About the song
## Green Tambourine: A Psychedelic Masterpiece
**Lemon Pipers**’ “Green Tambourine” is a psychedelic pop classic released in 1967. It’s a song that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of its era, a time of exploration, experimentation, and a search for something new and different.
The song’s distinctive sound begins with a repetitive, hypnotic drumbeat that sets the stage for the psychedelic journey to come. The guitar riff, a simple, yet memorable melody, adds to the hypnotic quality of the song. It’s a riff that is both catchy and strangely unsettling, reflecting the underlying tension and anxiety that characterized the era.
The lyrics of “Green Tambourine” are equally intriguing. They paint a surreal and dreamlike picture of a world where nothing is quite as it seems. The narrator describes a “green tambourine” that plays a mysterious tune, leading him on a journey through a landscape filled with strange and wonderful sights. The imagery is vivid and evocative, transporting the listener to a place where reality and fantasy blur together.
The song’s arrangement is also noteworthy. The layers of sound, including the shimmering organ and the distorted vocals, create a dense and textured soundscape. It’s a sound that is both beautiful and unsettling, reflecting the contradictory emotions that the psychedelic movement often evoked.
“Green Tambourine” is more than just a catchy pop song. It’s a testament to the power of music to transport us to new and unfamiliar places. It’s a reminder of the importance of experimentation and the search for something different. And it’s a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners of all ages.
Video
Lyrics
Drop your silver in my tambourine
Help a poor man fill his pretty dream
Give me pennies, I’ll take anything
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine
Watch the jingle jangle start to chime
Reflections of the music that is mine
When you toss a coin you’ll hear it sing
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine
Drop a dime before I walk away
Any song you want I’ll gladly play
Money feeds my music machine
Now listen while I play
My green tambourine
Listen while I play