"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]

Dave Matthews mentioned this song specifically as part of his speech inducting Traffic into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and this is the song performed by the surviving members of Traffic as part of that same induction. [3]

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). In a review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer 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

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: appearances may not meet WP:SONGTRIVIA. (July 2020)

The song appears in the Marvel Studios logo sequence of Avengers: Endgame, and continues to play over the top of the opening scene.[4]^{[user-generated source?]} Within the context of the film, the lyrics allude to Tony Stark and his arc in the film.^{[further explanation needed]}[5][6]

References