Ferris Wheel

Album: Sunshine Superman (1966)
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Songfacts®:

  • Despite its cryptic psychedelic poetry ("Tangerine sky minus one kite," anyone?), this song actually has a straightforward meaning. Donovan explained in an interview with Mojo magazine June 2011: "'Ferris Wheel' was about a girl we met that got her hair caught in a Ferris Wheel and had to cut it off."

    It's far from the best-known song about an amusement park ride: that honor probably goes to The Beatles "Helter Skelter."

Comments: 5

  • Abbella from Apple ValleyYou are wrong the most well known song about amusement rides is Bruce Spreenstein Tunnel of love and
    Don’t fall in love, the TUBES well SORTA WINK WINK INNUENDO
  • Richard from MassachusettsGábor Szabó did an instrumental version of this on his 1968 "Dreams" album.
  • Anonymous from San FranciscoTangerine sky minus one kite:
    Looking at a red sky in the summer, at a kite flying, the kite would appear BLACK, as to be “ cut out” of the sky! A sky “ MINUS” a kite!
    Not THAT CRYPTIC! The
  • Aussiev from Melbourne, Australia"Tangerine sky" ... have you never seen a summer sunset? You'll find the kite in "Summer Day Reflection Song. And there have been many instances of young women/girls getting their hair caught in the machinery of ferris wheels and being scalped by it. A very much more benign song about an amusement park ride than "Helter Skelter" ... and what Manson did with it (from one who is old enough to have followed that story as it happened).
  • Phil from Crickhowell, WalesHmmm! Can't say I know Helter Skelter but then I'm not a Beatles fan. Would rate the Everly Brothers 1964 chart hit "Ferris Wheel" as better known than either of these.
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