Season of the Witch
Vanilla Fudge Lyrics
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What do I see?
And when I look outside my window
So many different people to be, yeah
That it's strange, so strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
Two rabbits running in a ditch
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Well, when I look over my shoulder
What do I see?
And when I look over my shoulder
Some ancient fellow I'm longing to be
It's so strange, so strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
Two rabbits running in the ditch
The hippies out to make it rich
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
And here we sit immersed in a liquid sea of love
Shimmering rainbows in silver sky above
A looking glass that reflects our past
Tied with seaweed all around like willows
Upside down, you caress my heart
Caress my soul, surround my limbs
You laugh your laugh and hold my body fast
And we wake up and sit here thinking
Thinking about the times we used to have
And know they're gone forever
We'll never learn, never learn
Help me?
Somebody help him?
As I look over my shoulder
What do I see?
And as I look over my shoulder
There's so many pretty sights to see
That it's strange, so strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
You've got to pick up every stitch
Those hippies out to make it rich
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Season of the witch
Please have mercy on my soul
No, no, must be the season of the witch
[?]
God, God, hey
If you can't help us you better listen, please
Momma, I'm cold
The lyrics of Vanilla Fudge's "Season of the Witch" paint a surreal picture of the changing times of the late 1960s. The song speaks of looking out the window and seeing different people to be, possibly referring to the social and cultural shifts of the time. The repetition of "Must be the season of the witch" suggests an underlying current of danger and unease, as well as creating a mystical and haunting atmosphere.
The lyric "Two rabbits running in a ditch, the hippies out to make it rich" seems to express a cynicism or skepticism towards the counterculture movement, as if accusing them of using the times to their advantage. Similarly, the line "those hippies out to make it rich" suggests a criticism of the commercialization of the hippie culture. The reference to an "ancient fellow" is intriguing and possibly alludes to a longing for a simpler time and a connection to a past that is long gone.
The sentiment of lost time is reinforced by the lines "Thinking about the times we used to have, and know they're gone forever, we'll never learn, never learn." The song ends with a plea for mercy on the soul, as if recognizing the danger and chaos that the changing times may bring.
Line by Line Meaning
When I look outside my window
Reflecting on what can be seen from the window
What do I see?
Wondering what can be seen outside the window
And when I look outside my window
Continued reflection on what can be seen from the window
So many different people to be, yeah
That it's strange, so strange
The diversity of people and situations is unusual and remarkable
You've got to pick up every stitch
Every small detail must be taken into account
Two rabbits running in a ditch
Two things happening simultaneously
The hippies out to make it rich
People trying to make money in any way possible
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
This unusual and remarkable situation must be due to some kind of witchcraft or magical influence
Well, when I look over my shoulder
Reflecting on what can be seen behind oneself
And when I look over my shoulder
Continued reflection on what can be seen behind oneself
Some ancient fellow I'm longing to be
Nostalgia for a simpler, less confusing time
And here we sit immersed in a liquid sea of love
Shimmering rainbows in silver sky above
A looking glass that reflects our past
Tied with seaweed all around like willows
Exploration of a dreamlike state of pure love, longing and remembrance of the past
Upside down, you caress my heart
Caress my soul, surround my limbs
You laugh your laugh and hold my body fast
And we wake up and sit here thinking
Intimate description of a powerful but fleeting love, followed by introspection
Thinking about the times we used to have
And know they're gone forever
We'll never learn, never learn
Turmoil and frustration about the impossibility of reliving past experiences
Help me?
Somebody help him?
A cry for help, both for oneself and potentially for others
As I look over my shoulder
What do I see?
Continued reflection on what can be seen behind oneself
There's so many pretty sights to see
That it's strange, so strange
The beauty and diversity of life is remarkable and unusual
You've got to pick up every stitch
You've got to pick up every stitch
Those hippies out to make it rich
Caution and attention to detail is required to navigate through life, especially when dealing with potentially greedy or opportunistic people
Oh no
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Season of the witch
Please have mercy on my soul
No, no, must be the season of the witch
[?]
