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.
There Is An Ocean
Donovan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is an ocean of vast proportion
And she flows within ourselves.
To take dips daily we dive in gaily,
He knows who goes within himself.
The abode of Angels, the mystical Promised Land,
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
There is a silence of pure excellence
And she flows within ourselves.
To appreciate, we deactivate,
He knows who goes within himself.
The domain of Devils, the Fearful Land,
The only and only Hades, the Satan of man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
All is as it was and ever more shall be,
Though they try to tell us it's not so.
Over all the earth there's nothing new to see,
Excepting every seed will newly grow.
Innocence of childhood false men misconstrue
To be years of darkness spent in shade,
Denying childhood's vision of the God of Love,
So that Truth be turned about and untruth made,
And untruth made.
There is a reason for every season
Of change within ourselves.
To navigate, re-appreciate
And know the flow within ourselves.
The deliverance from Deluge, the good dry land,
The one and only Haven, the rock of Man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
There is an ocean, ooh,
There is a silence, ooh,
There is a reason, ooh.
Donovan’s song “There Is An Ocean” from his album “Essence to Essence” explores the concept of spirituality and inner peace. The ocean mentioned in the song is a metaphor for the vast and infinite nature of our inner selves. The lyrics suggest that we can find peace and happiness within ourselves by taking daily dips into this ocean. The line “He knows who goes within himself” suggests that only those who look deeply within themselves can understand the true meaning of life.
The song also talks about the duality of good and evil that exists within all of us. The “abode of Angels” represents our good side, while the “domain of Devils” represents our dark side. The lyrics suggest that it is up to us to choose which side we want to nourish and develop. The line “The deliverance from Deluge, the good dry land, The one and only Haven, the rock of Man, Is but the closing of an eyelid away” suggests that inner peace and happiness can be achieved with a simple shift in focus and perspective.
The last stanza of the song talks about the importance of change and growth. The song suggests that change is a natural part of life and we need to navigate through it with an open mind and an appreciation for the flow of life. The line “To navigate, re-appreciate And know the flow within ourselves” reinforces the idea that observing and appreciating the changes in ourselves can lead to a deeper understanding of who we are.
Line by Line Meaning
There is an ocean of vast proportion
There is a vast inner world within each of us.
And she flows within ourselves.
This inner world exists within us and is part of our being.
To take dips daily we dive in gaily,
To fully experience and appreciate this inner world, we must explore it daily with joy.
He knows who goes within himself.
Those who seek and explore their inner world will find a deeper understanding of themselves.
The abode of Angels, the mystical Promised Land,
A metaphorical representation of Heaven or a state of pure happiness.
The one and only Heaven, the God of man
Heaven and God are concepts beyond human understanding and exist in our inner world.
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
Accessing this inner world is a simple matter of closing our eyes and looking within ourselves.
There is a silence of pure excellence
Within our inner world there is a powerful and peaceful silence.
To appreciate, we deactivate,
To fully experience and appreciate this silence, we must silence the noise around us.
The domain of Devils, the Fearful Land,
Hell or a state of negativity is another metaphorical representation of our inner world.
The only and only Hades, the Satan of man
Similar to the concept of Hell, Satan represents negativity.
All is as it was and ever more shall be,
Things that were true before, and always have been, will continue to be true.
Though they try to tell us it's not so.
Despite attempts by others to convince us otherwise, the truth remains unchanged.
Over all the earth there's nothing new to see,
In the physical world, there are no new experiences or things to discover.
Excepting every seed will newly grow.
The only exception is the continuous growth and renewal of life.
Innocence of childhood false men misconstrue
Society misunderstands and distorts the purity and innocence of childhood.
To be years of darkness spent in shade,
Instead, childhood is often seen as a dark or negative time.
Denying childhood's vision of the God of Love,
Society also denies the pure and loving worldview of children.
So that Truth be turned about and untruth made,
This denial and distortion of childhood creates an environment where truth is twisted and lies are believed.
And untruth made.
This leads to a world where falsehoods are accepted as reality.
There is a reason for every season
The changing seasons reflect our inner world and our emotional states.
Of change within ourselves.
These changes occur within us and influence our experiences and perceptions of the world.
To navigate, re-appreciate
To fully experience and understand these changes, we must re-examine and appreciate them.
And know the flow within ourselves.
