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.
the light
Donovan Lyrics
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As the chains of the flesh left me
As the moans and the groans
Of the friend sent me
On my way to the Land of the Dead
I flashed ... that my soul was Unharmed
As my earth form I shed
That the image of death had been
And the truth was a spirit am I
I sussed ... that my life had been a lesson
Chosed by me
For to purify my Soul that I may be
Worthy to shine forth the Light
The Light
The Light
As I moved ever up-ward
A Great Light there came
More feeling than seeing
And it filled me with Shame
Like a Bright Shining mirror reflecting my being
My present condition of Soul I was seeing
I Beheld ... Forms of Great Beauty
That shone forth the Light
With love vibes they met me
A cast off my fright
Those great souls of Ages long passed
I praised the Great Souls of the Ages
Who care for our needs
Who lovingly nurture
Wisdom's bright seed
Showing the way to the Light
The Light
The Light
I ached ... for the womb and the Earth
And another time around
Seking circumstances
The best that can be found
To give me the lessons to learn
I was Born ... and through childhood
My soul still rembembered the Light
And through teens I fought fiercely
For my vision of the Light
When I saw Mum and Dad had forgot
The Light, The Light, The Light!
The song The Light by Donovan is a beautifully crafted story of the transition from life to death and the spiritual growth and enlightenment that occurs during the journey. The first verse describes the moment of death, as the singer's soul leaves their physical body and moves towards the Land of the Dead. This transition is met with a sense of relief, as the chains of the flesh are left behind, and a realization that their soul remains unharmed. This is contrasted with the moans and groans of friends left behind, who are grieving the loss of the physical presence of the singer.
The second verse speaks to the enlightenment that occurs in the afterlife. The realization comes that one's life has been a lesson, chosen by the individual to purify their soul and become more worthy to shine forth the Light. As the singer moves upward towards the Light, they feel shame and see themselves reflected in a shining mirror, a metaphor for the introspective journey that a soul experiences after death.
The third verse speaks to the celestial beauty of the afterlife, where the singer meets great souls of ages long past who help provide for their needs and nurture bright wisdom's seed. The singer then shares an ache for the womb and the Earth, and a desire to be born again to learn more lessons and continue to grow towards the Light. The final lines of the song speak to the pain of seeing loved ones who have forgotten the Light, and the singer's fierce determination to hold on to their own vision of spiritual enlightenment.
Overall, The Light is a powerful song that beautifully explores the journey of the soul through death and towards spiritual enlightenment.
Line by Line Meaning
I Died ... and I sighed
As I died, I let out a sigh.
As the chains of the flesh left me
As my body no longer bound me, I was free.
As the moans and the groans Of the friend sent me On my way to the Land of the Dead
The sounds of those mourning me helped me travel to the afterlife.
I flashed ... that my soul was Unharmed As my earth form I shed That the image of death had been A thought in my head And the truth was a spirit am I
I realized my soul was untouched as I left my body and faced death. Death was just a thought created by my own mind. I was actually a spirit.
I sussed ... that my life had been a lesson Chosed by me For to purify my Soul that I may be Worthy to shine forth the Light
I understood that my life had been planned by me to help purify my soul so I can be worthy of the light.
The Light The Light
I saw the light and it was pure and bright.
As I moved ever up-ward A Great Light there came More feeling than seeing And it filled me with Shame Like a Bright Shining mirror reflecting my being My present condition of Soul I was seeing
As I moved towards the light, I felt more than saw it. It filled me with shame as I saw myself reflected in its bright light. I saw the true condition of my soul.
I Beheld ... Forms of Great Beauty That shone forth the Light With love vibes they met me A cast off my fright Those great souls of Ages long passed
I saw beautiful figures radiating light and love. They welcomed me and helped me overcome my fear. These were great souls from ages past.
I praised the Great Souls of the Ages Who care for our needs Who lovingly nurture Wisdom's bright seed Showing the way to the Light The Light The Light
I praised these great souls who care for us and help us grow in wisdom. They show us the way to the light.
I ached ... for the womb and the Earth And another time around Seking circumstances The best that can be found To give me the lessons to learn
I longed for another chance to be born and live on earth again. I wanted the best circumstances to help me learn the lessons I still needed to learn.
I was Born ... and through childhood My soul still rembembered the Light And through teens I fought fiercely For my vision of the Light When I saw Mum and Dad had forgot The Light The Light The Light!
When I was born, my soul still remembered the light. As a teen, I fought hard to hold on to this vision of a better world illuminated by this light. But I saw my parents forget about the light.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DONOVAN LEITCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind