Atlantis (song)
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| "Atlantis" | ||
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| Single by Donovan | ||
| Released | 1968 (UK) August 11, 1969 (US) |
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| Format | vinyl record 7" | |
| Recorded | May 1968 | |
| Genre | Folk | |
| Length | 4:58 | |
| Label | Epic Records (UK) Epic Records (US) |
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| Chart positions | ||
| Donovan singles chronology | ||
| "Hurdy Gurdy Man" / "Teen Angel" (1968) |
"Atlantis" / "I Love My Shirt" (1968) |
"Goo Goo Barabajagal (Love Is Hot)" / "Bed with Me" (1969) |
"Atlantis" is a 1968 song written and recorded by Donovan, released as a single in the UK and on an LP and as a single in the US.
Contents |
[edit] Theme
The introduction is a quiet monologue regarding the idea that Atlantis was a highly advanced antediluvian civilization, and that Atlantean colonists were the basis of the mythological gods of ancient times. Aware of their fate, the Atlanteans sent out ships to carry their masters to safety, and these people were responsible for bringing civilization and culture to primitive humans. When the song begins in earnest, it conveys the message that the singer's true love may be in Atlantis. The overall theme is common for the 1960s: fanciful mythology as the symbol of the counterculture movement, with the hope that true love will be found if ever "Atlantis" can be reached. The song shows heavy influences from The Beatles, and, in fact, Paul McCartney is responsible for the tambourine playing and singing backing vocals.
[edit] Releases
Contract disputes at the time caused a complicated series of different releases in the United Kingdom and United States. It was originally released in the UK as a single with "I Love My Shirt" as the B-side. In 1969 it was released in the US on the album Barabajagal. The LP was not released in the UK, however, and "Atlantis" was next released in the US as the B-side to "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting".
[edit] Reception
The song was not deemed likely to be a hit in the US because of its length and the fact that the first third of the song is spoken prose and therefore not "radio-friendly". It was for this reason that, despite its success in Europe, "Atlantis" was demoted to B-side status. However, the producers were proved wrong when the popularity of "Atlantis" far surpassed that of its A-side. Paul McCartney was known to have contributed to the recording, which may have been partially responsible for the song's radio success, and the song itself became an anthem of the hippie movement.
[edit] Literary reference
The song is referenced in Stephen King's novella "Hearts in Atlantis", as an emblem of the "stupidity" and "sweetness" of the sixties. It also stands for the "lost continent" of the narrator's vanished youth. King quotes the lyric "Hail, Atlantis!"
[edit] In Film
The song was played during the famous scene in Goodfellas in which Billy Batts is "whacked". It is also played in The Girl Next Door, when the main characters return to the prom after shooting their movie.
[edit] On Television
The song was featured in the Futurama episode The Deep South, in which the cast discovers the lost city of Atlanta. Donovan (playing himself) tells the story of how Atlanta came to rest at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in a parody of the opening monologue.
The song also appears in the second episode of the British programme Skins (TV Series) after Cassie overcomes her eating disorder.
