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.
Co'dine
Donovan Lyrics
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An' my belly is craving, I got shakin' in my head
I feel like I'm dyin' an' I wish I were dead
If I lived till tomorrow it's gonna be a long time
For I'll reel and I'll fall and rise on codine
An' it's real, an' it's real, one more time
When I was a young man I learned not to care
My mother and father said whiskey is a curse
But the fate of their baby is many times worse
An' it's real, an' it's real, one more time
You'll forget your woman, you'll forget about man
Try it just once, an' you'll try it again
It's sometimes you wonder and it's sometimes you think
That I'm a-living my life with abandon to drink
An' it's real, an' it's real, one more time
Stay away from the cities, stay away from the towns
Stay away from the men pushin' the codine around
Stay away from the stores where the remedy is found
I will live a few days as a slave to codine
An' it's real, an' it's real, one more time
An' my belly is craving, I've got a shakin' in my head
An' I've started heating whether my body said
Steady yourself with the grains of cocaine
An' you'll end dead or you'll end up insane
An' it's real, an' it's real, one more time
An' my belly is craving, I got shaking in my head
I feel like I'm dyin' an' I wish I were dead
If I lived till tomorrow it's gonna be a long time
For I'll reel and I'll fall and rise on codine
An' it's real, an' it's real, one more time
An' it's real, an' it's real, one more time
Tangerine Eyes
Please darling Tangerine Eyes sing a song for me,
One that I can hear all the day.
Oh and please darling Tangerine Eyes kiss my hand at dawn
By the bright and yellow corn of your hair.
Like a picture of the golden sunset you can make it real,
You know just how I feel all the time.
So please darling Tangerine Eyes whisper to the wind
We'll leave the rain behind and walk away.
We walk along the lonesome shoreline listening to the sea,
Talking to you and me about the sky
And we know even as we walk that way before the dawn
Our footsteps will be gone far away.
The seagulls ride the winds for you, can't you hear them cry,
Can't you hear them sigh out your name?
Oh please darling Tangerine Eyes sing a song for me
One that I can hear
So I feel alright
In the big start studded night of my dreams.
The song "Codine" by Donovan is a cautionary tale about the dangers of addiction to the drug codine. The lyrics describe the physical and psychological toll that the drug takes on the user, including cravings and shaking in the head. The singer wishes for death rather than continue living with the addiction. Donovan sings about how he learned not to care for himself due to his previous addiction to whiskey, but that taking codine is worse for him. He warns others to stay away from the drug and the people or stores that sell it, calling it a curse.
The song's lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness and surrender to addiction, as the singer resignedly acknowledges his dependence on the drug and the negative consequences it has on his life. The repetition of the phrase "and it's real" throughout the song emphasizes the harsh reality of addiction and the singer's inability to escape its grip. The lines "Steady yourself with the grains of cocaine / An' you'll end dead or you'll end up insane" highlight the destructive nature of drug addiction and the tragic consequences it can have for the user.
Line by Line Meaning
An' my belly is craving, I got shakin' in my head
The singer is experiencing severe physical discomfort and withdrawal symptoms.
I feel like I'm dyin' an' I wish I were dead
The singer is struggling with intense physical and emotional pain and longs for an end to it all.
If I lived till tomorrow it's gonna be a long time
For I'll reel and I'll fall and rise on codine
The singer expects to continue experiencing the negative effects of the drug for a long time to come.
When I was a young man I learned not to care
Wild whiskey, confronted I often did swear
My mother and father said whiskey is a curse
But the fate of their baby is many times worse
The artist became reckless with alcohol at a young age, despite warnings from family members, and now regrets doing so.
You'll forget your woman, you'll forget about man
Try it just once, an' you'll try it again
It's sometimes you wonder and it's sometimes you think
That I'm a-living my life with abandon to drink
Using codine will cause the user to lose focus on their relationships and become increasingly dependent on the drug.
Stay away from the cities, stay away from the towns
Stay away from the men pushin' the codine around
Stay away from the stores where the remedy is found
I will live a few days as a slave to codine
The singer warns against the dangers of seeking out codine, recognizing the power it can hold over users.
An' I've started heating whether my body said
Steady yourself with the grains of cocaine
An' you'll end dead or you'll end up insane
The singer is tempted to use cocaine to deal with withdrawal symptoms, but acknowledges that this could lead to serious harm or death.
Tangerine Eyes
Please darling Tangerine Eyes sing a song for me,
The artist shifts focus to a different topic, asking a loved one for comfort and affection.
One that I can hear all the day.
The artist desires something they can hold onto and take comfort in throughout the day.
Oh and please darling Tangerine Eyes kiss my hand at dawn
By the bright and yellow corn of your hair.
The artist craves physical affection and is drawn to the beauty of their partner.
Like a picture of the golden sunset you can make it real,
You know just how I feel all the time.
The singer feels that their partner can take their desires and make them a reality.
So please darling Tangerine Eyes whisper to the wind
We'll leave the rain behind and walk away.
The artist and their partner will leave their troubles behind and move forward together.
We walk along the lonesome shoreline listening to the sea,
Talking to you and me about the sky
And we know even as we walk that way before the dawn
Our footsteps will be gone far away.
The singer and their partner find peace and solace in nature, recognizing that everything is fleeting and temporary.
The seagulls ride the winds for you, can't you hear them cry,
Can't you hear them sigh out your name?
The beauty of nature and the world around them is personified as calling out to the singer and their partner.
Oh please darling Tangerine Eyes sing a song for me
One that I can hear
So I feel alright
In the big start studded night of my dreams.
The singer longs for their partner to provide emotional support and help them find peace in their dreams.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BUFFY SAINTE MARIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind