Celia of the Seals

Album: Troubadour: 1964 - 1976 (1970)
Charted: 84
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is considered to be the ultimate protest song against the illegal hunting of seals for the needs of humans, such as their fur and meat.
  • In the lyrics, the singer attempts to imitate the call of the seal, repeating "Vonya vonya vonya" in a verse while you can hear sound effects of seals making their actual cry into the song. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Landon - Winchester, OH, for above 2

Comments: 3

  • Jim from Oregon I thought this song was inspired by the Scottish legend of Selkies - woman who turned into seals.
  • Gloria from LondonThe Celia of the song title is Celia Hammond, who was a top model in the 70s and often modelled furs, until she realised how fur was obtained and how cruel the fur trade is. She used her fame as a model to become a vocal and hands-on animal activist and opened the Celia Hammond Animal Trust which takes in and neuters feral cats, rehoming those tame enough or releasing them back whence they came where possible, and finding farm homes for the remainder. Her clinics provide low-cost neutering and vet services in east and south London, and no animal in her care is ever put down while there is any quality of life. She was in a relationship with Jeff Beck for many years and met Donovan, who wrote this song about her. Most recently, she cleared the Olympic stadium site in east London of its feral cat population, successfully lobbying for more time before construction started, due to the large numbers of cats there. She took in over 200 cats from this one site alone. See: www.celiahammond.org
  • Sara from Silver Spring, MdThis was inspired by a fur trader who was a friend of Donovan's mistress Linda. Early in his career he wrote a song called "Ceila" but never recorded it.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.