♫ Catch The Wind ♫ (Redux)

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I was just beginning to debate on what song to play tonight, when an email from our friend rawgod dropped into my inbox.  In it, he had some helpful suggestions for artists who I either haven’t played at all, or haven’t played much, and so I decided to take his suggestions to heart … one at a time, of course!  Topping his list was the Dave Clark Five, who I haven’t played at all.  They weren’t one of my favourites, but they did have a few songs I liked, so I will give them a spot here on the music posts soon.  Among his other suggestions, however, was Donovan and when I saw that name, I immediately thought of this song, my favourite Donovan tune.  Turns out I have played it before, but it’s been a while — 2019, I believe it was — so I am taking the easy way tonight and reduxing this song … Thanks rawgod!

This was Donovan’s debut single, released in March 1965 in the UK and a few months later in the U.S.

Donovan had a fleeting love affair with model Linda Lawrence, who was then the girlfriend of the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones soon after writing this song. He bumped into her four years later and they married in 1970.  Now here’s my confusion … he says he wrote this song for Linda, even though he hadn’t met her yet when he wrote the song!

“‘Catch The Wind’, I wrote it for Linda, although I hadn’t really met her yet. It is a song of unrequited love, yet I hadn’t really met her, so how could I miss her? And I seem to write prophetic songs in the sense of the Celtic poet and I wrote this song before I met Linda, of a love I would like to have had and lost.”

Ah well … I’m very tired tonight and it’s too much for my mind to grasp, so let’s just listen to the music for a few minutes, shall we?

Catch the Wind
Donovan

In the chilly hours and minutes
Of uncertainty
I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind

To feel you all around me
And to take your hand
Along the sand
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When sundown pales the sky
I want to hide a while
Behind your smile
And everywhere I’d look, your eyes I’d find

For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing
T’would make me sing
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Diddy di dee dee diddy diddy
Diddy diddy diddy dee dee dee

When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind

For standin’ in your heart
Is where I want to be
And long to be
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Songwriters: Donovan Leitch
Catch the Wind lyrics © Peermusic Publishing

21 thoughts on “♫ Catch The Wind ♫ (Redux)”

  1. I remember this coming out. I liked it but thought it was just another Bob Dylan wannabe who probably wouldn’t last. He went from strength to strength with his own style and made me eat my words.
    As far as generational music goes, My mother loved Eve of Destruction, and I got you babe.And I have really liked things by Adele and Rihanna and a Fantastic song like ‘For a Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri so in between the white noise there are a few gems that after we’ve gone our children will be able to say “I loved it but couldn’t admit I because my Dad liked it”.
    Cwtch

    Liked by 3 people

    • I can understand why you would have made that initial assessment, but I’m so thrilled to have the vision of you eating your own words in my head!

      Hard to believe that someone from the generation before us liked “Eve of Destruction! Yep, I’m betting there are some out there today who are afraid to like certain songs from their parent’s
      Cwtch

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Thanks for the memory! I’ve always loved his music – he was one of the singer-songwriters who first got me into the genre, and into folk music, both of which have been central parts of my musical tastes ever since. There’s a beauty in the simplicity of music like this.

    Liked by 3 people

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