You may have seen that odd-looking musical instrument that Sting played (well, held) at the Academy Awards. If you're like me, you wondered what the heck it was. Turns out it was a hurdy gurdy.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the instrument. If you want to see what they look like more closely, go here and poke around.
HURDY GURDY MAN (Donovan) Thrown like a star in my vast sleep
I open my eyes to take a peep
To find that I was by the sea
Gazing with tranquillity.
'Twas then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Came singing songs of love,
Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Came singing 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.
Histories of ages past
Unenlightened shadows cast
Down through all eternity
The crying of humanity.
'Tis then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Comes singing songs of love,
Then when the Hurdy Gurdy Man
Comes singing songs of love.
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.
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?
From the website, here's a fun story about the song and its author; if the site is to be believed, Donovan collaborated with George Harrison on the lyrics. Jimmy Page of Led Zep has played a hurdy gurdy too.
Posted by Linkmeister at March 12, 2004 02:26 PMYa know, I didn't even know what a hurdy gurdy was when this song originally came out..
I thought it was a song about some stoned guy singin' songs of love...
IMHO, it wasn't Donovan's fave songs!!!
Now, I have to go to the oven and see if my banana is cooked.. (wink...do you remember that?)
Read somewhere that the Hurdy Gurdy wasn't being played correctly by Sting..that song was soooo bad..he should have just sang "Fields of Gold"..
Posted by: toxiclabrat at March 12, 2004 04:27 PMIf you read the first link it tells you how much Sting knew about the instrument. ;)
Posted by: Linkmeister at March 12, 2004 04:31 PMYou know, I don't remember what I thought of the song. I just remember trying to figure out if Sting was trying to get himself censored off the TV, like Janet Jackson.
I guess not, it looked pretty close.
Posted by: ladygoat at March 13, 2004 12:38 PMHurdy gurdies are very cool; I was surprised to see one in Sting's hands, and it definitely didn't look like he was playing it.
Loreena McKennitt had a hurdy gurdy player on her last tour, back in '97. Great sounds.
Posted by: Scott at March 16, 2004 03:05 AMTrue, a nice gurdy begins at $3000. Shouldn't be thought of as merely a boutique instrument; I don't think. Someone had coined that phrase. True, this link: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4467512/
has the story of Sting with his. No one has a photo of him with it? I wonder why merely turning the crank for only drone recieves a negative comment. What is better than drone sound? It is a terrific musical tool. It is so hard to play. I have two. Some terrific recordings include Nigel Eaton's. But, to really play this is as hard as learning something like the obeo. As for its look. in a word: astonishing. My cell is 207-659-7788 if someone wishes for anyone to chat with on this musical topic. The central gurdy site is from Seattle and is just great. ~ over & out :)