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The Penguin Discography: Hypnotized




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    Song Title »
Hypnotized
    Authors »
Bob Welch

    Year Written »
1973

    This Performance »
Date Performance 1994-00-00
Running Time 4:19
Performers Gerry Conway (Drums), Gerry Conway (Percussion), Brian Hodgson (Bass Guitar), Rupert Parker (Harp), Nicky Payne (Flute), Mel Simpson (Keyboards)
Appears On
The London Rock Orchestra & Guests Plays Fleetwood Mac Classic (0000)
The London Rock Orchestra

    Lyrics »

It's the same kind of story
That seems to come down from long ago
Two friends having coffee together
When something flies by their window
It might be out on that lawn
Which is wide, at least half of a playing field
Because there's no explaining what your imagination
Can make you see and feel

Seems like a dream
(They) got me hypnotized

Now it's not a meaningless question
To ask if they've been and gone
I remember a talk about North
Carolina and a strange, strange pond
You see the sides were like glass
In the thick of a forest without a road
And if any man's ever made that land
Then I think it would've showed

Seems like a dream
(They) got me hypnotized

They say there's a place down in Mexico
Where a man can fly over mountains and hills
And he don't need an airplane or some kind of engine
And he never will
Now you know it's a meaningless question
To ask if those stories are right
'Cause what matters most if the feeling
You get when you're hypnotized

Seems like a dream
(They) got me hypnotized

    Fan Interpretation »

Hypnotized was written by Robert Welsh in the early 1970’s, reportedly after having a very intense dream while living in a house by the name of Benifold where he resided with rest of the then members of Fleetwood Mac. The song was originally intended for the then front man Dave Walker , upon his leaving Welch rewrote the song for himself with some help from Christine McVie. Other influences for this song were Welch’s extreme interest in the writings of Carlos Castaneda, paranormal experiences, and possibly the use of medicinal plants such as Peyote, which is used in the religious ceremonies of the Navajo Indians of the southwest U.S.

The First verse of the song has to do directly with the dream. The dream it appears was about the landing of a UFO in the large field behind the Benifold house. Dreams are a wonderful and mysterious part of the psyche, "Because there’s no explaining what your imagination can make you see and feel".

The second verse is very mysterious, and seems to deal with another landing of a UFO or possibly an abduction. "Now it’s not a meaningless question to ask if they’ve been and gone." There is a story of three men out fishing in a pond when they were supposedly abducted. This may be the "strange, strange pond" he refers to.

The third and final verse was influenced by the writings of Carlos Castaneda and deals with "Astral Projection" which can theoretically be achieved either through hypnosis or the use of Peyote. "Where a man can fly over mountains and hills/And he don’t need an airplane or some kind of engine/And he never will."

The chorus line ties the whole song together "Seems like a dream/(They) got me hypnotized." This can mean anything anyone wants it to mean, of course the literal interpretation, he is talking about dreaming and how it feels like being hypnotized.

(The interpretations to these lyrics were compiled through discussions on the message boards of the Penguin, The Ledge. It is entirely possible that the artists had something completely different in mind.)

    Tabs »
If you would like to submit tabs for this song, click here.

