If there is such a person as the Hurdy Gurdy Man, I wish he'd come around.

Maybe you will disagree if you've heard this song while watching "Zodiac". I recently discovered it thanks to the film and the soundtrack, which is brilliant. ((Actually, both the album with the songs from the days Zodiac was active, but the album that collects David Shire's original compositions is equally important.))

The lyrics seem quite nonsensical. The Hurdy Gurdy Man came singing songs of love, and in the film, it's easy to see that man is Zodiac. Or is he? Is he Robert Graysmith? Is it simply a symbol for the times that were awash in what seemed like freedom when Donovan recorded the track in 1968, or is it just a druggy fantasy designed for nothing but his pals to play? ((Words like roly-poly and the repetition of hurdy gurdy makes me suspect this.))

I'm enthralled by this track. The reverb sound of the electric guitar, the sitar, the tremolo-effect on the song, the light-yet-compact darkness of the track contrasted by the acoustic guitar and the melody sung, when framed by the Zodiac-film and the dual vision of the lyrics in contrast to what Zodiac did, makes me recall the use of music that Kubrick/Carlos blew my mind completely with in the soundtrack for "A Clockwork Orange". For me, this is akin to hearing stories of people who slit their wrists and cry with happiness as they watch their life leak away.

As usual, the track will be deleted after it's been up for a week.

[audio:https://niklasblog.com/wp-content/2007-05-21-hurdygurdyman.mp3]