God, God, hey
If you can't help us you better listen, please
Momma, I'm cold
The repetition of the refrain emphasizes the feeling of helplessness and confusion caused by the inexplicable and extreme situations being experienced
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Donovan Leitch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
That 70's Guitarist
Listening to the Fudge through headphones is an absolute must in order to maximise the "mental floss" effect of this incredibly talented and utterly deranged group of professional-grade, category-defying misfits.🤣
Whenever life tries to drag me down and grind me into a mushy, nondescript goo, a little dose of the Fudge's inimitable mental floss gets me right back on track again.😁
"The name is Fudge, Vanilla Fudge." Criminally underrated, not to mention criminally underappreciated, Vanilla Fudge nonetheless managed to help maintain the sanity of a great many people, and I'm definitely one of them!
Those of us who really "get it" should get together to create a "Vanilla Fudge Appreciation Society!"😁
Who's with me?😁
Gianmarco Moscatelli
When I look outside my window
What do I see?
And when I look outside my window
So many different people to be
That it's strange, so strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
Two rabbits running in a ditch
The hippies out to make it rich
Oh no, must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
(Well) when I look over my shoulder
What do I see?
And when I look over my shoulder
Some ancient fellow I'm longing to be
It's so strange
So strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
Two rabbits running in the ditch
That hippie's out to make it rich
Oh no, must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch, yeah
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
"And here we sit immerged in a liquid sea of love
Shimmering rainbows in silver sky above
A looking glass that reflects our past
Tied with seaweed all around like willows
Upside down you caress my heart
Caress my soul
Surround my limbs
You laugh your laugh
And hold my body fast
And we wake up and sit here thinking
Thinking about the times we used to have
And know they're gone forever
We'll never learn
Never learn"
"Help me"
"Somebody help him"
As I look over my shoulder
What do I see?
And as I look over my shoulder
There's so many pretty sights to see
That it's strange, so strange
You've got to pick up every stitch
You've got to pick up every stitch
Those hippies out to make it rich
Oh no, must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Must be the season of the witch
Season of the witch
Please have mercy on my soul
No. No. Must be the season of the witch
"God. God, hey
If you can't help us you better listen
Please
Momma, I'm cold"
dean m roberts
I was on a u.s. navy destroyer steaming up and down the coast of Vietnam when I first heard this. we didn't get much new music over there. u.s. military radio stations were at least one year behind the states. I was standing watch in the middle of the night and this came on my little radio. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was so excited that I could hardly wait for my friends to get up so I could tell them about this fucking great song by a band that I had never heard of before, 'Vanilla Fudge'. a moment of sanity in a world of shit. Thank god for rock and roll.
Norman/Sharon Harman/Helman
I know what you mean. In the Summer of '67 I had just gotten back to the states from a year in an isolated security post in Sinope, Turkey (never allowed off-post, didn't see a living female human for a year), where we didn't even get Armed Forces Radio. I used to spend hours every night on my old R392, roving up and down the bands looking for rock and roll. Stationed just outside Washington DC, when I got back stateside, I was still living in the barracks and didn't know anyone. I went to a USO dance hoping to meet some girls and amazingly enough, the band that first night was Vanilla Fudge! Their opening song was "You Keep Me Hanging On." I was stunned! I loved it but the crowd booed them and started calling for "dance music." Vanilla Fudge played nothing but Motown for the rest of the night - the crowd loved them.
Virgil Huston
I went to Sinop three times, late 70s/early 80s. I had a blast, went downtown every day, out on a fishing boat with Turkish friends on weekends and sometimes after work. Lots of Efes beer and great food. And there was a civil war going on there on two of these extended trips. Sorry you were locked down there. Great Vanilla Fudge story.
Timothy Galvin
dean m roberts
heathenbreathinfire
You know what they say: Rock and Roll will save the world.
ARCHAIC SYMBOLISM
a week and a half to go....odd times, to say the least.
Captain Skywarn
Of all the versions of this song that are out there, including Donovan's original version, this Vanilla Fudge version is, by far, the creepiest, scariest version I've ever heard. I love it! 👹
Michael Salisbury
Erzahler I prefer the Masked Marauders' version. Fake Mick Jagger is hilarious.
martk fartkerson
Michael Salisbury, that's like saying you prefer Weird Al's The Saga Begins over American Pie -- which I'm guessing is true for you, as well? It's interesting as a spoof, but as a preference? Uhh, no. As soon as fake Bob Dylan starts singing I can't take it seriously lol
iopjacket
I liked Donovan's version better. I did like some Vanilla Fudge, but not this.