One Way Donkey Ride

[John Christensen]

Hi Swarb,

IMO, Sandy Denny's "One Way Donkey Ride" is one of the finest songs of one of England's finest songwriters. In Clinton Heylin's flawed but nevertheless informative biography of Sandy, it is said (p. 208): "In fact, Swarb was privvy to most of the songs Sandy was now writing... Swarb remembers, 'Sandy used to come round every day. Or I'd go over there..." A sounding-board for her new songs, Swarb was particularly struck by one that she hadn't even demoed yet, obliquely named 'One Way Donkey Ride.'"
Since you were fortunate enough to have talked with Sandy about her compositions when she was creating this powerful song, I'm wondering if you remember her telling you anything specific about the song's meaning and imagery. Who, for example, is the person she refers to in the first line, "There you may stand in your splendor and jewels"?
Interestingly, in the demo of this song featured in the recent compilation "Boxful of Treasures," she doesn't sing the last line, "On this one-way donkey ride." Evidently, the last line, which ended up becoming the title, was an afterthought. A fellow fan wrote to me that he's sure that "one-way donkey ride" refers to Christ's entrance into Jerusalem before His crucifixion. This sounds plausible, since the subject of the song is "the poor ones" (perhaps including the singer herself?) who want to drink from the "oasis of love ... but are denied," thus being martyrs for love, as it were.
In any case, if you can remember anything at all of what Sandy said about this (IMO) masterpiece, I would be most grateful if you could pass it on.
Thanks, John

[Jamie73]

I must say, that this has always been one of my favourite Sandy songs - I still think that her writing was improving all the way through to her tragic, early demise. I first heard the song performed by you whilst in Whippersnapper back in 1985 at the Library Theatre, Leighton Buzzard. You may not remember the gig but Kevin Dempsey had to keep running off stage in-between songs as he had the trots!  

Would this song, and, It Suits Me Well - be two of your favourite Sandy songs outside of Fairport?

Jamie

[Philip W]

Interestingly, in the demo of this song featured in the recent compilation "Boxful of Treasures," she doesn't sing the last line, "On this one-way donkey ride." Evidently, the last line, which ended up becoming the title, was an afterthought. A fellow fan wrote to me that he's sure that "one-way donkey ride" refers to Christ's entrance into Jerusalem before His crucifixion. This sounds plausible, since the subject of the song is "the poor ones" (perhaps including the singer herself?) who want to drink from the "oasis of love ... but are denied," thus being martyrs for love, as it were.

The Christian imagery is something I tried to tease out in a piece I published on Sandy:
http://www.pemward.co.uk/page_1157990551812.html
I know we shouldn’t take it too far. As you’ve said in the past, Swarb, Sandy was a ‘poet’. And this beautiful lyric is one of her most poetic. Still, I can’t really see the addition of the ‘donkey ride’ as an ‘afterthought’, more a hesitation as to where to draw the line between oblique and direct.

I’d love to know if she was sent to Sunday school as a child. I hear echoes of the English hymnal and the King James Bible in her work.

Philip

[Jamie73]

In a press interview for "Rendezvous" she also said that this was her favourite track off the record.

J

[Swarb]

Its hard to be specific about the reasons why sandys songs are, and though I may have opinions I would have to say sorry folks but I cant go there.