To celebrate the Moody Blues' upcoming induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, we dug up their psychedelic masterpiece, "Legend of a Mind," from the 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord. Also known as "Timothy Leary's Dead," it's about the psychonaut who encouraged the hippie generation to "turn on, tune in and drop out" on LSD.
The song was written by the band's flute player Ray Thomas, who passed away on Jan. 5. He suffered from prostate cancer and was 76. Here are the lyrics:
Timothy Leary's dead
No, no, he's outside looking in
Timothy Leary's dead
No, no, he's outside looking in
He'll fly his astral plane
Takes you trips around the bay
Brings you back the same day
Timothy Leary, Timothy LearyAlong the coast you'll hear them boast
About a light they say that shines so clear
So raise your glass, we'll drink a toast
To the little man who sells you thrills along the pier
He'll take you up, he'll bring you downHe'll plant your feet back firmly on the ground
He flies so high, he swoops so low
He knows exactly which way he's gonna go
Timothy Leary, Timothy LearyHe'll take you up, he'll bring you down
He'll plant your feet back on the ground
He'll fly so high, he'll swoop so low
Timothy LearyHe'll fly his astral plane
He'll take you trips around the bay
He'll bring you back the same day
Timothy Leary, Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary, Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
The above clip was filmed at Groot-Bijgaarden Castle. The Moody Blues stopped performing "Legend of a Mind" after Thomas retired from the band in 2002. Also in the band at the time were lead singer and guitarist Justin Hayward, bassist John Lodge, drummer Graeme Edge and Mike Pinder on mellotron. Leary died in 1996.
Check out the Moody Blues' upcoming tour dates here.
