"Who is the Doctor?", first released in 1972, was a single performed by Jon Pertwee, arranged and written by Rupert Hine. A spoken-word song, it featured Pertwee reciting lyrics over Hine's upbeat rearrangement of the Doctor Who theme. It was the first time that one of the actors who played the Doctor recorded music having to do with Doctor Who and the first time lyrics had been set to the Doctor Who theme tune.
Its B-side, "Pure Mystery", another spoken-word piece recited by Pertwee, had no connection to Doctor Who.
It was used for the end credits of the Happy Birthday to Who (DVD: Revisitations 3) and More than 30 Years in the TARDIS video documentaries.
John Levene sang this song once as a tribute to Jon Pertwee, but replaced the line "I'm the Doctor", with the words, "I knew the Doctor".
Reissues
In 1983 it was released with a B-side of "The Sea Devils" by Malcolm Clarke and 1985 it was released with a B-side of ""Doctor...?" by Blood Donor.
Lyrics
Verse 1
- I cross the void beyond the mind
- The empty space that circles time.
- I see where others stumble blind
- To seek a truth they never find.
- Eternal wisdom is my guide.
- I am the Doctor.
Verse 2
- Through cosmic waste the TARDIS flies
- To taste the secret source of life.
- A presence science can't deny
- Exists within, outside, behind
- The latitude of the human minds.
- I am the Doctor.
Verse 3
- My voyage dissects the course of time
- "Who knows?" you say
- But are you right?
- Who searches deep to find the light
- That glows so darkly in the night
- Toward that point I guide my flight.
Verse 4
- As fingers move to end mankind
- Metallic teeth begin their grind.
- With sword of truth I turn to fight
- The satanic powers of the night.
- Is your faith before your mind?
- Know me. Am I, the Doctor?