As I've noted over here, I've just uploaded my version of the Scarecrow to my MySpace page. And it's got me thinking about this very strange but very powerful song.

The first thing that strikes me as odd is that while it's very clearly written from a woman's point of view, almost all the versions I know (including mine!) are sung by men; it was Mike and not Lal who sang it on Bright Phoebus, for starters. Did Lal herself ever sing it?

As for the dreadful Wicker Man-ish imagery of the song, and the strange vision of pent-up yet threatened sexuality that seems to run through it... what is going on there? Did Lal ever talk about it?