# Windmills of Your Mind **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954 "2016-10-28T18:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/1 "2016-10-28T18:33:49Z")
I always thought this song, “Windmills of Your Mind”, had ties to Don Quiote or “Man of La Mancha”. Reading the Wikipedia history of this song, it does not mention such. Have I been mistaken all these years? (These lyrics take the cake for the weirdest lyrics!) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/2 "2016-10-28T19:25:30Z")
Well, as the Wikipedia article makes pretty clear, yes, you’ve been wrong all these years. Man of La Mancha came out as a play four years earlier than the song, and as a movie four years after the song. The lyrics are a bit trippy, but one can argue that’s what gives the song its staying power. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/3 "2016-10-28T20:04:37Z")
My favorite [rendition.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpI) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/4 "2016-10-28T20:13:11Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > My favorite [rendition.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G2IpbrzWpI) [My favorite.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MnX1wT7BRU) ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/5 "2016-10-28T20:31:41Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I always thought this song, “Windmills of Your Mind”, had ties to Don Quiote or “Man of La Mancha”. Reading the Wikipedia history of this song, it does not mention such. Have I been mistaken all these years? (These lyrics take the cake for the weirdest lyrics!) If I remember correctly, the song was from the soundtrack of the movie, _The Thomas Crown Affair_. Not the remake, but the 1960s version with Steve McQueen. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/6 "2016-10-28T21:10:50Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [My favorite.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MnX1wT7BRU) That’s my new favorite version. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/7 "2016-10-28T23:55:47Z")
> [@NeonMadman](#): > > If I remember correctly, the song was from the soundtrack of the movie, _The Thomas Crown Affair_. Not the remake, but the 1960s version with Steve McQueen. That was the first time I heard it. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/8 "2016-10-29T00:01:53Z")
I’ve always like this one. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/b8S_BPVO53M/maxresdefault.jpg "Windmills of Your Mind - Jose Feliciano (HD 720p)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8S_BPVO53M) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/9 "2016-10-29T00:28:33Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > (These lyrics take the cake for the weirdest lyrics!) Is that the cake that was left out in the rain? ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/10 "2016-10-29T01:25:08Z")
MY favorite rendition. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFb9h0BL2U0) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/11 "2016-10-29T01:26:58Z")
Oooops. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/12 "2016-10-29T02:09:03Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > MY favorite rendition. > > [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFb9h0BL2U0](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFb9h0BL2U0) Peroxide. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windmills-of-your-mind/769954/13 "2016-10-29T13:01:48Z")
I say wigs.