This song like any other entered my prepubescent teenhood as they all do, but none other besides ‘Catch the Wind‘ was as powerful on my psyche or upon how I should orientate myself like ‘Catch The Wind‘. I wrote in my article ‘The Wonder Years and ‘Catch The Wind’’ how this song led me to getting into Dylan by accident and more explicatively why I consider this song so marvellous.
I just want to declare outright that I think this is one of the greatest songs every written. But, it is hardly heard commercially or in any place for that matter. It seems almost sacrilegious how this song isn’t mainstream. I will never understand that. There is also scant written about it in wikipedia.
Donovan, I suppose is the only person who can write about how he did it. And if anyone can contribute about how Donovan did it; I am all ears.
If I had to pick out of all songs on earth to show an extraterrestrial being, what ‘song’ means to us homo-sapiens ‘Catch The Wind’ is what I would probably go with.
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
The most Donovan of Donovan. Back then I preferred him to Bob Dylan (possibly still do!)
Hey Bruce. I hope you are well.
I don’t blame you.
Bruce, do yourself a favour and see this video by Bob Dylan and let me know after who who you prefer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fGYWAVw2zg
I hate to be a party pooper Mathew but 6’26” with one repeated melodic phrase without changing key I thought was pathetic. I disliked it immensely and was tempted to turn it off early. Such a horrible voice (and at times out of tune). Donovan any day. Sorry.
No, that’s fine Bruce. We’ll have to beg to differ on this one. I remember the first time I heard ‘Not Dark Yet’ and I was entranced by it, and have been ever since. It seems Dylan either enthralls some listeners and penetrates way deep or his music is rejected almost outright based mainly on his voice. I understand how people could be repulsed by it. Cheers Bruce.
I didn’t know about this song until I saw the film “Don’t Look Back” by Dylan. I had no clue he was a folk singer before that. I only knew him by his psychedelic hits. How are you doing Matt? I hope you are doing ok.
Hey Max! Thanks for commenting. I first came across this song from the TV show ‘Wonder Years’. I even taped the part of the end of the episode in which the song appeared on my beloved little cassette tape recorder. Haha
Donovan’s appearance on ‘Don’t Look Back’ blew me away and the song he sang on it, is a beauty as well – ‘To sing For You’. I must admit I wasn’t as big of fan of his Pschedelic hits as his folk tunes.
I am well Max. We celebrated my son’s 11th birthday 2 days ago. We had a marvellous time. How about you Max? I hope you and your family are all well.
We are doing well Matt. We are currently snowed in at the moment. We don’t normally get a lot of snow. We just got around 4-5 inches plus ice…the city is shut down.
Yeh, I read you guys were snowed under. I hope you are able to cope despite the inundation of snow! My thoughts are with you
Donovan is one of my favourites. Just like you. 👍
That’s very kind of you. Thank you.
I always like peoples personal connection to music. Why I dont bash the music that doesnt catch my ear. Not that my ear doesnt like this.
Revisiting this post I think I may have overstated my obsession and sentimentality to it. But I can’t deny how it was a major influence on my teen years and impacted my appreciation of music. .
Check this out Matt. Just stumbled on it a while ago. Very cool.
Check what out?
I attached a Donavon song by Lonnie Smith and Iggy Pop.
The link didn’t appear here.
‘Yu might be able to find it on the net. ‘Sunshine Superman’ I love cool covers.
I just found it on my original post. I don’t know it doesn’t on the WordPress app. Thanks. Listening to it now. Groovy. Hehe.
Same thing happens to me on my site.
I see. I got the greatest hits cassette of Donovan when I was a kid. It had both Sunshine Superman and Catch the Wind. I was really disappointed to find the version of Catch the Wind wasn’t the same one as on the Wonder Years episode.