A native speaker of Scottish Gaelic, much of his work is in that language.
He attended Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen and did a postgraduate in teaching at Moray House in Edinburgh. He first saw Runrig play in 1973 and was approached one year later to become a member of the band. He later disagreed with his bandmates over several issues, including politics; Pete Wishart later became a Scottish National Party Member of Parliament.
Munro was elected as Rector of the University of Edinburgh in 1991, a position he held until 1994. He contested the Scottish Parliament seat of Ross, Skye and Inverness West at the 1999 election for Labour, but was defeated by Liberal Democrat John Farquhar Munro. This necessitated leaving the band, which he did in 1997, by which time it was well known that he intended to stand for election. In 2001, it was mischievously pointed out in the media that he had lost the race for the title of 'first member of Runrig to be elected to parliament', after Peter Wishart became an SNP MP at Westminster.
In 1996 he gave the prestigious Sabhal Mòr Lecture.
In 1998 Munro was elected as the first rector of the UHI Millennium Institute, a post that lasted 3 years.
Munro now enjoys a successful solo career, as well as working as the director of development at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, a college on Skye. Munro was sacked by the Scottish Football Association from his role of singing the National Anthem following complaints from fans that due to his Unionist political leanings he refused to sing a verse of Flower of Scotland about rising up and being a nation again.
Official website www.donniemunro.co.uk
Garden Boy
Donnie Munro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stranger though you are
Wasted by the times, the brass, the bravery
A long long way from home
For France's broken frame
St. Valery's hollow ground lies near you.
It's only thorugh your letters home
That I so late have come to know you
I feel the pain inside
You took great care to hide
From those who waited long for only sorrow.
And oh the truth
Could make us see
The waste that was to follow
For you are still
The Garden Boy
In St. Valery's broken hollow.
Now still your garden grows
On the home farms' wooded road
Where the heavy horses started out their day
Led by the man once proud
He despairs your distant shroud
Your young heart was the reason for his labours
And oh the truth
Could make us see
The wase that was to follow
For you are still
The Garden Boy
In St. Valery's broken hollow
The lyrics of Donnie Munro's song, "Garden Boy," portray a sense of tragedy and loss. The song is addressed to a person who is described as a stranger and is taken often to these shores. The person is described as wasted, possibly due to the devastating effects of war, and is a long way from home, specifically France, which is suffering from a broken frame. The reference to St. Valery's hollow ground indicates that this person was likely a soldier who lost his life in battle. The persona of the song is only able to learn more about this individual through their faded letters, which reveal the pain that was hidden from those who awaited them back home.
The phrase, "the truth could make us see the waste that was to follow," suggests that this person's death and the tragedy that occurred was avoidable, and highlights the senselessness of war. The phrase, "the garden boy," creates a vivid image of a young person, possibly even still a child, who was tending to flowers or vegetables in a peaceful and serene environment. This image is juxtaposed with the harsh reality of war and serves to emphasize the loss of innocence that occurred.
In the final stanza, the chorus is repeated, emphasizing that even though this person is gone, their garden still grows on the home farms' wooded road. The reference to heavy horses and the man who once led them suggests a return to normalcy, but the sense of loss and despair remains. The persona of the song recognizes that this person's young heart was the reason for the man's labors, and the recognition of this lost potential is a painful reminder of what was taken away.
Line by Line Meaning
You take me often to these shores
You bring me to the beaches frequently
Stranger though you are
Even though we are not close
Wasted by the times, the brass, the bravery
Overcome by the passage of time, war, and courage
A long long way from home
Far away from our origins
For France's broken frame
Due to the destruction of France
St. Valery's hollow ground lies near you.
The battlegrounds of St. Valery are in close proximity to you
It's only thorugh your letters home
I only learned about your situation through your correspondence
Faded now by time
Now blurred or dulled as a consequence of time
That I so late have come to know you
That I have only come to understand you much later on
I feel the pain inside
I am aware of the hurt you experienced
You took great care to hide
You made an effort to conceal it
From those who waited long for only sorrow.
From those who had already anticipated nothing but sorrow
And oh the truth
The truth is
Could make us see
Has the power to make us understand
The waste that was to follow
The resulting destruction that was yet to come
For you are still
Because you remain
The Garden Boy
The young boy who worked in the garden
In St. Valery's broken hollow.
Living in the ruined hollow of St. Valery
Now still your garden grows
The garden you used to tend is still growing
On the home farms' wooded road
On the tree-lined road of the local farms
Where the heavy horses started out their day
Where the strong horses began their workday
Led by the man once proud
Guided by the man who was once very proud
He despairs your distant shroud
He laments the fact that you are far away and can't be seen clearly
Your young heart was the reason for his labours
He worked hard because of his affection for your youthful spirit
Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.