By understanding these changes, we can find a sense of direction and flow within ourselves.
The deliverance from Deluge, the good dry land,
Another metaphorical representation of a safe and happy state of being.
The one and only Haven, the rock of Man
This state of being is our innermost refuge and provides stability for us.
There is an ocean, ooh,
A reminder that our inner world is vast and always present.
There is a silence, ooh,
A reminder of the peacefulness that exists within us.
There is a reason, ooh.
A reminder that there is purpose and meaning in our inner world and experiences.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DONOVAN LEITCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@helior.mendietajr2788
"There Is An Ocean"
There is an ocean of vast proportion
And she flows within ourselves.
To take dips daily we dive in gaily,
He knows who goes within himself.
The abode of Angels, the mystical Promised Land,
The one and only Heaven, the God of man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
There is a silence of pure excellence
And she flows within ourselves.
To appreciate, re-deactivate,
He knows who goes within himself.
The domain of Devils, the Fearful Land,
The one and only Hades, the Satan of man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
All is as it was and ever more shall be,
Though they try to tell us it's not so.
Over all the earth there's nothing new to see,
Excepting every seed will newly grow.
Innocence in childhood false men misconstrue
To be years of darkness spent in shade,
Denying childhood's vision of the God of Love,
So that Truth be turned about and untruth made,
And untruth made.
There is a reason for every season
Of change within ourselves.
To navigate, re-appreciate
And know the flow within ourselves.
The deliverance from Deluge, the good dry land,
The one and only Haven, the rock of Man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
There is a season, ooh, ooh...
There is an ocean, ooh, ooh...
There is a silence, ooh, ooh...
@helior.mendietajr2788
"There Is An Ocean"
There is an ocean of vast proportion
And she flows within ourselves.
To take dips daily we dive in gaily,
He knows who goes within himself.
The abode of Angels, the mystical Promised Land,
The one and only Heaven, the God of man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
There is a silence of pure excellence
And she flows within ourselves.
To appreciate, re-deactivate,
He knows who goes within himself.
The domain of Devils, the Fearful Land,
The one and only Hades, the Satan of man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
All is as it was and ever more shall be,
Though they try to tell us it's not so.
Over all the earth there's nothing new to see,
Excepting every seed will newly grow.
Innocence in childhood false men misconstrue
To be years of darkness spent in shade,
Denying childhood's vision of the God of Love,
So that Truth be turned about and untruth made,
And untruth made.
There is a reason for every season
Of change within ourselves.
To navigate, re-appreciate
And know the flow within ourselves.
The deliverance from Deluge, the good dry land,
The one and only Haven, the rock of Man
Is but the closing of an eyelid away.
There is a season, ooh, ooh...
There is an ocean, ooh, ooh...
There is a silence, ooh, ooh...
@meugeniagutierrez81
Thank you for the lyrics.
@dortesandal4303
Thank you, first time I have read it.
@CRASHOLA1
Thank you for the lyrics, One of my favorite all-time songs. I was sure it said “...to be years of darkness spent in shame”— not “shade,” but now I concur that Donovan says “shade. Still I like ‘shame’ better because it better describes how Truth can be made into untruth. Blessings 🙏🏻😺🍀🕉☀️❤️❤️❤️
@jenniferpegg1575
what a beautiful song ... one of many from Donovan
@bocquenegilles7989
Incredible voice !
@davidtorres568
In a strange (perhaps not so strange) way, this song inspires a hope in me, that what ultimately awaits us at the end of all of this, is peace.
@NextToToddliness
Did you know that the liquid component to your blood, the plasma, has the same concentration of salt and other ions that are extremely similar to sea water? Despite millions & millions of years seperating us from our emergance from the torrid seas, we still retain our origins. Donovan had it right when he said, "There is an ocean of vast proportion, and she flows within ourselves."
@plethoraofaliens
Yesss the ionic balance is very similar. So cool!!!!
@amymarx2174
Yes, i did know that, though i gad not thought about it in quite that way. .and do you realize that he is using “ocean” as a metaphor for the vast unlimited consciousness which is what you and I and everyone actually are. Have you listened to this song from this perspective? Try it. From this insight and perspective this song is highly illuminating. Everything Donovan writes gas a metaphoric content! Thats what makes him so brilliant and why he is my all time favorite. And that is how it used to be.