This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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, sure is 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, yeah
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
You've got to pick up every stitch
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
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 over my shoulder
What do you think I see?
Some other cat lookin' 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)
You've got to pick up every stitch, yeah
(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
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
You've got to pick up every stitch, yeah
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
The rabbits running down 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
Where'd I look?
Many sights to see
And when I look in my window
So many different people to be
That it's strange, sure is 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, yeah
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
You've got to pick up every stitch
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
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 over my shoulder
What do you think I see?
Some other cat lookin' 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)
You've got to pick up every stitch, yeah
(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
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
You've got to pick up every stitch, yeah
(You've got to pick up every stitch)
The rabbits running down 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
Where'd I look?
Lyrics submitted by bruiseviolet, edited by TrueTh, discopete
Season Of The Witch Lyrics as written by Donovan Leitch
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
@akess Donovan himself said it had to do with drugs and him "seeing the hard drugs moving into bohemia", LITERALLY.
@akess -<br /> Dimitry is absolutely correct. Donovan's even stated that it's not just hard drugs, but simple recreational pot use.<br />
"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.
Well, that or he wanted a rhyme for "witch".
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
@SDBlueBear I don't know, that last verse I contend he says "Two rabbits running"
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.
@BlakeF Donovan is a witch hater and hates strong women. He is a male chauvinist pig singing this song. If anyone can prove to me that he is singing about female empowerment in a positive way, then I will change my mind. Otherwise, I will continue to assume that he is like the Taliban.
@BlakeF Donovan is a witch hater and hates strong women. He is a male chauvinist pig singing this song. If anyone can prove to me that he is singing about female empowerment in a positive way, then I will change my mind. Otherwise, I will continue to assume that he is like the Taliban.
No one's commented? Why?! This is a very good, haunting song. Gives me the shivers every time. Donovan's voice is love.
All forms of needlework probably had corresponding spells in witchcraft. So if you were knitting and you dropped a stich, you would have to go back and pick up all your stitches. If you would say a little spell. (If you were a witch, that is.)
My grandmother was a very religious woman. She had a saying for almost every situation. One of the things she used to say was that you would have to "pick up every stitch you dropped", after you died and before you got to go to heaven. I asked her what that actually meant(along with things like "Adam's off Ox" and a host of other odd southern sayings). Basically she said it meant we hat to fix all the wrongs we had committed, including act of omission, before we could get to heaven. I had always thought the song was an admonition. In effect it was saying that in strange times, bad times, evil times, you should never forget that we have a responsibility to fix or errors, make amends to those we offend, find recompense for those we have burdened. I also believe there is a parallel message that we should not worry too much about how others look at us, how they act themselves or what is happening in the common culture. we need to pick up our own stitches. If you look at the era this was written in, Vietnam, Civil rights, Kent State it was an unsettled time. Finally, I do not think this is or represents the ramblings of a psychotic mind. It has a consistent theme and a what I believe is a cogent message.
BillyMark, excellent song interpretation!
@Karatepop -- "donovan's voice is love."?? Words are cheap. Actions speak louder than words...
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.
You know how I can tell you've never dropped acid?
@ Piss Heat - bahahaahahaha. yea. no clue.
@OpinionHead maybe Jimmy Page playing guitar on the recording has something to do with sound Led Zepplinish.<br /> JP Jones was the bassist on Hurdy Gurdy Man.
@OpinionHead Only thing wrong is that Plant sounds like Donovan, not the other way around.
@OpinionHead Only thing wrong is that Plant sounds like Donovan, not the other way around.
@OpinionHead Led Zeppelin (minus Plant) were actually the session musicians on at least one of Donovan's hit singles.
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.