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.
Celia Of The Seals
Donovan Lyrics
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And few seldom do,
Should you follow the song of the gull
To enchanted western isles,
Coax a fisherman to take you out
Where the silky seals are seen,
Hear the stories that they tell about
The maiden who is their queen,
Celia of the seals,
She knows just how they feel,
Celia of the seals.
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay"
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay"
Seal hunters are not brave and bold,
They murder her poor wee seals
And cut off their skins to be sold,
Cursed be he who deals.
There's no reason for this slaughtering,
They're left on the rocks to bleed
He's not a man who does this thing,
It's a cruel and a heartless deed,
A cruel and a-heartless deed.
Celia of the seals,
She knows just how they feel,
Celia of the seals.
Celia of the seals,
Celia of the seals,
She knows just how they feel,
Celia of the seals,
Celia of the seals,
Celia of the seals,
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay"
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay
The lyrics of Donovan's song Celia Of The Seals describe a mythical maiden who is the queen of the seals. The song invites the listener to wander to the enchanted Western Isles in the North and coax a fisherman to take them out to where the seals are seen. There, they can hear the stories that the silky seals tell about Celia, the maiden who is their queen. The song highlights the cruelty of seal hunters who murder the seals and cut off their skins to be sold. The song condemns their heartless deed and curses those who deal in the trade.
The song is a powerful statement about the need for kindness and compassion towards animals. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of treating them with respect and empathy. The song invites the listener to join in a celebration of the beauty and magic of the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
Should you wander this land to the North,
If you happen to journey to the northern lands where few people go,
And few seldom do,
And not many people venture there,
Should you follow the song of the gull
If you chase the call of the seagull,
To enchanted western isles,
To find the mystical lands in the west,
Coax a fisherman to take you out
Persuade a fisherman to bring you out,
Where the silky seals are seen,
To a place where you can see the smooth seals,
Hear the stories that they tell about
Listen to the tales they share of,
The maiden who is their queen,
The girl who reigns over them as their queen,
The maiden who is their queen.
The girl who reigns over them as their queen.
Celia of the seals,
The queen of the seals, named Celia,
She knows just how they feel,
Understands the emotions of the seals completely,
Celia of the seals.
The queen of the seals, named Celia.
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay"
Chanting in Gaelic, possibly to summon or protect the seals.
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay"
Chanting in Gaelic, possibly to summon or protect the seals.
Seal hunters are not brave and bold,
Those who hunt and kill seals lack courage and bravery,
They murder her poor wee seals
They cruelly kill the innocent and small seals,
And cut off their skins to be sold,
They skin the seals and sell their fur,
Cursed be he who deals.
May harm befall those who participate in this injustice.
There's no reason for this slaughtering,
There is no justification for killing these animals,
They're left on the rocks to bleed
The hunters leave the seals to die on the rocks,
He's not a man who does this thing,
A person who commits such a cruel act is not a real man,
It's a cruel and a heartless deed,
The act is both cruel and without compassion.
A cruel and a-heartless deed.
An act that is both cruel and without compassion.
Celia of the seals,
The queen of the seals, named Celia,
She knows just how they feel,
Understands the emotions of the seals completely,
Celia of the seals.
The queen of the seals, named Celia.
Celia of the seals,
The queen of the seals, named Celia,
Celia of the seals,
The queen of the seals, named Celia,
She knows just how they feel,
Understands the emotions of the seals completely,
Celia of the seals,
The queen of the seals, named Celia,
Celia of the seals,
The queen of the seals, named Celia,
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay"
Chanting in Gaelic, possibly to summon or protect the seals.
"Voyna, voyna, voyna, voyna voyna vay"
Chanting in Gaelic, possibly to summon or protect the seals.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DONOVAN LEITCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind