To Susan On The West Coast Waiting

Album: Greatest Hits And More (1969)
Charted: 35
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Though Donovan tipped his hat towards the protest movement in 1965, political comments weren't conspicuous in his subsequent work. This is the exception, a gentle comment on the turmoil of the Vietnam War.

    The song is written as a letter from a soldier named Andy who is fighting in the war. He misses Susan terribly and resents that he was taken away to fight:

    You know I'd be there working at my craft
    Had it not been for the draft
  • In America, this was released as a single with "Atlantis" on the B-side. "Susan" peaked at #35 in March 1969, but the B-side fared better, climbing to #7 in May.
  • On his 1967 song "Epistle to Dippy," Donovan also presents the lyric in the form of a letter; that one is to a real friend who was in the army.

Comments: 3

  • Lise from Barraute, CanadaListen to Universal soldier...one of the great anti-war songs of all time.
  • David from Youngstown, OhThe lyrics on this site aren't 100 percent accurate. Missing is a line that says, "From Andy supposedly hating," instead of "From Andy in Vietnam fighting." In the song, Andy is a reluctant soldier.
  • Fremont from Concord, NhI've got the original 45 rpm of this song. Though it is a good song, I still think the A-side (Atlantis) is a much better song.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular Music

Lace the Music: How LSD Changed Popular MusicSong Writing

Starting in Virginia City, Nevada and rippling out to the Haight-Ashbury, LSD reshaped popular music.

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.

Booker T. Jones

Booker T. JonesSongwriter Interviews

The Stax legend on how he cooked up "Green Onions," the first time he and Otis Redding saw hippies, and if he'll ever play a digital organ.