Of Englishmen and cats

Christopher Smart (Wikipedia entry)

• English
• Poet
• 1722-1771 (aged 49)
• Father died when he was 11
• Fame established over six-year period of creative intensity, 1749-1755
• Mentally ill?  Certainly eccentric.  Confined to madhouse, anyway, 1756-1763
• Famous work about his cat:  "For I Will Consider My Cat Jeoffry" from Jubilate Agno, a litany based on the word "For"
• Smart's cat is described as "the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him".
• One odd thing about that...there is another (less famous and fragmentary) companion poem, a litany based on the word "Let"...some modern scholars now believe the poems were meant to be read together.
• Lived lavishly on a poor income, died in debtor's prison.

Syd Barrett (Wikipedia entry)

• English
• Songwriter and musician
• 1946-2006 (aged 60)
• Father died when he was 16
• Fame established over four-year period of creative intensity, 1964-1968
• Mentally ill?  Certainly eccentric.  Left Pink Floyd in 1969, "distanced himself from the public eye."  His sister says not crazy - reclusive from 1970s on.
• Famous work about his cat:  "Lucifer Sam"
• Barrett's cat is apparently named after the devil
• One odd thing about that...in "Lucifer Sam" there's this lyric where he says to his girlfriend "You're the left side / He's the right side."  The "For" side of Smart's poem - the part about the cat - is set on the right of the "Let" side.  OMFG!!!
• Lived modestly on royalty income, died at home, left £1.7 mm to his family.

With respect to "Lucifer Sam" there are, to my surprise, three credible versions in addition to the original linked above:

• Love and Rockets starts with a pop feel and brings in the heavy riff later
• Primrose League - pretty badass
• Neils Children - whiny psychedelia works...who knew?