    Other Performances »
Performance #1:
Running Time 4:48
Sound Clip Listen.
Performers Mick Fleetwood (Percussion), John McVie (Bass), Bob Welch (Guitars), Bob Welch (Vocals), Bob Weston (Lead Guitar), Bob Weston (Slide), Christine McVie (Keyboards), Christine McVie (Vocals), Martin Birch (Produced By), Fleetwood Mac (Produced By), Mick Fleetwood (Produced By), John McVie (Produced By), Christine McVie (Produced By), Bob Welch (Produced By), Bob Weston (Produced By)
Appears On
25 Years: The Chain (1992)
Fleetwood Mac
Mystery To Me (1973)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #2:
Performers Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), John McVie (Bass), Christine McVie (Keyboards), Stevie Nicks (Background Vocals)
Appears On
The Rockhoppers Live '76 (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #3:
Running Time 4:22
Performers Bob Welch (Vocals)
Appears On
Bob Welch: His Fleetwood Mac Years & Beyond (2003)
Bob Welch
Performance #4:
Date Performance 1981-11-19
Running Time 6:55
Performers Christine McVie (Tambourine), John McVie (Bass), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), Christine McVie (Background Vocals), Bob Welch (Vocals), Bob Welch (Guitar), David Adelstein (Keyboards), Joey Brasler (Guitar), Robin Sylvester (Background Vocals), Robbie Patton (Percussion), Robbie Patton (Background Vocals)
CommentsRecorded at the Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, second show
Appears On
Bob Welch And Friends Live From The Roxy (2004)
Bob Welch
Bob Welch And Friends Live From The Roxy (0000)
Bob Welch
Performance #5:
Running Time 4:32
Performers Chris Daltry (Guitar)
Commentsby Purple Ivy Shadows
Appears On
Fleetwood Mac: Patron Saints Of Pop - An Apostilary Homage (1997)
Various Artists
Performance #6:
Performers Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), John McVie (Bass), Christine McVie (Keyboards), Stevie Nicks (Background Vocals)
Appears On
King Biscuit Flower Hour (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #7:
Performers Mick Fleetwood (Drums), Christine McVie (Keyboards), John McVie (Bass), Bob Welch (Guitar), Robert (Bobby) Hunt (Keyboards)
Appears On
Please, Stand Up? (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #8:
Performers Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), John McVie (Bass), Christine McVie (Keyboards), Stevie Nicks (Background Vocals)
Appears On
New Jersey 1975 (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Live In Passaic 1975 (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #9:
Performers Mick Fleetwood (Drums), Christine McVie (Keyboards), John McVie (Bass), Bob Welch (Guitar), Robert (Bobby) Hunt (Keyboards)
Appears On
Bermuda Triangle (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #10:
Date Performance 1981-11-19
Running Time 6:55
Performers Christine McVie (Tambourine), John McVie (Bass), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), Christine McVie (Background Vocals), Bob Welch (Vocals), Bob Welch (Guitar), David Adelstein (Keyboards), Joey Brasler (Guitar), Robin Sylvester (Background Vocals), Robbie Patton (Percussion), Robbie Patton (Background Vocals)
CommentsRecorded at the Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, second show
Appears On
The Source: NBC Radio Show (1982)
Bob Welch
Performance #11:
Performers Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), John McVie (Bass), Christine McVie (Keyboards), Stevie Nicks (Background Vocals)
Appears On
Albatross - But Not Around My Neck Please (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Don't You Let Me Down Again (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #12:
Performers Mick Fleetwood (Drums), Christine McVie (Keyboards), John McVie (Bass), Bob Welch (Guitar), Robert (Bobby) Hunt (Keyboards)
Appears On
Will The Real Fleetwood Mac Please Stand Up? (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Offhand (AKA: The Return Of Another Roadside Attraction & Live In The City By The Bay) (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #13:
Performers Lindsey Buckingham (Guitar), Mick Fleetwood (Drums), John McVie (Bass), Christine McVie (Keyboards), Stevie Nicks (Background Vocals)
Appears On
Hollywood (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #14:
Running Time 4:48
Sound Clip Listen.
Performers Mick Fleetwood (Percussion), John McVie (Bass), Bob Welch (Guitars), Bob Welch (Vocals), Bob Weston (Lead Guitar), Bob Weston (Slide), Christine McVie (Keyboards), Christine McVie (Vocals), Martin Birch (Produced By), Fleetwood Mac (Produced By), Mick Fleetwood (Produced By), John McVie (Produced By), Christine McVie (Produced By), Bob Welch (Produced By), Bob Weston (Produced By)
Appears On
Fleetwood Mac: Mystery To Me (0000)
Fleetwood Music Limited
Fleetwood Mac: Guitar Anthology Series (1998)
Warner Brothers Publications Inc.
For Your Love/Hypnotized (0000)
Fleetwood Mac
Performance #15:
Running Time 4:09
Performers Bil Ringgenberg (Keyboards), Bil Ringgenberg (Vocals), Bil Ringgenberg (Background Vocals), Andrew Frank (Bass), Andrew Frank (Guitar)
Appears On
Driving Blind (1996)
Driving Blind
Performance #16:
Running Time 5:02
Performers Anita Pointer (Vocals), June Pointer-Whitmore (Vocals), Ruth Pointer (Vocals)
Appears On
Energy (0000)
The Pointer Sisters

    Comments »

(C) 1973 WB Music Corp. ASCAP/Rachel Music Ltd. PRS Lyrics reprinted by permission.

    Reviews »
Add your review of Hypnotized here.

5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0
great song
Review written by Anonymous, August 16th, 2009

Both Fleetwood Mac and Pointer Sisters do a great job. Very interesting lyrics... makes you stop and think about a lot of happenings. Great for your head shop days.

4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0
The strange strange pond
Review written by (madbadrabbit@yahoo.com), May 18th, 2008

might be Lake Drummond, located in the thick of the roadless Great Dismal Swamp on the N. Carolina border. There are numerous reports going back to colonial times of strange beams of light, ghosts, and other paranormal activity.

5/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.05/5.0
Been searching for it a long time.
Review written by Anonymous, March 24th, 2006

I played this song on my headphones over and over crossing the ocean from New York to Barcelona in the early '80s. I had just discovered it and it was like walking into another world. Then I forgot about it and then I couldn't remember what it was called or who did it. I was pretty sure it was the Pointer sisters but I couldn't find the song on any of the records or cds that were available anywhere. Then I found it on this site. As the Pointer Sisters would say "I'm So Excited!". Can't wait to hear it again. Did not know it was infuenced by Casteneda who I had done a lot of reading of at that time. This is an under recognized masterpiece.

    Last Modified »
2011-01-21

    Discography Credits »
Lyrics contributed by Jeff Kenney and Marty Adelson. Interpretation prepared by Thom Abeles, Lisa Wellman, Gretchen, K. E. Gil, Derik, chili D, and Fox Mulder.