🌸 About the Song
“Jennifer Juniper” is Donovan in troubadour mode, skipping down a London street lined with sitars and good intentions.
Released in 1968, it was written for Jenny Boyd, a model and muse of the era who worked at Apple Boutique and inspired both this song and Fleetwood Mac’s “Jennifer.”
The tune floats like nursery rhyme poetry, with lilting melodies and a quietly hypnotic rhythm.
It’s not a song that demands to be heard — it just makes the room prettier by existing.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll play it in C major — perfectly matched to the original’s warmth and clarity.
You’ll need C, Am, F, and G7.
Verse pattern: [C] – [Am] – [F] – [G7]
Chorus: [F] – [C] – [G7] – [C]
Tempo: 95–100 bpm — gentle, rolling waltz.
Strumming: down–down–up–up–down–up or down–chuck–up–up–chuck for a playful pulse.
You can fingerpick 4–3–2–1 for something more lullaby-like.
To capture that Donovan bounce, slightly accent beat 2 — it gives the song its “skip.”
Vocals:
Sing softly but clearly — this is a smile, not a shout.
If you can manage a faint vibrato at the end of “Jennifer Juniper,” you’ll sound perfectly enchanted.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- Written for Jenny Boyd, sister of Pattie Boyd (George Harrison and Eric Clapton’s shared muse).
- The line “loves her, yes he loves her” was whispered by Paul McCartney, who also played bass.
- The French verse translates to “Jennifer Juniper rides a dappled mare / Jennifer Juniper plays upon her flute.”
- The song reached #5 in the UK charts in 1968.
- Donovan recorded it with a chamber-folk arrangement — flutes, bass, and brush drums.
🌈 Final Word
“Jennifer Juniper” is as light as a dandelion puff — airy, romantic, and perfectly at home on ukulele.
It’s the sound of optimism in 4/4 time: the world’s still beautiful, and love’s still a good idea.
Play it tenderly, maybe barefoot, definitely with a grin.
