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.
Life Goes On
Donovan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
It's not easy when your life has broken down
To find solace in a world of pain.
It's not easy to pick up your broken heart
It's not easy to be strong and carry on
When the light in your life has died.
It's not easy when the one and only one
Has left you in the dark to cry.
But life goes on and on, you know,
Just like a river flow.
If love may come and go, you know,
Your love may one day show.
It's not easy for to sleep alone at night,
You keep searching for the shape you knew.
It's not easy to wake up and realise
The big bad dream is true.
It's not easy to believe a day will come
When another one will cherish you.
It's not easy to be a cool and act unhurt
When the pain hits you through and through.
But life goes on and on, you know,
Just like a river flow.
If love may come and go, you know,
Your love may one day show.
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
But life goes on and on, you know,
Just like a river flow.
If love may come and go, you know,
Your love may one day show.
Your love may one day show, oh, oh,
Your love may one day show.
Your love may one day show.
The lyrics to Donovan's "Life Goes On" express the pain and difficulty of moving on from a broken heart. The song acknowledges that it is not easy to find comfort when your life has fallen apart, but it also emphasizes that life continues to move forward, much like a river that flows. The singer recognizes that it can be difficult to remain strong and carry on when you have lost the light in your life, but the chorus emphasizes the idea that love can come and go, and perhaps one day, the person who left you will return.
Throughout the song, Donovan emphasizes that it is not easy to come to terms with the end of a relationship. It is not easy to sleep alone at night or to wake up and realize that the dream is over. The pain can be overwhelming and make it challenging to act as if everything is fine. Despite this, the chorus reminds us that life continues to move on, and while it may be difficult to believe that love will return, there is always hope.
Overall, the song is a bittersweet reminder that life can be painful, but it also offers a message of hope and encourages us to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not easy when your life has broken down
Finding comfort in a world of pain after a traumatic experience is not an easy feat.
To find solace in a world of pain.
Finding peace and comfort in a world full of agony is tough.
It's not easy to pick up your broken heart
Overcoming the hurt caused by a broken heart is a difficult endeavor.
And start all over again.
Starting anew after a heartbreak is a daunting task.
It's not easy to be strong and carry on
Maintaining mental resilience and continuing with life isn't simple.
When the light in your life has died.
When a person loses something/someone that was their source of joy and hope, it's challenging.
It's not easy when the one and only one
Losing the only person you have is tough.
Has left you in the dark to cry.
Being left in a state of confusion and bereavement is difficult.
But life goes on and on, you know,
Nonetheless, life constantly unfolds despite the setbacks.
Just like a river flow.
Life is continuous, like the flow of a river.
If love may come and go, you know,
The unpredictable nature of love can make it come and go at any moment.
Your love may one day show.
Even though it may seem unlikely, love could come back to your life.
It's not easy for to sleep alone at night,
The fear and uncertainty of being alone can make it difficult to fall asleep at night.
You keep searching for the shape you knew.
After losing a loved one, one may seek the familiarity of the past.
It's not easy to wake up and realise
Realizing that the nightmare is a reality isn't a simple notion.
The big bad dream is true.
The painful and distressing circumstance is, unfortunately, a reality.
It's not easy to believe a day will come
It's hard to imagine a future where you'll meet someone that cherishes you.
When another one will cherish you.
It's hard to believe someone else will love and appreciate you in the wake of heartbreak.
It's not easy to be a cool and act unhurt
It's difficult to maintain composure and appear unaffected even when the pain is unbearable.
When the pain hits you through and through.
The pain is severe, and it strikes the person at the core of their being.
Your love may one day show, oh, oh,
The possibility exists for love to make an unexpected reappearance in one's life.
Your love may one day show.
The prospect of love resurfacing in one's life is a comforting thought.
Contributed by Sydney O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.