"Arnold Layne" was the first single released by British Psychedelic rock group Pink Floyd, shortly after landing a recording contract with EMI. The song was written by Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's co-founder and original front man. Although not included on the band's debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, some consider "Arnold Layne" to be one of the finest psychedelic pop songs of its time.

The song's title character is a transvestite whose primary pastime is stealing women's clothes and undergarments from washing lines. According to Roger Waters, "Arnold Layne" was actually based on a real person, and that this person routinely stole underwear from the mothers of Barrett and Waters during their childhood days in Cambridge.

However, despite finding a place in the Top 20, the song's unusual transvestism theme attracted the ire of Radio London, which deemed the song too far-removed from "normal" society for its listeners before eventually banning it from radio airplay altogether. blank">Gilmour to release Barrett single

_Producer Norman Smith wanted the band to re-record the Joe Boyd-produced song after they had signed up with EMI. While Waters and keyboardist Richard Wright were willing to do this, Barrett, on the other hand, was entirely satisfied with the existing studio cut, and argued against recording another version.

A black and white promotional film of "Arnold Layne" was made the same year, and featured members of Pink Floyd dressing up a mannequin before showing it around a beach. Recently, an alternative promotional film was unearthed, which featured the young Floyd goofing around in a forest and in front of a church. It is also the only known footage of Syd Barrett lip synching to the song.