The Ballad of a Crystal Man
1965 · Pye 7N 17088 · UK: Scotland
- Artist
- Donovan
- Title
- The Ballad of a Crystal Man
- Release
- Remember the Alamo / The Ballad of a Crystal Man
- Year
- 1965
- Label
- Pye # 7N 17088
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- UK: Scotland
- Genre
- Folk · Contemporary Folk
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The song "Ballad of a Crystal Man" (Pye Records # 7N 17088) featured on the album Fairytale (Pye Records # NPL 18128). Through a series of verses it pointed out possible hypocrisies in US government policy, ending with the line: "I don't want your freedom in a lie". Released in several countries.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — European Songs
Donovan, born Donovan Philips Leitch on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, was a popular contemporary folk singer in the 1060s, and into the 70s. He released several war and Vietnam-related songs in the period, featured on this list, including three cover songs in 1965: "Do You Here Me Now", "Universal Soldier", and "The War Drags On". He also had two original compositions: "Ballad of a Crystal Man" (1966), and "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting" (1969). Th is EP, Universal Soldier (Pye Records # NEP 24219), focused entirely on war. It included the "Ballad of a Crystal Man" discussed immediately below, as well as two songs about war in general - "Do You Here Me Now" from the 1965 album Bert Jansch and "Universal Soldier" by Buffy Sainte-Marie from It's My Way!. Finally, it included Mick Softley's Vietnam War song "The War Drags On" from Songs for Swingin' Survivors.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — European Songs
Donovan, born Donovan Philips Leitch on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, was a popular contemporary folk singer in the 1060s, and into the 70s. He released several war and Vietnam-related songs in the period, featured on this list, including three cover songs in 1965: "Do You Here Me Now", "Universal Soldier", and "The War Drags On". He also had two original compositions: "Ballad of a Crystal Man" (1966), and "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting" (1969). The song "Ballad of a Crystal Man" (Pye Records # 7N 17088) featured on the album Fairytale (Pye Records # NPL 18128). Through a series of verses it pointed out possible hypocrisies in US government policy, ending with the line: "I don't want your freedom in a lie". Released in several countries.
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Vietnam, your latest game / You're playing with your blackest Queen / Damn your souls and curse your grins / I stand here with a fading dream / For seagull I don't want your wings / I don't want your freedom in a lie
About the artist
born Donovan Philips Leitch on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, United Kingdom Donovan, born Donovan Philips Leitch on 10 May 1946 in Glasgow, United Kingdom, was a popular contemporary folk singer in the 1960s, and into the 70s. He released several war and Vietnam-related songs in the period, featured on this list, including three cover songs in 1965: "Do You Here Me Now", "Universal Soldier", and "The War Drags On". He also had two original compositions: "Ballad of a Crystal Man" (1966), and "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting" (1969).
Themes
In collections
European Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]