Remember when you were young?
You shone like the sun.
Shine on, you crazy diamond
Now there's a look in your eyes
Like black holes in the sky
Shine on, you crazy diamond
You were caught in the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze
Come on you target for faraway laughter;
Come on you stranger, you legend,
You martyr, and shine

You reached for the secret too soon
You cried for the moon
Shine on, you crazy diamond
Threatened by shadows at night
And exposed in the light
Shine on, you crazy diamond
Well, you wore out your welcome
With random precision
Rode on the steel breeze
Come on you raver, you seer of visions;
Come on you painter, you piper,
You prisoner, and shine

Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
Where have you been?
It's all right, we know where you've been
You've been in the pipe line filling in time
Provided with toys and scouting for boys
You bought a guitar to punish your ma
And you didn't like school
And you know you're nobody's fool
So welcome to the machine
Welcome my son, welcome to the machine
What did you dream?
It's all right, we told you what to dream
You dreamed of a big star
He played a mean guitar
He always ate in the steak bar
He loved to drive in his jaguar
So welcome to the machine

Come in here dear boy have a cigar
You're gonna go far, You're gonna fly high
You're never gonna die,
You're gonna make it if you try
They're gonna love you
Well I've always had a deep respect
And I mean that most sincerely
The band is just fantastic
That is really what I think
Oh, by the way which one's pink?
And if we tell you the name of the game, boy
We call it "Riding the gravy train"
We're just knocked out,
We heard about the sell out
You've gotta get an album out
You owe it to the people
We're so happy we can hardly count
Ev'ry body else is just green
Have seen the chart
It's a helluva start
It could be made into a monster
If we all pull together as a team
And if we tell you the name of the game, boy
We call it "Riding the gravy train":

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell, blue skies from pain
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail, a smile from a veil
Do you you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts, hot ashes for trees,
Hot air for a cool breeze, cold comfort for change
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here

Nobody knows where you are,
How near or how far
Shine on, you crazy diamond
Pile on many more layers
And I'll be joining you there
Shine on, you crazy diamond
And we'll bask in the shadow
Of yesterday's triumph
And sail on the steel breeze
Come on you boy child, you winner and loser,
Come on you miner for truth and delusion,
And shine.