Ms. Joyce Tarot

I am taking on a music challenge where I find songs that match the spirit of each of the 78 cards in the Tarot. For the Magician, I chose “Classical Gas” performed by Tommy Emmanuel.

“Classical Gas” is an instrumental piece composed by guitarist Mason Williams. His original recording of this song was released in 1968 and eventually topped the U.S. charts. It is a complex composition that fuses classical and pop music sensibilities.

Tommy Emmanuel is a world-renowned Australian guitarist. He began playing the guitar when he was four years old and has had a long, illustrious career since.

In large part, the Magician card in Tarot represents experimenting with various elements, techniques, and skills to create the situation you desire. In the YouTube video featured here, Tommy Emmanuel displays his considerable skill and innovation, creating sounds and rhythms that can only be described as magical.

(Easter eggs: In this rendition of “Classical Gas,” Emmanuel includes snippets of two other songs—“Walk Don’t Run” by Johnny Smith (made famous by The Ventures) and “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.)

Which songs remind you of the Magician?