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Lit Up Inside: Selected Lyrics
Van Morrison is one of a handful of truly iconic twentieth century artists. Along with Bob Dylan, he was one of the first contemporary lyricists to infuse a serious poetic sensibility into popular music. A colossal influence on a wide range of fellow musicians, he has been a singular beacon of artistic integrity, soulful conviction and musical excellence.
One of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time, Morrison has been following his muse in an uncompromising way since the early Sixties. He has explored soul, jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, rock and roll, Celtic folk, pop balladry and more, forging a distinctive amalgam that has Morrison’s unvarnished passion at its core. He has referred to his music as “Caledonia soul,” reflecting his deep immersion in American roots music and Ulster-Scots.
This personal selection of what Morrison himself has judged to be his most important and enduring lyrical work will stand as a landmark public statement from an otherwise intensely private artist, an intimate and very intentional view onto what Morrison himself esteems as his creative contribution.
The introduction by Eamonn Hughes, of Queen’s University, Belfast, gives a career-long overview of the creative influences Morrison has absorbed and channeled through the years, and the forewords by poet David Meltzer and novelist Ian Rankin provide an appreciation of the writer’s craft demonstrated in Morrison’s evocative, timeless lyrics.
A must for any fan, and a solid introduction to this singular, iconic talent.
"'Tupelo Honey' has always existed and Van Morrison was merely the vessel and the earthly vehicle for it."–Bob Dylan
"I know of no music that is more lucid, feelable, hearable, seeable, touchable, no music you can experience more intensely than this. Not just moments, but extended . . . periods of experience which convey the feel of what films could be: a form or perception which no longer burls itself blindly on meanings and definitions, but allows the sensuous to take over and grow . . . where indeed something does become indescribable."–Wim Wenders, filmmaker
"No other Irish poets-writing either in verse or in music--have come within a Honda's roar of Patrick Kavanagh and Van Morrison"--Paul Durcan
Van Morrison, aka Van the Man, is a famous Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He began his professional musical career in 1958 and is still active to this day. He can play guitar, harmonica, saxophone, keyboard, drums, tamourine, and ukulele. His music genres range from rock to country to gospel to blues. He has received 6 Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Songerwriters Hall of Fame.
One of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time, Morrison has been following his muse in an uncompromising way since the early Sixties. He has explored soul, jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, rock and roll, Celtic folk, pop balladry and more, forging a distinctive amalgam that has Morrison’s unvarnished passion at its core. He has referred to his music as “Caledonia soul,” reflecting his deep immersion in American roots music and Ulster-Scots.
This personal selection of what Morrison himself has judged to be his most important and enduring lyrical work will stand as a landmark public statement from an otherwise intensely private artist, an intimate and very intentional view onto what Morrison himself esteems as his creative contribution.
The introduction by Eamonn Hughes, of Queen’s University, Belfast, gives a career-long overview of the creative influences Morrison has absorbed and channeled through the years, and the forewords by poet David Meltzer and novelist Ian Rankin provide an appreciation of the writer’s craft demonstrated in Morrison’s evocative, timeless lyrics.
A must for any fan, and a solid introduction to this singular, iconic talent.
"'Tupelo Honey' has always existed and Van Morrison was merely the vessel and the earthly vehicle for it."–Bob Dylan
"I know of no music that is more lucid, feelable, hearable, seeable, touchable, no music you can experience more intensely than this. Not just moments, but extended . . . periods of experience which convey the feel of what films could be: a form or perception which no longer burls itself blindly on meanings and definitions, but allows the sensuous to take over and grow . . . where indeed something does become indescribable."–Wim Wenders, filmmaker
"No other Irish poets-writing either in verse or in music--have come within a Honda's roar of Patrick Kavanagh and Van Morrison"--Paul Durcan
Van Morrison, aka Van the Man, is a famous Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He began his professional musical career in 1958 and is still active to this day. He can play guitar, harmonica, saxophone, keyboard, drums, tamourine, and ukulele. His music genres range from rock to country to gospel to blues. He has received 6 Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Songerwriters Hall of Fame.
230 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2014
11 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
Van Morrison
101 books15 followersGeorge Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) is a Grammy Award-winning Northern Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s. He plays a variety of instruments, including the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, drums, and saxophone. Featuring his characteristic growl — a unique mix of folk, blues, Irish, scat, and Celtic influences — Morrison is widely considered one of the most unusual and influential vocalists in the history of rock and roll. Critic Greil Marcus has gone so far as to say that "no white man sings like Van Morrison."
Known as "Van the Man" by his fans, Morrison first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Northern Irish band Them, penning their seminal 1964 hit "Gloria". A few years later, Morrison left the band for a successful solo career.
