"There's a Blind Man Playin' Fiddle in the Street"[nb 1] is a song written by Swedish bass guitarist Göran Lagerberg, initially recorded by his band Tages.

In December 1967, Tages released their fifth album, Studio, which largely was inspired by and saw influences from Swedish folk music; this had a major impact on Lagerberg.

Inspired by the Beatles' single "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane" from a meeting with club owner Styrbjörn Colliander, Lagerberg composed the song in a more commercial tone than Studio, while still retaining the genre's influences.

[5][6] Although the former had been the band's primary creative force since their fourth album Contrast (1967), Henriksson came to play a large part in Tages' career, introducing them to elements of Swedish folk music, owing to his heritage from Dalarna.

[17] The intermezzo which appears in between choruses and verses "notably includes" lead guitarist Anders Töpel's playing, which acts as a counter-melody to "the established sound of the fiddles".

[13][18] Eriksson, who originally came from Kungälv, was allegedly divorced by his wife during the mid-1920s, leading to him "hiking to Gothenburg" and spending "up to sixty years of his life" there, playing the violin "in sorrow over his lost love".

[20][nb 2] Shortly before the release of the single, in January 1968, Tages' long time manager Rolf Hedin quit the role, instead being replaced by Börje Karlsson, who steadily began negotiating with new record label MGM Records for future releases worldwide a few months after Hedin's departure.

[18] Capitalizing on possibly losing the band from its roster, the British sublabel of Parlophone chose to issue "There's a Blind Man" as Tages' fourth single in the UK, on 7 June 1968.

In a review for Göteborgs-Posten, the staff writer describes it as a "wonderful addition to Tages discography", stating that the "beautifully orchestrated sections" would've given the song a spot on "their latest album [Studio]".

[34] They note the "inventive interplay" between major and minor chords to be "slightly genial", while also stating that the single may become a hit on Tio i Topp.

[35] In Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning, both sides of the single receive praise, though the anonymous writer believes "There's a Blind Man" to be the superior song of the two.

[38] Writing for New Musical Express, Derek Johnson believe Tages manage to imitate an English sound flawlessly, "despite an annoying title".

[40] "We though it was pretty cheeky and cool to combine folk tones with rock and pop" Göran Brandels and Lennart Wrigholm consider "There's a Blind Man" to be the second in a row of releases from the band to be met by "disastrous commercial, though superb critical" reception, following Studio, but preceding their 1968 singles "Fantasy Island" and "I Read You Like an Open Book".

[43] In fact, "There's a Blind Man" was Tages final top-10 single on Tio i Topp; only "Fantasy Island" managed to chart after at a low number 14.

[24] Retrospectively, the song has been considered a nod to the Beatles, with Roger Wallis jokingly naming it "There's a Blind Man Playin' Fiddle on Penny Lane" on his radio shows.