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To Try for the Sun Lyrics

We stood in the windy city
The gypsy boy and I
We slept on the breeze in the midnight
With a raindrop and tears in our eyes
And who's going to be the one
To say it was no good what we done
I dare a man to say I'm too young
For I'm going to try for the sun
We huddled in the derelict building
And when he thought I was asleep
He lay his poor coat 'round my shoulder
And shivered there beside me in a heap
And who's going to be the one
To say it was no good what we done
I dare a man to say I'm too young
For I'm going to try for the sun
We sang and cracked the sky with laughter
Our breath turned to mist in the cold
Our years put togtehr counted thirty
But our eyes told the dawn that we were old
And who's going to be the one
To say it was no good what we done
I dare a man to say I'm too young
For I'm going to try for the sun
Mirror mirror hanging in the sky
Won't you look down what's happening here below
I stand here singing to the flowers
So very few people really know
And who's going to be the one
To say it was no good what we done
I dare a man to say I'm too young
For I'm going to try for the sun
We stood in the windy city
The gypsy boy and I
We slept on the breeze in the midnight
With a raindrop and tears in our eyes
And who's going to be the one
To say it was no good what we done
I dare a man to say I'm too young
For I'm going to try for the sun
3 Meanings

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Cover art for To Try for the Sun lyrics by Donovan

This song is about Donovan's friend Gyp David Mills (a.k.a. Gypsy Dave) and hints at a possible sexual liaison between the two. If so, it would make it an amazingly progressive song for its era (came out in 1966). That's in keeping with Donovan's personality (I mean, "Mellow Yellow" is about teenage girls using dildos, for heaven's sake). Donovan and Gyp were both the same age, so when the song says "Our years put together count to thirty," they would've both been fifteen years old.

My Interpretation
Cover art for To Try for the Sun lyrics by Donovan

I agree that in today's culture it's easy to leap to the conclusion that this is about a homosexual relationship, but the general consensus (based on numerous other sites, so not necessarily factual :-) ) is that it's simply about friendship. Which, when it was written, seemed perfectly plausible, so I'm going with that. :-)

"Mellow Yellow" does indeed include a reference to vibrators (electrical banana) but I see no reference to teenage girls anywhere in there.

[Edit: Clarification.]

Song Meaning

Thank you Mr. Trump

@Arcadia2 "I see no reference to teenage girls anywhere in there." Seriously?

[Verse 2] I'm just mad about fourteen A-fourteen's mad about me I'm-a just-a mad about-a fourteen She's just mad about me

@MycroftUK Egad, is that what that line is? I bow to your superior knowledge. No wonder that song creeped me out when I was a kid. :-)

Cover art for To Try for the Sun lyrics by Donovan

I know it's about him and his friend but my little gay heart wants it to be gay ????

My Interpretation

@Hhbhhbdhdh I guess this site doesn't recognize emojis oops it was the big eyes one

@Hhbhhbdhdh of course it's gay!!!! "I dare a man to say twas no good what we done."

Donovan was not referring to staying up past his bedtime....

 
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