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.
Love of My Life
Donovan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing I could do - no way
For the sun don't shine in my life since you took your love away.
I can't go on...
Without your heart
Within my own, Misty Maiden
I am filled with love for you
Bring the sun back to my life
Lay your golden kiss on me
Should you depart
Twould break my heart
How can I part from the only girl that I have ever loved?
You're the love of my life
Star of my dreams and my joy
You are my sister, mother and child
You are everything to this boy.
Do not leave me... my love.
Now you are my lynn (indecipherable)
Baby
Want me once again
Baby
How we both have hurt each other
With those lonely years apart
But love was kind
Had us in mind
At the right time we meet once again
You're the love of my life
Star of my dreams
And my joy
You are my sister, mother and child
You are everything to this boy
(repeat chorus)
The lyrics to Donovan's "Love Of My Life" express the feelings of an individual who is on a "down day" and is unable to fill his life with sunshine ever since the love of his life has departed. He acknowledges the fact that he cannot move on and cannot replace her with any other heart. His love for her is genuine and he cannot bear the thought of being separated from her. She is truly everything to him - his sister, mother, child, and joy.
Despite their past mistakes and the hurt that they have caused each other in their years apart, love has been kind and they have been brought together again. The individual expresses his deep longing for her love and affection, imploring her not to leave him again. He acknowledges their painful past but focuses on the present, where they have the opportunity to be together once more. The chorus repeats the sentiment of her being the love of his life, the star of his dreams, and everything to this boy.
Line by Line Meaning
What was I to do? Down day.
I was feeling hopeless and down on a particular day, not sure what to do.
Nothing I could do - no way
There seemed to be no solution to the problem I was facing.
For the sun don't shine in my life since you took your love away.
Ever since you left, my life has been void and dull without your presence and affection.
I can't go on...
I am unable to move on, as my heart is still set on being with you.
Without your heart
I need your love and affection to feel whole again.
Within my own, Misty Maiden
You are the one who has the power to fill my heart with love, and I address you as my mystical, dreamlike lover.
I am filled with love for you
My love for you is overflowing and everlasting.
Let me feel the love from you
I desire to hold and cherish your love once again.
Bring the sun back to my life
Your love has the magic to brighten my life.
Lay your golden kiss on me
I yearn for your warm, loving embrace and your sweet kiss.
Should you depart
If you leave me again,
Twould break my heart
it would be an unbearable loss for me, and my heart would shatter.
How can I part from the only girl that I have ever loved?
It's impossible for me to detach myself from you, as you are the only girl I have truly loved.
You're the love of my life
You are the most cherished and beloved person in my life.
Star of my dreams and my joy
You're the one who brings joy to my life and inspires all my dreams.
You are my sister, mother and child
You're not only my lover, but you're also the closest family I have who nurtures, cares, and loves me.
You are everything to this boy.
You complete my life and make me the happiest person on earth.
Do not leave me... my love.
I'm pleading with you not to abandon me and depart again.
Now you are my lynn (indecipherable)
Your name is unclear, but I am addressing you with a term of endearment and affection.
Baby
A term of endearment to show affection towards you.
Want me once again
I'm asking you to love me again, with the same tenderness and passion.
Baby
A term of endearment to show affection towards you.
How we both have hurt each other
Our relationship has been tumultuous and has caused hurts to both of us.
With those lonely years apart
Our relationship has been strained with years of separation and solitude.
But love was kind
But, fortunately, love has been gentle and forgiving.
Had us in mind
It seemed as if love was always on our side, working to reunite us.
At the right time we meet once again
Finally, the stars have aligned, and we have met again after all these years.
You're the love of my life
As reiterated again - You are the most cherished and beloved person in my life.
Star of my dreams and my joy
Once again reiterating that you bring joy to my life and inspire all my dreams.
You are my sister, mother and child
A final reiteration that you're not only my lover but the closest family I have who nurtures, cares, and loves me.
You are everything to this boy.
And a final reiteration that you complete my life and make me the happiest person on earth.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DONOVAN LEITCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind