This, That, and the Other

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, Helen Vahdati chose “season.” Yes, I know that in two days it will be Christmas, but I’m resisting the urge to post a song about the Christmas season. Or even a song about winter. Instead I’m going with a classic son by Donovan Leitch, “Season of the Witch.”

Written by Donovan and Shawn Phillips, the song was released in September 1966 on Donovan’s album, Sunshine Superman. It was never released as a single, but it became a very popular song with Donovan’s fans, enough so that Donovan played it live more than most of his other hits.

“Season of the Witch” was an early example of what became known as the “psychedelic genre” of music.

“There was a feeling, even then, that all was not perfect in the Garden of Eden,” Donovan said of the song in an interview with Mojo magazine June 2011. “Dealers were moving into bohemia and hard drugs were on the fringes.” The song proved to be somewhat prophetic in the months after he recorded it. There is a line in it that goes “Some cat looking over his shoulder at me.” Those bad cats looking at him would soon come calling at his door. He was arrested for possession of cannabis — the first high-profile London drug bust of the 60s. That bust prevented him from travelling to the United States, where he was due to perform at the Monterey Pop Festival, in June, 1967.

Here are the lyrics to Donovan’s “Season of the Witch.”

When I look out my window
Many sights to see
And when I look in my window
So many different people to be
That it’s strange
So strange

You got to pick up every stitch
You got to pick up every stitch
You got to pick up every stitch
Mmmm, must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch, yeah
Must be the season of the witch

When I look over my shoulder
What do you think I see?
Some other cat lookin’ over
His shoulder at me
And he’s strange
Sure is strange

You got to pick up every stitch
You got to pick up every stitch, yeah
Beatniks are out to make it rich
Oh no, must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch, yeah
Must be the season of the witch

You got to pick up every stitch
Two rabbits runnin’ in the ditch
Beatniks out to make it rich
Oh no, must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
When I go

When I look out my window
What do you think I see?
And when I look in my window
So many different people to be
It’s strange
Sure is strange

You got to pick up every stitch
You got to pick up every stitch
Two rabbits runnin’ in the ditch
Oh no, must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch, yeah
Must be the season of the witch
When I go
When I go