There've been a couple of mentions here of Little Tin Soldier, with Helen inquiring about its authorship, and a guest asking about a lyric. This brings back many different aromas for me, most of them more effective then burning banana peels. The tune was written by Shawn Phillips, a Donovan sideman/collaborator in the 60's. Phillips was my favorite psychedelic folkie rocker during my college years in the early 70's. His lyrics were the perfect accompaniment to a 20-year old's latest Herman Hesse paperback. He had his own mid-level commercial success, releasing a string of major label albums through the 70's, and a few indie releases thereafter. His own version of Tin Soldier appeared on the 1964 album I'm A Loner, re-released a few years ago on CD. He now lives near Austin TX and still tours.
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