Celia of the Seals

Album: Troubadour: 1964 - 1976 (1970)
Charted: 84
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is considered to be the ultimate protest song against the illegal hunting of seals for the needs of humans, such as their fur and meat.
  • In the lyrics, the singer attempts to imitate the call of the seal, repeating "Vonya vonya vonya" in a verse while you can hear sound effects of seals making their actual cry into the song. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Landon - Winchester, OH, for above 2

Comments: 3

  • Jim from Oregon I thought this song was inspired by the Scottish legend of Selkies - woman who turned into seals.
  • Gloria from LondonThe Celia of the song title is Celia Hammond, who was a top model in the 70s and often modelled furs, until she realised how fur was obtained and how cruel the fur trade is. She used her fame as a model to become a vocal and hands-on animal activist and opened the Celia Hammond Animal Trust which takes in and neuters feral cats, rehoming those tame enough or releasing them back whence they came where possible, and finding farm homes for the remainder. Her clinics provide low-cost neutering and vet services in east and south London, and no animal in her care is ever put down while there is any quality of life. She was in a relationship with Jeff Beck for many years and met Donovan, who wrote this song about her. Most recently, she cleared the Olympic stadium site in east London of its feral cat population, successfully lobbying for more time before construction started, due to the large numbers of cats there. She took in over 200 cats from this one site alone. See: www.celiahammond.org
  • Sara from Silver Spring, MdThis was inspired by a fur trader who was a friend of Donovan's mistress Linda. Early in his career he wrote a song called "Ceila" but never recorded it.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Grammar In Lyrics

Grammar In LyricsMusic Quiz

Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?

Chris Squire of Yes

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.

Krishna Das

Krishna DasSongwriter Interviews

The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.