cut, much like it is in the concert version of the song.
08:43 - 12:02
Part 3 is the lyrics of the song. In between the 2 verses is Part 4.
09:55 - 10:14
Part 4 is the 2 guitar riff inbetween the verses in part 3
12:02 - 13:34
Part 5 has 2 guitars repeating a riff for about 1 minute. A saxophone overlays the sounds, played by an old school mate of the band. It ends as the saxophone speeds. After, the tempo speeds up the saxophone, and eventually drops the guitar and drums and opens to a short sax solo that fades into the background. Depending on whether you are listening to the song on Wish You Were Here or Echoes, 2 different keyboard sounds will be in the background. On the former, a machine like hum will fade in to bring the song to a close, and begin Welcome to the Machine . On the latter, wind effects, first used on the album Meddle will bring in Part 6 of the song.
00:00 - 04:41
Part 6 begins with a howling wind sound, brought in from Wish You Were Here, or Part 5 of the song (depending what album you are listening to the song on). It slowly fades down as a bass beating fades in. After a few beats, a keyboard comes in to play the opening solo. After 2 and a half minutes, Gilmour enters to play a fast beat solo with tempo not present in the other parts of the song. It last for about 3 minutes before the songs main tune plays and the beats slows to bring in the lyrics. This is the last time a slide guitar will be heard in a Roger Waters Pink Floyd song. This part is shortened on Echoes.
04:41 - 06:05
Part 7 is the lyrics for the songs second half. Unlike the first half, the lyrics are only 1 verse long. This part is almost identical to Part 3 (Though half the length), and ends just after the 6 minute mark.
06:05 - 09:05
This part brings in Roger Waters to play a second electric guitar for a high noted sound riff. A neat progression of beats play for about 2 minutes before very slowly fading into the background as a continuous single keyboard note fades in around the 8 minute mark.