This was Donovan’s debut single, released in March 1965 in the UK and a few months later in the U.S.
Donovan had a fleeting love affair with model Linda Lawrence, who was then the girlfriend of the Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones soon after writing this song. He bumped into her four years later and they married in 1970. Now here’s my confusion … he says he wrote this song for Linda, even though he hadn’t met her yet when he wrote the song!
“‘Catch The Wind’, I wrote it for Linda, although I hadn’t really met her yet. It is a song of unrequited love, yet I hadn’t really met her, so how could I miss her? And I seem to write prophetic songs in the sense of the Celtic poet and I wrote this song before I met Linda, of a love I would like to have had and lost.”
Ah well … I’m very tired tonight and it’s too much for my mind to grasp, so let’s just listen to the music for a few minutes, shall we?
Catch the Wind
Donovan
In the chilly hours and minutes
Of uncertainty
I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind
To feel you all around me
And to take your hand
Along the sand
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind
When sundown pales the sky
I want to hide a while
Behind your smile
And everywhere I’d look, your eyes I’d find
For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing
T’would make me sing
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind
Diddy di dee dee diddy diddy
Diddy diddy diddy dee dee dee
When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near to kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind
For standin’ in your heart
Is where I want to be
And long to be
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind
Songwriters: Donovan Leitch
Catch the Wind lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Couldn’t get the video but here is me and Maybank doing it. https://bumbastories.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/catch-the-wind-2/
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Thank you! Very good!!!
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Somewhere in England 1915, he takes you on a bit of a journey. Very clever writer.
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We Canadians called him the British Bob Dylan, but no, he was just Donovan. He taught John Lennon how to play the acoustic guitar; John taught him how to play electric. A win-win deal for both them and us.
There are many stories of the backstories behind his music, but if he says this about Catch the Wind, I believe him. It is a song about yearning for the perfect love, and I guess when he met Linda he knew the song was for her, even though he had not yet met her when he wrote it. He hoped it would be a prophetic song, and he was one of the lucky ones. This does not happen for many of us! We end up chasing the wind.
Totally by way of nothing, a novel I wrote involved a girl named Jennifer who died in childbirth. Jennifer was part of a threesome, and her other female half (Donna) dreamt Jennifer wanted to name the baby Juniper. This was 30 years later in real life, and it wasn’t until many chapters later I realized that dream was backwards-prophetic. My subconscious mind made connections my conscious writing mind did not let me see. The band in the book was later playing the Isle of Wight festival, where Donna met Donovan backstage, and he sang for her his then-newest song, Jennifer Juniper. It all came together in a flash of lightning, and I sat amazed at the trick my mind played on me. I did not write those scenes, they came to me from my muse. I could never have conjured that plotline up on my own…
Prophetic? Only is a very hindsight kind of way… Only on the Isle of Wight, which was not even in my pre-vision of the story.
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I was going through some postie notes I had on my computer and one said “play Donovan for rawgod” … and so, I did! And in return, I have learned from you, for I did not know a) that Donovan and John Lennon even knew each other, let alone had taught each other, and b) that you had written a novel! Or if I knew (b), I had since forgotten it. So, I go to Amazon looking for a book by Jerry Miller, and instead I find CDs by Jerry Miller … that I’m guessing are not you, but figured I should ask, since you are obviously a man of many hidden talents!
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Written, never published. Yes, I told you about them quite a while ago, but I knew you forgot, lol. I’ll have to send you the web address, which I have hanging around somewhere. But it is quite raw, lol. XXX. I wrote it kinda like I was still a teenager, and you know where teenage boys’ minds are. Still, I think it is a good read, if you want to invest a few hours. Of course, I am prejudiced, lol.
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My mind is like a sieve these days … I’m sorry I forgot! Yes, do send me a link … and yes, I do know where teenage boys minds are … in fact, most grown men’s minds are still there! 😀
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By the way, thank you for Donovan.
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‘Twas my pleasure! It’s a fun song … I like the nonsensical part of the lyrics
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Just as well we were employing him as a singer and neither poet nor philosopher.
Cwtch
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Just out of curiosity, did you like his music? No, he definitely wouldn’t have made a philosopher!
Cwtch
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I did like his music, much more so in later years. It didn’t help that he was known as a Bob Dylan type when Bob Dylan was pretty unique.
Cwtch
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I didn’t realize he had been known as the UK’s Bob Dylan until you and Gary mentioned it. He was never my favourite, but I liked some of his music. What I like about this one, oddly, is the gibberish in the lyrics … it’s fun to sing.
Cwtch
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Late at night sometimes Donovan hits the mark. Must admit as much as I like him I tend to put on Al Stewart first….
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Al Stewart … hmmm … the name isn’t ringing any bells … I shall check him out in a bit. Funny, isn’t it, but I tend to listen to different music late at night than I do during the day, too.
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Year of the cat. He often writes very clever historical or whimsical folk songs. I think he started late 60s.
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Hmmm … I shall check it out! Thanks!
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Loved Donovan! SUNSHINE SUPERMAN…also a favorite! 💙
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Hmmm … that one doesn’t ring a bell … I’ll go listen and then will probably recognize it.
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Brings back the days of my childhood ❤
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Happy days, I hope? Happy memories? Hugs Jack!!! ❤
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