A-side For Your Love Length 4:48 | Genre Soft rock Label Reprise | |
Released 15 October 1973 (1973-10-15) Recorded Mid-1973
Rolling Stones Mobile Studio | ||
"Hypnotized" is a song written by Bob Welch. The song originally featured on Fleetwood Mac's 1973 album Mystery To Me. The track was released on a single as the B-side of "For Your Love", and has been described as "gorgeous and lyrically strong", and referred to as the album's best track.
Contents
Background and style
The song, as indicated by the title takes the form of a mystical, dreamy reverie. It features triple time rhythm on the drums by Mick Fleetwood and combines with acoustic guitar and electric keyboards to give a jazzier essence to the song. Welch draws upon the use of jazz fourth chords in the song playing in a minor key and also features a guitar solo by guitarist Bob Weston covering many octaves.
Hypnosis and dreaming are specifically referred to in the lyrics, "'Cause what matters most is the feeling you get when you're hypnotized... and it seems like a dream, they got you hypnotized." Welch draws upon references to places such as Mexico and North Carolina. According to Welch, the mystical atmosphere of the song was heavily influenced by his residence at the Benifold Mansion in Hampshire, England, a place he described as "rather spooky and strange even in summertime".
The song has been cited as an example of a tune that establishes a meter that is changed when more instruments are introduced.
In 1978 the song was covered by the Pointer Sisters on their album Energy.
Reception
Donald Brackett, in his 2007 book Fleetwood Mac, 40 Years of Creative Chaos , discussed the album Mystery To Me and the song "Hypnotized" which he described as "a gentle yet compelling hit for Welch on this record". In discussing Fleetwood Mac's change in direction in 1972 and 1973, he describes their stylistic changes as being better received at concerts in the United States, as at the time Americans were more open to them than the British who were still in heavy demand for blues-oriented rock. Hal Horowitz describes the song as "the highlight of the Mystery to Me album, and undoubtedly one of Bob Welch's most fully realized songs for the band".
In 1999 Bob Welch received an award from ASCAP recognizing 25 consecutive years of airplay for his compositions "Hypnotized" and "Sentimental Lady".