Deep Purple - The Mule

This is the fifth track from Deep Purple's fifth album, Fireball (1971).

Lineup (Mk II) - Ritchie Blackmore: guitar, Ian Gillan: vocals, Roger Glover: bass, Ian Paice: drums/percussion, and John Lord: keyboards and Hammond organ

Lyrics:
No one sees the things you do
Because I stand in front of you
But you drive me all the time
Put the evil in my mind
Used to sing and say my prayers
Live my life without a care
Now I have become a fool
Because I listened to the mule
How can I change when my mind is a friend of a Lucifer hid in the ground
Just another slave for the mule

Lyrics:

[thetruthhurts]

Every song on this album is amazing. Fools is a masterpiece.

[kevinz]

Excellent song from another great Deep purple album. An album you can put on and listen all the way through and enjoy every song

[joelombrdo]

The song has a unique sound-it takes one to another reality without even doing anything illegal. They keyboard playing is mind boggling. The drums powerful. The guitar work unsurpassed.

[roadkingryder]

One night long ago in south FL, either in 71 or 72, some friends and I were riding around in a 64 Chevelle, smoking some primo Columbian weed. We had this song playing in the 8 track at maximum volume and we were beyond skint. We're headed back toward the city from The Everglades on SR84. Everyone was so engrossed in this song when the end came crashing down the driver amazingly pulled off the road and just stopped. No one said a word. We all just sat there stoned out of our gourds. It was one of those WOW MAN moments. Ah the 70's and all the great music that was made in that decade. Far Out!

[TheNikmetallica]

This is one of the best and heaviest Deep Purple songs! Amazing drumming and solos!!

[sergolomadze]

The best group all time, super group!

[Luddite-vdts]

Fireball is an incredibly well produced album, DP at their artistic best. None of the smash -it -all-up hard rock pretence. And I think The Mule is one of the best on the album. The drumming is amazing, keeping that timing pretty well throughout the track. I usually prefer jazz style improvisation in drumming, but this track's playing is metronomic and hypnotic. 10/10 all round. So under-rated.

[poodius]

Paice and Glover= a very, very, very dangerous combo...:)

[starblaster]

Blackmore's solo is a shot of pure adrenaline.

[klt]

"The Mule" is perhaps Purple's finest instrumental. Love the Hendrix overtones and spot on UK majesty. I used to listen to this album daily as a wee child.

[paulgreenway]

Probably my favourite album of all time. So atmospheric. Not over ambitious. 5 fantastic musicians!

[nobodyaskedbut]

Totally unique and again, an example of the genre that Mark 2 created of which only they ever played. They were quite simply the greatest group of pure rock musicians ever and both the greatest and saddest story in rock music.

[rodmcdonough]

What a beautiful melodic guitar solo from Ritchie Blackmore, played to only one chord. I love his use of themes that he comes up with. His entry, the fast staccato muffled picking with his

[stevenjohnston]

There are billions who haven't experienced this. It should be on a world curriculum.

[SuperChoada]

ian gillan is among my favorite singers ever. when he joined black sabbath, i was floored. blackmore may play basic pentatonic, but his style, his look and his stage antics made him one of my favorite guitarists. how can you NOT like a pilgrim hat? and jon lord running his hammond organ through a marshall stack? forget about it!!

[alanturring]

THE MULE: Less is known of "The Mule" than of any character of comparable signifigance to Galactic history. His real name is unknown; his early life mere conjecture. Even the period of his greatest renown is known to us chiefly through the eyes of his antagonists and, principally, through those of a young bride 

- Encyclopedia Galactica

[Demonizer]

Deep Purple was so fucking loud and heavy. Even till this day their massive volume blows me away. They were absolutely a heavy metal band!!

[gregboardman]

The ending of this song is so heavy. Who else would think about ending a song with smashing drumming and wild keyboard playing Crank it up

[mrgaragesome-o]

Love how that solo starts out - very funky with great syncopation while Ian breaks out of a highly structured drum part and goes into pure feel - then it's back again to the musical and rhythmic tone of the song. Fantastic musicianship these guys had.

[paulgardner]

Someone threw me a copy of the album in '71 when I was 16. I had little knowledge of the band then. Once hearing this you were a fan for ever of course. A very creative group who blended technical proficiency with ATMOSPHERE. Blackmore is all over the album, he's up near Jeff Beck and Jan Akkerman.  How blessed we were to have such soundtracks for our adolescence :)