Meaning to lyrics of Syd Barrett's song *Baby Lemonade*

Question

Can someone offer their interpretation of the Syd Barrett song called Baby Lemonade from his solo album Barrett?

Here are the lyrics, and here you can listen to the song on YouTube.

Answer 1

Hard not to make this a personal answer, and hard to find reference points to make it objective. The song is clearly not telling a story, so more likely it is about describing a mood or state of mind.

Syd's behaviour at this time was erratic, and his mental health was fragile - although at the same time he was able to perform and give interviews. 1971 interview, Melody Maker

The wiki article for the album "Barrett" talks of it as :

"The lyrics that describe the way for a person to kill time (such as the line "In the clock they sent / Through a washing machine")."

quoting Rob Chapman's (2010) book, "Syd Barrett: A Very Irregular Head"

Not sure about that myself : for me, like many of Syd's songs, it hints at depression, loneliness, a feeling of alienation, all expressed in a restrained whimsical English way.

"In the sad town
    cold iron hands
    clap the party of clowns outside"

"Baby Lemonade" is maybe a nickname for a lover or close friend.

"I'm screaming, I met you this way
you're nice to me like ice...
come around, make it soon, so alone
please, please, Baby Lemonade"

Probably not wise to look for a total explanation of every reference.