Season of the Witch

"You've got to pick up every stitch" implies as in witchcraft not to leave anything "personal" behind i.e. clothing, hair, fingernails, blood. This is because it is "The season of the witch" and witches cast spells. I suggest a little background research on Donovan.

This is a great song. I do not believe any of these comments are correct. Perhaps those who were at least young teenagers in the mid 1960's would recognize the song as a comment on the social changes coming into the forefront at that time. The changes were a huge wave. Certain artists like Donovan were riding this wave and the press were clamoring all over them constantly asking silly questions about the "meaning" of their art.

The song is about observing changes. It has nothing to do with witchcraft, drugs or paranoia. I think the words in this song are more about rhyming and rhythm than anything specific. They are suggesting images that rhyme with witch - magical changes. Pick up every stitch is to carry in the general notion of paying attention. Rabbits in the ditch is the sense of common activity. Beatniks out to get rich is about the very common notion at that time regarding "selling out" to commercial interests. The other cat may refer to the notoriety Donovan had at that time from the press and other artists and possibly also refer to the wonderment others were having as they observed the changes. The mid 60's was also a time period when many of the "younger generation" as it was called then were looking to out cool each other in conspicuous ways to an extreme that had not been done in previous generations. We take this practice for granted now, but in the 50's one demonstrated individualism with subtle items as opposed to adopting a purple punk hair style. There was much social revolution awareness going on. That is what this song is about.

The correct lyrics are below...

When I look out my window, Many sights to see. And when I look in my window, So many different people to be That it's strange, so strange. You've got to pick up every stitch, You've got to pick up every stitch, You've got to pick up every stitch, Mm, must be the season of the witch, Must be the season of the witch, yeah, Must be the season of the witch.

When I look over my shoulder, What do you think I see ? Some other cat looking over His shoulder at me And he's strange, sure he's strange. You've got to pick up every stitch, You've got to pick up every stitch, Beatniks are 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.

You've got to pick up every stitch, The rabbits running in the ditch, Beatniks are 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. When I look.

When I look out my window, What do you think I see ? And when I look in my window, So many different people to be It's strange, sure it's strange. You've got to pick up every stitch, You've got to pick up every stitch, The rabbits running in the ditch, Oh no, must be the season of the witch, Must be the season of the witch, yeah, Must be the season of the witch. When I look, when I look

I actually have a greatest hits album where Donovan himself wrote a sentence or two on each song. He writes "Spooky, but true. I was the first pot-bust in London, followed by The Stones and The Beatles. I wrote this song before the bust. Prophecy again. How dare I be so cool? It's a magic track. And the sorceress, she is dancing her kali dance into the numina!" So I imagine it to be about weed.

No one's commented? Why?! This is a very good, haunting song. Gives me the shivers every time. Donovan's voice is love.

I definitely think it has something to do with paranoia, like he can feel something bad is about to happen to him. It keeps him looking over his shoulder. But it may also be an insubstantial fear based on superstition and imagined dangers. And I heartily agree with Karatepop, Donovan's voice is love. Anybody who hasn't, needs to listen to "Universal Soldier."

Very acid-like. I'm sure people have tripped out to it. I hear this song, and it's like I hear this voice that reminds me of early Led Zeppelin. Donovan's vocal are almost like Robert Plant's in a way.

I may be wrong, but this song is beautiful. Love it much.

The last thing I believe about this song is that it's about a schizophrenic. That's absurd to me. This song is letting people know that we inhabit more than the world we see with our eyes, but the world's we can see with our eye.

I think Donovan is looking at himself from the outside and trying to figure out how he and his world are evolving, maybe from something purely idealistic to something else. This could be a realization that the 'peace & love Eden dream' of the late sixties was changing into something else, perhaps more commercial, and possibly bewitched.

When he looks 'in' his window, and when he looks at himself over his shoulder in the mirror, he sees himself from a different perspective, but isn't sure who he sees...and doesn't know where he and humanity are going from there...maybe...

Really all it conveys is a vague impression of disorientation and paranoia. Nothing unusual is actually happening, but it's being observed through the eyes of a schizophrenic or someone on drugs.