Writer In The Sun

Album: Mellow Yellow (1967)
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Songfacts®:

  • This was written during a difficult time in Donovan's life. He was the first high-profile British pop star to be arrested for cannabis, which had a serious effect on his career – because of the charges he was refused entry to the US until late 1967.

    Donovan was also encountered legal problems as the Sunshine Superman album was not being released in the UK due to a continuing contractual dispute. Unable to promote the title track, which was rising up the USA singles charts, Donovan and his right hand man Gypsy Dave took off for the Greek island of Paros.

    All these problems led Donovan to write resigned songs like this one, where he sadly contemplates the possibility of his own forced retirement from the music business at the age of 20.

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