Morrison has pursued an idiosyncratic musical path. Much of his music is tightly structured around the conventions of American soul and R&B, such as the popular singles "Brown Eyed Girl", "Moondance", "Into The Mystic","Domino" and "Wild Night". An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely connected, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as his classic album Astral Weeks and lesser known works such as Veedon Fleece and Common One. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic Soul".
Morrison's career, spanning some five decades, has influenced many popular musical artists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2000, Morrison ranked #25 on American cable music channel VH1's list of its 100 greatest artists of rock and roll, and in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Van Morrison 42nd on their list of The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Paste Magazine ranked him 20th in their list of 100 Greatest Living Songwriters in 2006 and Q Magazine ranked him 22nd on their list of 100 Greatest Singers in April 2007.
Known as "Van the Man" by his fans, Morrison first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Northern Irish band Them, penning their seminal 1964 hit "Gloria". A few years later, Morrison left the band for a successful solo career.
Morrison has pursued an idiosyncratic musical path. Much of his music is tightly structured around the conventions of American soul and R&B, such as the popular singles "Brown Eyed Girl", "Moondance", "Into The Mystic","Domino" and "Wild Night". An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely connected, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as his classic album Astral Weeks and lesser known works such as Veedon Fleece and Common One. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic Soul".
Morrison's career, spanning some five decades, has influenced many popular musical artists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2000, Morrison ranked #25 on American cable music channel VH1's list of its 100 greatest artists of rock and roll, and in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Van Morrison 42nd on their list of The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Paste Magazine ranked him 20th in their list of 100 Greatest Living Songwriters in 2006 and Q Magazine ranked him 22nd on their list of 100 Greatest Singers in April 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 1, 2019
Van Morrison's album Astral Weeks is my favorite album of all time. It was years, probably decades, before I discovered that it was a cult favorite and there were thousands and thousands of people, who like me, loved this album. In 2009 I saw Morrison on his Astral Weeks tour in Washington DC, and was thrilled to check that off my bucket list. I saw him a second time in 2014 when I was at a dinner in Belfast City Hall, during a conference honoring the late poet Seamus Heaney. Irish people do not swarm celebrities, and Morrison is notorious intolerant of demanding fans, so no one approached him. I did sneak a couple of photos with my phone.
The first half of the book includes lyrics that were very familiar to me. But as I got further into the book I came across lyrics that I didn't know. One of my favorites was "On Hyndford Street" http://www.metrolyrics.com/on-hyndfor...
which evokes the Belfast he wrote about in Astral Weeks. Some of the lyrics are very much in a "Born Again Christian" vein. I don't know a lot about his beliefs, but read he has always been "religious". Morrison said that growing up in a family that wasn't religiously conservative in a very religiously orthodox place, he never felt he had to push away from religion because it was never pushed on him.
There were lyrics that mentioned spots in Northern Ireland that were new to me such as Coney Island, a small seaside townland in County Down. The most surprising entry was a song written with the poet Paul Durcan, "In the Days Before Rock 'n Roll". Paul Durcan is a poet I like very much and one of my favorites is "Going Home to Mayo,Winter, 1949" http://blueridgejournal.com/poems/pd2...
This Youtube video features Paul Durcan reciting the lyrics of "In the Days Before Rock n' Roll" https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=...
I didn't realize he and Durcan are the same age as I still remember Morrison in his youth. Durcan has said "– alongside Patrick Kavanagh – Morrison is 'one of the two finest poets in Ireland in my lifetime".
This is a book for Van Morrison fans and perhaps others who are curious to see if his lyrics rise to the level of Bob Dylan's.
The first half of the book includes lyrics that were very familiar to me. But as I got further into the book I came across lyrics that I didn't know. One of my favorites was "On Hyndford Street" http://www.metrolyrics.com/on-hyndfor...
which evokes the Belfast he wrote about in Astral Weeks. Some of the lyrics are very much in a "Born Again Christian" vein. I don't know a lot about his beliefs, but read he has always been "religious". Morrison said that growing up in a family that wasn't religiously conservative in a very religiously orthodox place, he never felt he had to push away from religion because it was never pushed on him.
There were lyrics that mentioned spots in Northern Ireland that were new to me such as Coney Island, a small seaside townland in County Down. The most surprising entry was a song written with the poet Paul Durcan, "In the Days Before Rock 'n Roll". Paul Durcan is a poet I like very much and one of my favorites is "Going Home to Mayo,Winter, 1949" http://blueridgejournal.com/poems/pd2...
This Youtube video features Paul Durcan reciting the lyrics of "In the Days Before Rock n' Roll" https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=...
I didn't realize he and Durcan are the same age as I still remember Morrison in his youth. Durcan has said "– alongside Patrick Kavanagh – Morrison is 'one of the two finest poets in Ireland in my lifetime".
