Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST

Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD

Festival Guides-YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL COMPANION

Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST

Mixtape-DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS

Play-DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT

Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD

Playlist Covers

Playlist Directory

Before Doors-LIVE SESSIONS

Music Video Directory

Down With Boring-THE DORK PODCAST

Chart Attack-UK NUMBER ONES, DISSECTED

Dork Radio

Live

Live 24/7

Dork Radio

Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

June 2026

Latest issue variants

Dork, June 2026 (Bleachers cover)

Bleachers

Dork, June 2026 (Myles Smith cover)

Myles Smith

Dork, June 2026 (Towa Bird cover)

Towa Bird

|

Privacy Policy|

Cookie settings

© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advertise on this site.

Donovan – Hurdy Gurdy Man (1968) | Track profile | Dork

Tracks
Donovan
The Hurdy Gurdy Man
Hurdy Gurdy Man

TRACK

Hurdy Gurdy Man

Release date: 24th May 1968

From The Hurdy Gurdy Man

Rock Music Singer/Songwriter

Spotify More on Donovan

About This Track

"Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a track by Donovan, from the album The Hurdy Gurdy Man, released 24th May 1968. Full lyrics are available below.

About the Artist

Donovan

Donovan

Lyrics

Hurdy Gurdy Man

[Verse 1]

Thrown like a star in my vast sleep

I open my eyes to take a peep

To find that I was by the sea

Me gazing with tranquility

[Chorus]

'Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Came singing songs of love

Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Came singing songs of love

[Post-Chorus]

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 2]

Histories of ages past

Unenlightened shadows cast

Down through all eternity

The crying of humanity

[Chorus]

'Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Comes singing songs of love

Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Comes singing songs of love

[Post-Chorus]

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy

Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

[Guitar Solo]

[Outro]

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

Here comes the Roly Poly Man and he's singing songs of love

"Roly poly, roly poly, roly poly, poly", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

[In various live appearances]

When truth gets very deep

Beneath a thousand years of sleep

Time demands a turn around

And once again the truth is found

Yeah, George

Awakening the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Who comes singing the songs of love

Beatles were Hurdy Gurdy Men

They came singing you songs of love

I am the Hurdy Gurdy Man

I come singing the songs of love

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

"Hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, hurdy gurdy, gurdy", he sang

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From The Hurdy Gurdy Man

1968

Listen

Album

The Hurdy Gurdy Man

1st October 1968

Release year

1968

1Hurdy Gurdy Man (2005 Remastered Version)
3:18
2Peregrine (2005 Remastered Version)
3:39
3The Entertaining of a Shy Girl (2005 Remastered Version)
1:43
4As I Recall It (2005 Remastered Version)
2:10
5Get Thy Bearings (2005 Remastered Version)
2:51
6Hi It's Been a Long Time (2005 Remastered Version)
2:39
7West Indian Lady (2005 Remastered Version)
2:19
8Jennifer Juniper (2005 Remastered Version)
2:43
9The River Song (2005 Remastered Version)
2:17
10Tangier (2005 Remastered Version)
4:14
11A Sunny Day (2005 Remastered Version)
1:58
12The Sun Is a Very Magic Fellow (2005 Remastered Version)
2:48
13Teas (2005 Remastered Version)
2:41
14Teen Angel (2005 Remastered Version)
2:18
15Poor Cow (2005 Remastered Version)
2:58
16Lalena (2005 Remastered Version)
2:55
17Aye My Love (2005 Remastered Version) [Mono]
2:08
18What a Beautiful Creature You Are
2:45
19Colours (2005 Remastered Version)
4:19
20Catch the Wind (2005 Remastered Version)
5:05
—Teas
—The River Song
—Hurdy Gurdy Man
3:13
—Get Thy Bearings
2:47
—West Indian Lady
—Tangier
—Get Thy Bearings
—Poor Cow
—A Sunny Day
—What a Beautiful Creature You Are
—As I Recall It
—Teen Angel
—Hurdy Gurdy Man
—Hi It's Been a Long Time
—The Entertaining of a Shy Girl
—The Sun Is a Very Magic Fellow
—Peregrine

More from Donovan

Albums & EPs

Buried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

Buried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

The Essential Donovan

The Essential Donovan

Sixty Four - The Donovan Archive: Volume 1

Sunshine Superman

Sunshine Superman

What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid

What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid

Catch the Wind

Mellow Yellow

Explore

More tracks by Donovan

When people with mess with me

Gimme Some a That

Epistle to Derroll

Starfish-on-the-Toast

The Lullaby of Spring

Widow with Shawl (A Portrait)

The Tinker and the Crab

Lay of the Last Tinker

The Mandolin Man and His Secret

Voyage into the Golden Screen

I Am the Shaman

The Enchanted Gypsy

Mad John's Escape

Wear Your Love Like Heaven

Saccharin SueBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

To Whom It May ConcernBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

The CrunchBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

Two Lovers (Alternative Version)Buried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

The RunawayBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

Train WhistleBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

Don’t Look Now (Alternative Version Of Over Grown Gardens Of Dream)Buried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

CorsicaBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

Epistle To ScouseBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

Trail Of Success (Early Rehearsal)Buried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

IfBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1971)

Over Grown Gardens Of Dreams

Willy 'O Windsboro

The Moon In Capricorn

And Clett Makes Three

Days In Silence

Over Grown Gardens Of DreamBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

John RileyBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

Two LoversBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

Days In SilenceBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

DreamBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

And Clett Makes ThreeBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

The Moon In CapricornBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

Willy ´O WindsboroBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

Lord Of The UniverseBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

Honey MouthBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

Song Of The Wandering AengusBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

Can Ye DanceBuried Treasures (The Morgan Studios Sessions 1970)

View all tracks by Donovan →

Epistle to Derroll
Gimme Some a That
I Am the Shaman
Isle of Islay
Lay of the Last Tinker
Mad John's Escape
Shaman
Starfish-on-the-Toast
The Enchanted Gypsy
The Lullaby of Spring

Showing 10 of 50

If you like Donovan

The Byrds

The Byrds

The Kinks

The Kinks

Strawberry Alarm Clock

Strawberry Alarm Clock

Buffalo Springfield

Buffalo Springfield

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

The Monkees

The Monkees

The Incredible String Band

The Incredible String Band

The Lovin' Spoonful

The Lovin' Spoonful

The Zombies

The Zombies

Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane

READ MORE ABOUT DONOVAN

READ MORE ABOUT DONOVAN

READ MORE ABOUT DONOVAN

READ MORE ABOUT DONOVAN

No coverage available for Donovan yet.

Credits

Production & Engineering

Writer: Donovan
Producer: Mickie Most
Bass: John Paul Jones
Drums: Clem Cattini, John Bonham
Guitar: Allan Holdsworth, Jimmy Page
Acoustic Guitar: Donovan
Tambura: Donovan