> Lal & Mike Waterson > Songs > The Magical Man

The Magical Man

[Lal & Mike Waterson, Chris Collins]

Mike, Lal and Norma Waterson, Tim Hart, Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Gordon Graham, and Bernie Vickers sang The Magical Man in 1972 on Lal & Mike Waterson’s album Bright Phoebus. They were accompanied by Richard Thompson, lead guitar, Martin Carthy, acoustic guitar, Ashley Hutchings, bass guitar, and Dave Mattacks, drums. A 1971 demo sung by Lal and Mike with just guitar accompaniment was included in 2017 on the of the album’s reissue’s bonus CD.

The album track was included in 1975 on the famous 4 LP compilation Electric Muse: The Story of Folk into Rock and in 1996 on the 3 CD set New Electric Muse: The Story of Folk into Rock, whose sleeve notes said:

When Norma Waterson left to work in radio in foreign parts, after travelling for a living had nearly broken them, never mind their folk group, the Watersons took up regular jobs. But both Mike and Lal found themselves writing contemporary songs, which were recorded by Bill Leader for a remarkable album, Bright Phoebus. On this track with them are Norma, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings and Dave Mattacks. Having made their name as an entirely unaccompanied group, the Watersons had then gathered some of the finest musicians around them to produce the definitive contemporary folk rock album.

Lyrics

Mike Waterson et al sing The Magical Man

Chorus:
Come to the show and see the magical man.
Look at him closely catch him out if you can.
Isn’t it amazing all he can do?
Simply devastating—phew!

Come to the show and see the magical man.
And with his magical mind he’ll leave you behind
With a wave of his conjuring stick so many birds’ll fly out of his hat
It’s an original conjuring trick.
So many rabbits and cards and scarves,
You know he doesn’t do things by halves.

Chorus

Come to the show and see the magical man.
What has he got in his big black top hat?
Cards and scarves and it folds away flat.
See the turtle doves flying into the air.
Where do they appear from? - Nowhere.

I’m the original magical man,
The original and the only one.
If you’re in doubt you can come and try out
The original adjical dagical man.

One touch of my hand sends a thrill down your spine.
Two touch of my hand and you’re mine.
I’m the original magical man,
The original and the only one.
If you’re in doubt you can come and try out
The original adjical dagical man.

Chorus