How The Beatles’ ‘I Am the Walrus’ Inspired a Donovan Song
The best classic rock artists influence other classic rock artists. For example, The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” inspired one of Donovan’s songs. Donovan also revealed that a member of Led Zeppelin was a fan of his drumming.
The Beatles’ ‘I Am the Walrus’ inspired Donovan to make up a word for 1 of his songs
If you thought the lyrics of The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus” had odd lyrics, just listen to Donovan’s “Barabajagal.” It’s so nonsensical it uses fake words. The BBC reports the word “barabajagal” was derived from the line “Goo goo g’joob” from “I Am the Walrus.”
During a 2016 interview with Best Classic Bands, Donovan discussed his heavier songs, such as “Barabajagal,” “Atlantis,” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” “I’m not really Buddy Holly or The Everly Brothers and I’m not really Elvis, and I’m not rhythm and blues, like Brian Jones,” the “Sunshine Superman” star said. “In actual fact, I can take my poetic line and kick f*****’ a** with pagan drums.” While Donovan did not explain his comments about “pagan drums,” his music has some references to paganism and spiritual topics, such as Philos the Tibetan’s book A Dweller on Two Planets.
Donovan worked with members of Led Zeppelin
Donovan explained his feelings about drums. “If you want to know the difference between British and American drums, well, American drummers were four to the bar,” he added. “They dare not break the four to the bar. But British drummers, like Keith Moon and John Bonham and Ginger Baker, they did.”
Donovan explained the importance of the guitar in some of his songs. “The power guitar was very important, but what was more important was that I was a drummer,” he said. “I learned that first — the paradiddles, the backbeats, the front beats. I think that’s why the guitar players, except [Eric] Clapton — I played with [Jeff] Beck and [Jimmy] Page — love it when they get to my sessions. Jimmy Page said, ‘You’re one of the greatest rhythm guitar players in the world. We love playing with you.'”
How ‘I Am the Walrus’ and ‘Barabajagal’ performed
“I Am the Walrus” became a modest hit in the United States — if that. It reached No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for four weeks. “I Am the Walrus” appeared in a scene from The Beatles’ television musical film Magical Mystery Tour. The tune appeared on the LP version of the album Magical Mystery Tour. That record topped the Billboard 200 for eight weeks, staying on the chart for 93 weeks.
“Barabajagal” was, surprisingly, a bigger success in the U.S. in the 1960s. It reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for seven weeks. That’s interesting, considering that “I Am the Walrus” is the more famous tune today.
“Barabajagal” appeared on the record of the same name. Barabajagal also includes the classic tune “Atlantis,” which is arguably even weirder against “Barabajagal.” The record reached No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for 24 weeks, marking the end of Donovan’s time as a hitmaker. While “Barabajagal” did alright at the time, it’s been overshadowed by other Donovan tunes such as “Sunshine Superman,” “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” and “Season of the Witch.” The fame of the latter is especially surprising, considering that it was not a hit in the 1960s.
“Barabajagal” is quite the oddball tune and it wouldn’t be the same without the avant-gardism of “I Am the Walrus.”
