Music

George Harrison and Donovan were both present during The Beatles' famous trip to India. Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" may have been inspired by the Fab Four's guru.

Published on June 11, 2023

TL;DR:

• The lyrics George Harrison wrote for Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” are philosophical.
• Donovan was a big fan of them.
• Donovan’s “Hurd Gurdy Man” became a top 10 hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

George Harrison wrote a verse for Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” Donovan revealed why George’s lyrics weren’t used in the final song. In addition, he said the tune might’ve been inspired by The Beatles’ spiritual guru.

George Harrison’s lyrics for Donovan’s ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ were cut for time

During a 2020 interview with American Songwriter, Donovan discussed George’s nixed contribution to “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” “There is a missing verse that George Harrison wrote: ‘When truth gets buried deep/Beneath a thousand years of sleep/Time demands a turn-around/And once again the truth is found.'”

“I didn’t record [this verse],” Donovan added. “George was a bit upset there for a while. But a single in those days was only three minutes long.” Donovan’s comment is interesting considering his single “Atlantis” is five minutes long — and two of those minutes are a dramatic monologue about Atlantis sinking.

Donovan thought George Harrison’s verse expressed the message of the song

Donovan revealed what he thought of George’s verse. “The verse describes well what this song is about,” he opined. “That the Hurdy Gurdy Man is anyone who speaks this timeless truth. There may be a dark age, but out of that dark age will come light and the answer to all man’s problems.”

Donovan said the tune was possibly inspired by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who served as a guru for the “Mellow Yellow” singer and The Beatles. Donovan said he might have written the song while on a famous trip to India with the Fab Four. “Now you have to mix that up with the Indian trip, because a cross-legged figure is really a yogi, and I was already interested in yoga and we did go to India and maybe Maharishi comes into it a little bit,” he recalled. “But also the Hurdy Gurdy Man is all singers who sing songs of love.” In addition, Donovan sees himself as a Hurdy Gurdy Man.

How ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ performed on the pop charts and impacted popular culture

“Hurdy Gurdy Man” became a huge hit for the singer. It reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for a total of 12 weeks. The track appeared on the album The Hurdy Gurdy Man, which also includes “Jennifer Juniper.” That album reached No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks.

The Official Charts Company says “Hurdy Gurdy Man” reached No. 4 in Donovan’s native United Kingdom and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks. Despite this, The Hurdy Gurdy Man didn’t chart in the U.K. Notably, the Butthole Surfers gave the song more attention when they released a comic, off-kilter cover of the song on their 1991 album piouhgd.

Donovan didn’t use George’s verse for “Hurdy Gurdy Man” — but the tune remains a timeless classic.

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