<p id=”par-1_44″>David Lynch made some interesting contributions to the world of <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/music/”>music</a> — such as when he produced a song for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/paul-mccartney-helped-donovan-record-mellow-yellow.html/”>a major rock star</a>. The tune in question is perfect for fans of classic rock and classic movies. It also has an interesting meaning. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-david-lynch-made-a-song-with-a-british-invasion-star”>David Lynch made a song with a British Invasion star</h2>
<p id=”par-2_48″>Donovan is a rock star who peaked commercially between 1965 and 1969. He’s most known for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/donovan-said-sunshine-superman-inspired-the-beatles.html/”>his hits “Sunshine Superman,”</a> “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” and “Mellow Yellow,” as well as the Halloween favorite “Season of the Witch.” He also wrote tunes for the arthouse movie <em>Brother Sun, Sister Moon</em>.</p>
<p id=”par-3_72″>Lynch and Donovan are two of a kind. Both are known for melding the familiar with the oddball. While Donovan is a musician who has dabbled in filmmaking, Lynch was a filmmaker who dabbled in music, releasing a string of avant-garde records. In addition, Donovan and Lynch spent decades promoting Transcendental Meditation. During a 2021 interview with <a href=”https://www.grammy.com/news/2021-donovan-david-lynch-i-am-the-shaman-tales-of-aluna-interview” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Grammy.com</a>, the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-beatles-hey-jude-inspired-donovans-atlantis.html/”>“Atlants” singer discussed</a> finally getting to meet Lynch in the film director’s studio.</p>
<p id=”par-4_47″>“I sat, and he’d already said, ‘Bring a song in that is just emerging. Absolutely not even begun to be a song,’” Donovan recalled. “I did, and he said, ‘OK, can you just play and write a song, sitting there? Just there?’ I said, ‘Sure I can.’”</p>
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<iframe title=”Donovan – I Am The Shaman (Official Video)” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/-8QFp_wiAmA?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-donovan-said-he-made-up-the-song-on-the-spot”>Donovan said he made up the song on the spot</h2>
<p id=”par-5_60″>Donovan started playing “I Am the Shaman.” “I started ‘The Shaman,’ and he said, ‘That’s great. OK, let’s roll tape,’” Donovan recalled. “I started doing the song in a very special way that I do sometimes. Extempo. I was making it up as I went along. I only had a couple of structures, and the structures came out just right. </p>
<p id=”par-6_67″>“This is a way that a skilled songwriter like I can just be open to the possibility,” he said. “Maybe like a skilled artist who lets the pen play on the paper and sees the images come forth. Then, in the next few days, David put on his magic — I didn’t know he was a record producer, really — and we created ‘I Am the Shaman.’”</p>
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<iframe title=”From the archives: David Lynch on Transcendental Meditation” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/TUTa2EuZnXI?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/david-lynch-named-2-classic-movies-stuck-kid.html/”>
David Lynch Named 2 Classic Movies That Stuck With Him as a Kid </a>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-david-lynch-made-i-am-the-shaman-so-awesome”>How David Lynch made ‘I Am the Shaman’ so awesome</h2>
<p id=”par-7_70″>With “I Am the Shaman,” Lynch and Donovan proved they were an artistic match made in nirvana. It turned out that Lynch’s eerie, surrealist aesthetic was a perfect complement to Donovan’s mystic musings. Both do a great job of making you feel like you are entering a different dimension. Lynch directed a darkly simple music video for “I Am the Shaman” that’ll give you chills in the best way possible.</p>
<p id=”par-8_75″>However, the real star is the song itself. At first, the “I Am the Shaman” might seem a little disjointed. The rustic verses are about loving Lorelei, a siren from German folklore. The chorus features distorted vocals and revolves around Donovan portraying himself as a shaman. While those parts of the song might feel unrelated, they aren’t. Donovan, a shaman, is able to safely hear the music of a siren because of his spiritual power.</p>
<p id=”par-9_30″>“I Am the Shaman” did not get a tremendous amount of attention. However, if you are a fan of Lynch, Donovan, folk music, or the avant-garde, it’s a worthy listen.</p>