This is a book for Van Morrison fans and perhaps others who are curious to see if his lyrics rise to the level of Bob Dylan's.
November 24, 2015
To be a fan of Van Morrison is to be taken in by both his lyrics and music. The richness of his words and the way he sings them get to your soul. It's a treat to have this book of his lyrics, a complication of his selection. As someone who likes to put on a CD and then follow the lyrics in order, I realized that the songs in this book don't follow CD order. That was the only drawback for me. There are wonderful forewards by David Meltzer and Ian Rankin, as well as a interesting introduction by Eamonn Hughes. Whether you are a fan, musician, or songwriter, having a collection of Van's lyrics adds meaning to his music.
January 2, 2015
surprised me happily, knowing as little van morrison music as i do (just a brown-eyed gal who listened to 'astral weeks' one winter, driving through western massachusetts). but i'm a longtime belfaster too, and it was needed perspective on a town that's not always easy. eamonn hughes sums up why i liked it in his foreword:
"as with macneice's poetry and parker's plays, though belfast may begin as a real place, it is ultimately more important as a site of the imagination. as such, it is not confined to the actual city of that name but is instead a terrain that can expand and contract as creative needs dictate."
sometimes, you need a little more room ...
"as with macneice's poetry and parker's plays, though belfast may begin as a real place, it is ultimately more important as a site of the imagination. as such, it is not confined to the actual city of that name but is instead a terrain that can expand and contract as creative needs dictate."
sometimes, you need a little more room ...
November 23, 2014
Van Morrison's lyrics are incandescent......the book reads like fine poetry. Since the 60's, i felt a connection with Morrison - his song "Brown-Eyed Girl" was my anthem during that time. Thank you to First Reads for giving me the chance to read and own this book!!
February 15, 2016
Glad I own this book but not exactly what I hoped for. Many songs omitted that I would have liked to have seen the lyrics. Many songs included have just simple repetitive lyrics and do not read as good "poetry."
April 15, 2016
Finally, lyrics to Van Morrison's wonderful songs. A must-read for any Morrison fan.
November 5, 2014
Some good stuff here - but you yearn to actually hear his voice
January 9, 2015
Beautiful words to fantastic songs, seeing them written down brings them alive even more, love this book.
July 25, 2015
Wish the year of each song was included. The index of 'first lines' was helpful. Favorite first line? "You're not supposed to be human."
December 25, 2025
It is obvious the bulk of the early lyrics written by Van Morrison fail to measure up to the natural-born strength of his beautiful young voice, his deep soul, and superior sense of rhythm and melody. Those gifts alone were enough to carry him. But of course, early on, Morrison did pen the lyrics to a few great songs such as Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance, Into the Mystic, Crazy Face, Blue Money, Street Choir, and Tupelo Honey just to name a few.
This morning I ran across a pretty good song titled On Hyndford Street. I was not familiar with the actual tune but the lyrics were so good they could stand on their own as a written piece. I then decided to check the song out on ITunes and find out what album it might have come from. Turns out the song was originally a spoken word presentation accompanied by music in the background. Later, in an album titled Live at Orangefield, Morrison sings some of these words as a melody, which results in a song that is quite beautiful.
What is so striking to me, and not to belabor the point, but Morrison’s early lyrics are actually quite poor. It is a testament to his ability as a singer and musician to make something of a song so lacking in strength. There is little power in his words on the page but Morrison manages to bring them to life and move us in ways that are actually quite baffling. His early lyrics really are that weak.
This morning I ran across a pretty good song titled On Hyndford Street. I was not familiar with the actual tune but the lyrics were so good they could stand on their own as a written piece. I then decided to check the song out on ITunes and find out what album it might have come from. Turns out the song was originally a spoken word presentation accompanied by music in the background. Later, in an album titled Live at Orangefield, Morrison sings some of these words as a melody, which results in a song that is quite beautiful.
What is so striking to me, and not to belabor the point, but Morrison’s early lyrics are actually quite poor. It is a testament to his ability as a singer and musician to make something of a song so lacking in strength. There is little power in his words on the page but Morrison manages to bring them to life and move us in ways that are actually quite baffling. His early lyrics really are that weak.
April 26, 2021
Enjoyable read of Van Morrison's poetry. All rainy and pining for the past and lots of talk of home. The editing followed his vocalization in songs, though, which sometimes read well, and other times just repeated, repeated, repeated what you already read and didn't add to the poetry.
November 5, 2017
All of Van Morrison's lyrics, to be read as poetry
December 15, 2018
Lyrics from the musical maestro do not seem so powerful when read rather than sung by Van the Man
Still some cracking phrases and well worth the read
Still some cracking phrases and well worth the read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews