🌻 About the Song
“Colours” was Donovan’s follow-up to Catch the Wind, and it cemented him as the UK’s new folk troubadour.
It’s all about simplicity — the metaphor of colours representing moods, hope, and love.
It was recorded live in one take with a little tambourine shake and the faint creak of a studio chair — gloriously unpolished and human.
On ukulele, it becomes even more heartfelt. The open tuning and ringing strings perfectly suit its pastoral warmth.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll play it in G major, the natural folk key for open ringing chords.
You’ll need G, C, and D.
Verse progression: [G] – [C] – [G] – [D] – [G]
Tempo: 78 bpm — slow, flowing, reflective.
Strumming pattern: down–down–up–up–down–up or simple downstrokes only for that folky sway.
Let each chord breathe. This song is about space, not density.
To give it a bit of texture, occasionally lift your fretting fingers off the strings slightly to let the open notes ring — it creates a shimmering “colour wash” effect.
Vocals:
Don’t over-sing it. Keep it tender and calm — almost like speaking.
Lean on the word “colours” and let the vowels stretch naturally.
Donovan was all about intimacy; channel that sense of stillness.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- Released in 1965, it reached #4 in the UK and became a folk standard overnight.
- Paul McCartney allegedly played tambourine on one early demo version.
- The song was so stripped-down that it inspired the BBC to call Donovan “Britain’s Dylan with a smile.”
- Joan Baez and Van Morrison both covered it in the late 60s — rare agreement there.
- Donovan later joked that this was the song that “paid for a lot of paisley shirts.”
🌈 Final Word
“Colours” is the quiet soul of Donovan’s catalogue — sincere, simple, and eternally human.
On ukulele, it’s the perfect reminder that three chords and a soft heart can still change the weather.
Play it by a fire, under a tree, or to someone who’s drifting off to sleep.
It’s small music for big feelings.
