Catch The Wind

Album

Ballad of Geraldine

Label

Hickory Records

Genre

Folk

Composer(s)

Donovan Leitch

Entered Chart

May 15, 1965

Peak Date

Jul 3, 1965

Released

28 February 1965 (UK) April 1965 (US)

Recorded

1965

Catalog #

Hickory 45-1309

B-Side

Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do

This was Donovan's debut single - it was released after his third appearance on British TV. In an interview with Dierdre O'Donoghue on KCRW Radio, Los Angeles, Donovan said: "'Catch The Wind,' I wrote it for Linda (Lawrence, who he married in 1970), although I hadn't really met her yet. It is a song of unrequited love, yet I hadn't really met her, so how could I miss her? And I seem to write prophetic songs in the sense of the Celtic poet and I wrote this song before I met Linda, of a love I would like to have had and lost." Donovan had a fleeting love affair with model Linda Lawrence, who was then the girlfriend of the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones soon after writing this song. He bumped into her four years later and they married in 1970. Donovan said in an interview with the Guardian newspaper May 24, 2005: "Linda's in all the songs. 'Sunshine Superman,' 'Hampstead Incident,' 'Young Girl Blues'... Linda's the muse." Despite having a similar title to Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" and being played on an acoustic guitar with harmonica fills with a similar melody to Dylan's "Chimes Of Freedom," Donovan didn't object and they became friends on his UK tour. Donovan and Dylan also made their UK chart debut in the same week, Donovan with this song and Dylan with "The Times They Are A Changin'." Donovan was often dubbed the British answer to Bob Dylan. The single version featured Donovan's vocals with echo and a string section. The song was recorded again for Donovan's first album What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid without the vocal echo and strings. >> In the US, this was used in a TV commercials for Volvo and General Electric. >>

In the chilly hours and minutes
Of uncertainty
I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind

To feel you all around me
And to take your hand
Along the sand
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When sundown pales the sky
I want to hide a while
Behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look, your eyes I'd find

For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing
T'would make me sing
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Diddy di dee dee diddy diddy
Diddy diddy diddy dee dee dee

When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind

For standin' in your heart
Is where I want to be
And long to be
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind