Donovan Philips Leitch (born May 10, 1946 in Maryhill, Glasgow), better kno… Read Full Bio ↴Donovan Philips Leitch (born May 10, 1946 in Maryhill, Glasgow), better known as simply Donovan, is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and musician. Originally a '60s folk singer, as the decade progressed Donovan cultivated his own unique eclectic sound, mixing elements of folk, pop, jazz, world music and more, often with a twinge of psychedelia. His most well-known work was suffused with altruistic political overtones, making him an iconic figure of the "flower power" counter-culture of the '60s.

Donovan came to fame in the United Kingdom in early 1965 with a series of live performances on the television pop series, Ready Steady Go!. He first hit the charts in 1965 with his single "Catch the Wind", continuing on with a string of hits, most of them produced by Mickie Most. Donovan's 1966 Sunshine Superman marked not only a transition to the burgeoning psychedelic scene, but is also viewed as a formative album in its genre, inspiring countless contemporaries. His 1967 double album A Gift from a Flower to a Garden—the first major album released as a boxed set—completed the transition from beat poet folkster to hippie troubadour.

As a close friend of The Beatles, he traveled with them to India during their stay at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and taught them the "clawhammer" finger-picking style, which is featured on several tracks on their seminal 1968 double album The Beatles, better known as "The White Album."

The decline of Donovan's commercial popularity coincides roughly with his split from Most in 1969, as well as gradually lessened interest in psychedelics by artists and the record-buying public alike. With the advent of punk rock during the mid-'70s, Donovan, now viewed as a "nice boy" '60s relic, truly fell from favor. Music critics' tastes too had changed; Donovan's new product, while still quirky and experimental, earned little but scorn and derision. As the decades progressed, Donovan would record and perform only sporadically, often separated by several years.

Donovan's career went through a revival of sorts with the emergence of Britain's rave scene in the '90s. As a result, his most famous works were reissued, and once again viewed favorably by critics. With the release of the back-to-basics Rick Rubin-produced Sutras in 1996, Donovan's career settled into a comparatively steady stream of new releases, coupled with archival material and various reissues. He was inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame in 2012.

Be Mine
Donovan Lyrics

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Stars 'round the fair moon veil their own shining
When She's full on the earth with the light of Her silver
Set you to rest on the softest of cushions
The black trance of night on our eyes like the river
Gentle the steps of the lovely young women
Dancing in tune 'round the intimate shrine
Treading the soft smooth bloom of the grasses
Be mine and I will be thine

Be mine, be mine and I will be thine
Be mine and I will be thine
Be mine, be mine and I will be thine
Be mine and I will be thine
Venus is flashing aqua-marina
Jupiter rising into his sign

Here in the dusky rose of the dawning
Be mine and I will be thine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Donovan's song "Be Mine" are richly infused with imagery that draws upon the beauty of nature and the romance of idyllic moments. The initial verse paints a picture of a full moon shining brightly, and the stars around it "veiling their own shining" in the presence of the moon's radiance. The lyrics suggest that the moon has the power to set the listener at rest, "on the softest of cushions", and that the night around them feels like a black trance. Against this enchanting backdrop, the lovely young women dance around an intimate shrine, their steps gentle as they tread on the smooth grass. The song's refrain is a simple plea, "Be mine and I will be thine".

Interpreting these lyrics, one could see them as an appeal from the singer to someone he loves to stay with him through the night and be his. The moon and stars represent the enchanting atmosphere of the night, while the soft grass and intimate shrine create a sense of intimacy and romance. The idea of being someone's, and reciprocating that feeling, is clearly conveyed in the refrain, which is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the message that the singer desires to be with the addressee.

Line by Line Meaning

Stars 'round the fair moon veil their own shining
Other things may seem to shine when she is near

When She's full on the earth with the light of Her silver
The moon glows with her silver light when she is on earth

Set you to rest on the softest of cushions
Lay down comfortably on the softest surface

The black trance of night on our eyes like the river
The darkness of the night envelops us like a river

Gentle the steps of the lovely young women
The graceful steps of beautiful women

Dancing in tune 'round the intimate shrine
Dancing together in harmony around a private space

Treading the soft smooth bloom of the grasses
Walking on the soft, smooth blades of grass

Be mine and I will be thine
If you choose me, then I will choose you

Be mine, be mine and I will be thine
Choose me, choose me and I will choose you

Be mine and I will be thine
If you choose me, then I will choose you

Be mine, be mine and I will be thine
Choose me, choose me and I will choose you