Friday, February 25, 2011

Hickory Wind - "Mr. Man" (1969)

Hickory Wind was a super-obscure Indiana band who released one insanely rare album (allegedly only 100 copies were pressed!!!). Taking their name from the Gram Parsons composition on the Byrds' album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, Hickory Wind was very much of the west Coast Byrds-Springfield-Stone Country country-sike school. They would evolve into the cult psychedelic band B.F. Trike.

The oddest track on the album is also my favorite. "Mr Man" features a spoken-word vocal backed by a Highway 61-style arrangement, occasionally emphasizing a tinkling piano. The vocalist delivers a heartfelt plea to the Man Upstairs, hoping for divine intervention to save our troubled world.

"By free will alone we are under his spell..."


3 comments:

  1. i love this song. please let me know to lyrics. i couldn't find anywhere. respect from turkey. see ya.

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  2. Thanks for the comment!

    Here are the lyriics, as close as I could get them:

    Mr. Man
    Oh God, God I want you to hold my hand
    And Mr. Man
    I just-- I just need you to be my friend
    Yes it's true, you've had such a hard time with this old world
    People's hearts, they've all gone astray
    They're so cold, and so indifferent in this old world
    Please come and take me, take me away
    And Mr. Man, oh why don't they understand?
    And Mr. Man, please bring peace and love to our troubled land
    Because with your help we'll make it, Oh God without it we'll fail
    The Devil is with us, we know oh so well
    By free will alone, we're under his spell
    So come, just come, take us away
    And Mr. Man, God I just want you, I just want you to hold my hand
    Mr. Man, all I ask is you to be my friend
    It's true you've had such a hard time in this old world
    People's hearts, they've all gone astray
    They're so cold, God so indifferent, in this old world
    Please come and take us away
    Oh Mr. Man, try to understand
    I just need a friend
    Mr. Man
    Be my friend...

    ReplyDelete
  3. hey thank you very much! sorry about late answer. thanks again. see ya.

    ReplyDelete