| "Dear Mr. Fantasy" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Traffic | |
| from the album Mr. Fantasy | |
| Released |
|
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 5:44 |
| Label |
|
| Composer(s) | |
| Lyricist(s) | Jim Capaldi |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Miller |
"Dear Mr. Fantasy" is a rock song by Traffic from their 1967 album, Mr. Fantasy. Jim Capaldi contributed the lyrics, while Steve Winwood and Chris Wood composed the music.[1]
In a song review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer commented:
A slightly trippy dark and foreboding tone permeates both the lyrics and arrangement contrasting the rock-solid pop delivery. Tying it all together are Winwood’s emotive and residually mournful lyrics. With a distinct blue-eyed soul intonation – perfected during a seminal stint in the Spencer Davis Group – he effortlessly increases the drama with a combination of slightly behind the beat timing and empathic vocals.[2]
Renditions
Traffic recorded an extended version (10:57) for their live album Welcome to the Canteen (1971). Winwood played the song at Eric Clapton's 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival and the song appears on the festival DVD. Winwood and Clapton played the song on their joint tour; a live recording appears on the album Live from Madison Square Garden (2009). Lindsay also notes performances by Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper (1969, The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper); the Grateful Dead (1980s–1990s), and Crosby, Stills, & Nash (1991, CSN box set).[2]
In other media
The song appears in the Marvel Studios logo sequence of Marvel Studio's Avengers: Endgame, and continues to play over the top of some of the opening scene.[3] The lyrics of the song are thought to be a reference to Tony Stark and his journey throughout the film.[4][5]
References
- ^ Black, Johnny (May 1997). Feature: Steve Winwood Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, Mojo.
- ^ a b Planer, Lindsay. "Traffic: 'Mr. Fantasy' – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ^ "Why the 'Avengers: Endgame' Opening Song Is Perfect". Movieweb. 2019-04-27. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ Willman, Chris (2019-05-02). "How 'Avengers: Endgame' Used Traffic's 'Mr. Fantasy' to Honor Tony Stark". Variety. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- ^ "The Song at the Beginning of Avengers: Endgame Foreshadows Tony's Journey | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2020-07-28.