A song has being playing on my mental jukebox in recent days. I bought it as a single back in 1968. At the risk of transferring this earworm to your head I am nevertheless going to share "Jennifer Juniper" with you. Many visitors to "Yorkshire Pudding" will instantly recall that it was a minor hit for Donovan who I have blogged about before.
The song seems to convey some of the innocent, other worldliness of many songs of the hippy era and Donovan was often seen as the British herald of that movement. It is said that "Jennifer Juniper" was inspired by Jenny Boyd, the sister of Patti Boyd who had loving relationships with both George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Jenny herself was once married to Mick Fleetwood but she never had an intimate relationship with Donovan.
Here's Donovan performing the song on an American television show in 1968. It seems like ancient history now. Below the video, I have helpfully added the lyrics so that you can sing along
Jennifer Juniper lives upon the hillJennifer Juniper, sitting very still
Is she sleeping? I don't think so
Is she breathing? Yes, very low
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?
Jennifer Juniper, rides a dappled mare
Jennifer Juniper, lilacs in her hair
Is she dreaming? Yes, I think so
Is she pretty? Yes, ever so
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?
I'm thinking of what it would be like if she loved me
You know just lately this happy song it came along
And I like to somehow try and tell you
Jennifer Juniper, hair of golden flax
Jennifer Juniper longs for what she lacks
Do you like her? Yes, I do, Sir
Would you love her? Yes, I would, Sir
Whatcha doing Jennifer, my love?
Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper.
Jennifer Juniper vit sur la colline
Jennifer Juniper assise très tranquille
Dort-elle? Je ne crois pas
Respire-t-elle? Oui, mais tout bas
Qu'est-ce que tu fais, Jenny mon amour?
Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper, Jennifer Juniper
Earworm happily received :) And like you said, its time stamp seems so very long ago.
ReplyDeleteWas your maiden name Jenny Boyd by any chance?
DeleteI don't want that earworm so I didn't listen, not being a fan of Donovan. I have my Windows Media playlist playing right now anyway.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there have ever been any songs about a lass called Elsie?
DeleteGoogle gave me this:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM2zw2McFrA
Oh yes, sadly I do remember the song, and I can see how it could become an earworm.
ReplyDeletePut it on your sound system and you can dance to it with your adopted sons.
DeleteI loved his songs they were so whimsical. Paul always said he sold his sheepskin coat to Donovan at Swindon art college. I tried to check on this but it just says he attended art college briefly. But then that was a brush with fame for Paul. Anyway I don't mind the song being an earworm, it was a time for gentler music.
ReplyDelete"Whimsical"...Yes, that's the right word.
DeleteShocking english “whatcha”….at least it’s not as bad as his song Children of the World. In that song he uses the word “mate” !
ReplyDeleteWhatcha Traveller!
DeletePedant = clever dick.
I doubt that "What are you doing, Jennifer, my love?" would have been quite right in that context.
I know, couldn’t resist after reading the post about the AWFUL practice of calling people “mate”. Just AWFUL!
DeleteHope your shoulder is much better.
Mate is the Australian version of the American Buddy or the English Chum. Nothing wrong with it at all.
DeleteI agree with you River…others find it highly offensive.
DeleteWe need music playing in our heads.
ReplyDeleteWe also need blood flowing through them.
DeleteTalking about songs destined for oblivion, and wasting precious moments of
ReplyDeleteyour life ...
* Frances Gall - Poupee de Cire, Poupee De Son/Luxembourg/Winner Eurovision
Wasn't "Destined for Oblivion" Pink Floyd's third album? Or maybe it was a headline about The Gaza Strip. Those poor beleaguered people. What did they do to deserve that humiliation and daily terror?
DeleteNine Songs Jenny May Never Have Heard ... YouTube.
DeleteLULLABY IN BIRDLAND. Andrea Motis. Joan Chamorro Quintet.
SEPTEMBER SONG. Lotte Lenya.
YESTERDAY I HEARD THE RAIN. Shirley Bassey (or Tony Bennett).
SOPHISTICATED LADY. Sarah Vaughan.
DON'T GO WITH STRANGERS. Amy Winehouse, Paul Weller, Jools Holland.
DIRTY OLD TOWN. Ewan MacColl.
PARLEZ MOI D'AMOUR. Lucienne Boyer.
LILI MARLENE. Marlene Dietrich. Deutsch Live.
MIDNIGHT AND THE STARS AND YOU. Al Bowlly.
The latter reminds me of F. Scott Fitzgerald's haunted masterpiece,
Tender is the Night.
He was working on The Last Tycoon when he died at the age of 44.
Dorothy Parker said, *The poor son of a bitch didn't even get to finish
his last book.*
I had a friend who named one of her children Donovan. I always liked the singer. He was a gentle, lyrical voice of our times.
ReplyDeleteBack in the late sixties he was one of my favourites. He had an original voice.
DeleteI'd never heard of this song before!
ReplyDeleteJennifer Bar-ar-low, rides a Scion car
DeleteJennifer Bar-ar-low, toast crumbs in her bra
Is she giggling? Yes, I think so
Is she ticklish? Yes, ever so
Whatcha doing, Jennifer, my love?
I didn't know the history of "Jennifer Juniper," so that was interesting. I remember hearing it on the radio when I was a kid, but of course it was an oldie by then. :)
ReplyDeleteActually, I think I heard it in my dad's car. He had an 8-track tape of Donovan's greatest hits.
Your father had good taste.
DeleteI remember this song. Donovan's songs seemed sweet to me. I loved to listen to my transistor radio back in those days and sang along to all of the songs.
ReplyDeleteThe song title only sounded vaguely "perhaps" familiar to me. But more familiar when I listened to it. In 1968 I was only 12-13 years old though, not sure I even had my own first little transistor radio yet, and had only been learning English for three years in school. So I wouldn't have been able to make much of the lyrics. I remember Donovan though but I don't think I ever had any of his records.
ReplyDeleteI know Donovan but this song is a new one for me!
ReplyDeleteO my word. I do recall that song. Thanks for passing on the earworm!!
ReplyDeleteI'm familiar with the song, growing up my home was full of music from the 60s.
ReplyDelete