The amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius mental vigor and moral courage it contained. That so few now dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of the time.
When I wrote the song I had the sea near Bombay in mind. We stayed at a hotel by the sea and the fishermen come up at five in the morning and they were all chanting. And we went on the beach and we got chased by a mad dog - big as a donkey.
