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.
Isle of Islay
Donovan Lyrics
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O'er Ilay
How sad the farm lad
Deep in play
Felt like a grain on your sand
How well the sheep's bell
Music makes
When fancy takes
Felt like a tide left me here
How blessed the forest
With birdsong
How neat the cut peat
Laid so long
Felt like a seed on your land
The lyrics to Donovan's song "Isle of Islay" describe the natural surroundings and simple way of life on the small Scottish island of Islay. The first verse talks about the gulls flying overhead while a farm boy is playing, creating a bittersweet contrast between the freedom of the birds and the responsibilities of the boy. The imagery of feeling like a grain on the island's sand suggests a sense of smallness and insignificance in the grand natural world.
The second verse describes the musical beauty of a sheep's bell ringing out while roaming the cliffside. The idea of following one's fancy or impulse is also highlighted, further emphasizing the freedom and simplicity of life on the island. The line "felt like a tide left me here" suggests a sense of being at the mercy of nature, and possibly not having control over one's own destiny.
The final verse talks about the blessings of the forest filled with bird songs, as well as the neatly stacked peat that has been collected for fuel. The final line "felt like a seed on your land" again suggests a feeling of smallness and vulnerability, but also the potential for growth and new beginnings. Overall, the song captures the beauty and simplicity of life on Islay, while also hinting at the struggles and limitations that come with living in such a remote and rugged place.
Line by Line Meaning
How high the gulls fly
O'er Ilay
The singer observes the seagulls soaring high over the Isle of Islay.
How sad the farm lad
Deep in play
The farm boy, although playing, appears to be overcome with sadness.
Felt like a grain on your sand
The singer feels small and insignificant in comparison to the vastness of the landscape.
How well the sheep's bell
Music makes
The sound of the sheep bells ringing is pleasing to the ear.
Roving the cliff
When fancy takes
The sheep wander wherever they please along the cliff.
Felt like a tide left me here
The singer feels as though they were left behind by a retreating tide, stuck in one place.
How blessed the forest
With birdsong
The forest is filled with the sweet melodies of birds singing.
How neat the cut peat
Laid so long
The peat that has been cut and stacked is orderly and tidy.
Felt like a seed on your land
The artist feels like a small seed planted in the vastness of the land.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DONOVAN LEITCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheDivayenta
So blessed to have seen him in ‘68 and again in 2008. ❤
@suzannezoubeck5216
Thanks for posting! He's lipsyncing, but still so adorable and angelic to see performing this loverly tune. This is the second video I've seen where he's got these dangling guitar strings. Wonder why they're not cut down? I'd carry a pair of metal nippers in my guitar case...but that's me. ❤☮🌎
@groovyguru5314
One of Donovan's most beautiful songs one of so many my hero for so many years
@AJR250
lovely song ..a friend at University taught me this and it has stayed with me for 60 years!
@holyspacemonkey
Donovan brings me so much peace. ❤️
@lindachapman9754
OMG just the best...SOOO Love this song.....gosh....just the best....
@Tristan-so2eb
Wonderful...
@annalisa14
This song haunts me.... since 1967.... till 2021...Donovan, on the island.
@ellytree7683
The album this comes from, Gift from a Flower to a Garden, has stayed with me ever since hearing it so many decades ago. This is just one of a string of beautiful songs.
@francisweir412
Absolutely me too...I was at the beach only yesterday looking at sunlight in the waves...I looked up into a deep blue sky and there were gulls high up gliding on the warm air currents...and this song started to paly in my imagination....I have loved it for decades ..