☀️ About the Song
“Sunshine Superman” is part superhero fantasy, part love song, part 1960s dream sequence.
Donovan wrote it for Linda Lawrence — the same muse who inspired Catch the Wind and Wear Your Love Like Heaven.
It was recorded in London with Jimmy Page on guitar and John Paul Jones (both pre-Led Zeppelin) playing bass.
It’s sly and hypnotic — a wink, a groove, and a hint of mystic swagger.
On ukulele, it transforms from psychedelic pop to lazy funk-folk, with all the swagger still intact.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll play it in C major, which gives the uke that same warm brightness as the original.
You’ll need C, Am, F, and G7.
Verse: [C] – [Am] – [F] – [G7]
Chorus: [F] – [G7] – [C] – [Am]
Tempo: 108–112 bpm — slow groove, easy sway.
Strumming:
Go for down–chuck–up–up–chuck with a touch of funk — accent beats 2 and 4.
Or for something trippier, fingerpick 4–3–2–1 in a loop to build a hypnotic pulse.
If you want that “sunshine swagger,” add small hammer-ons from open to 2nd fret on the 3rd string before the F chord — instant 60s flavor.
Vocals:
This is Donovan in his sly mode — low, lazy, and smiling.
Sing it like you’re explaining something cool to someone who’s definitely going to fall for you.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- It was the first UK #1 hit with “psychedelic” production — sitar, harpsichord, backwards tape, the lot.
- Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones both played on it years before forming Led Zeppelin.
- The lyric “Superman or Green Lantern ain’t got nothing on me” was one of the first pop references to comic-book heroes.
- It topped the U.S. Billboard chart in 1966, making Donovan the first British folk-pop artist to do so.
- Its follow-up single? Mellow Yellow — he really was on a roll.
🌈 Final Word
“Sunshine Superman” is sly, smooth, and full of 1960s optimism — a perfect balance of chill and charm.
On ukulele, it’s like strumming a lazy smile into being.
It’s not a love song — it’s a love spell.
