Through a catalog of classic albums, including Moondance, Astral Weeks, and Tupelo Honey, and a summer of love hit, “Brown Eyed Girl,” along with penetrating songs “Domino,” “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You,” “Into the Mystic,” and earlier hits with his band, Them, Van Morrison has written some of the most provocative, bucolic, and sentimental stories throughout a nearly 60-year career.
Videos by American Songwriter
Set by a musical upbringing of jazz, folk, blues, and gospel, by the 1950s a teenage Morrison, born Aug. 31, 1945, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was already a multi-instrumentalist playing in various bands before forming Them in 1964.
[RELATED: Van Morrison Taps Into Early 20th Century Skiffle Folk on Forthcoming 2023 Album]
Them’s hits “Baby, Please Don’t Go” and “Here Comes the Night” fastened around the songs penned by Morrison, including “My Lonely Sad Eyes,” “I Like It Like That,” and “Gloria”—the latter covered by The Doors and Patti Smith for her 1975 debut. Horses. Within his short time with Them, the band was ultimately the launch pad for his solo career.
In 1999, Morrison was inducted into the Irish Music Hall of Fame, followed by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.
Crafting a collection of songs spanning 44 albums, from Blowin’ Your Mind! in 1967 through his most recent 2023 release Moving on Skiffle, a few of Morrison’s songs also stretched outside of his core songbook.
Here are three songs Morrison wrote for other artists in the early ’70s and 1990s.
1. “4% Pantomime,” The Band (1971)
Written by Van Morrison and Robbie Robertson
Robbie Robertson had already started writing The Band‘s “4% Pantomime,” released on their fourth album Cahoots, and had the song completed when Morrison visited the band while they were recording in Woodstock, New York. At the time, the still-emerging Morrison was recording his album Moondance, which was a departure from his jazzier folk into more bluesy rock.
While Morrison was at the studio, the band ended up recording “4% Pantomime” with him and Morrison ended up co-writing words as he was playing around with the song. Morrison and The Band’s pianist Richard Manuel started singing together with each taking on a different verse. Morrison calls Manuel “Richard,” while he calls Morrison the “Belfast Cowboy” — a nickname given to him by Robertson.
The song tells the story of two down-and-out musicians who only have one bottle of whiskey left.
The management said they were sorry
For the inconvenience you are suffering
And Mr. Booking Agent, please have mercy
Don’t book the jobs so far apart
We went up to Griffith Park
With a fifth of Johnnie Walker red
And smashed it on a rock, and wept
While the old couple looked on into the dark
2. “Flamingos Fly,” Jackie DeShannon (1973)
Written by Van Morrison
Most famous for her 1965 hit “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and her own “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” in 1969, Jackie DeShannon was the first artist to record and release the Morrison-penned “Flamingos Fly” in 1972. DeShannon also covered Morrison’s 1971 song “I Wanna Roo You” on her album Jackie.
You kiss my eyes
In the still of the night
And mornin’ brings forth
All its wonderous delight
You couldn’t have said it, it more plain
We’re doin’ it over again
When I hear you gently sigh
In 1976, Sammy Hagar covered “Flamingos Fly” on his debut album, Nine on a Ten Scale, followed by Morrison, who included it on his ninth album, A Period of Transition in 1977.
3. “Carrying a Torch,” Tom Jones (1991)
Written by Van Morrison
Morrison wrote and produced four songs for Tom Jones, released on his 1991 album, Carrying A Torch, including the title track, “Some Peace of Mind,” “I’m Not Feeling it Anymore,” and “It Must Be You.” He later collaborated with Jones again on his 1999 album, Reload, with the two dueting on Morrison’s 1997 song “Sometimes We Cry.”
[RELATED: 5 Van Morrison Deep Cuts You Should Be Listening To]
I’m carrying a torch for you
I’m carrying a torch
You know how much it costs
To keep carrying a torch
Flame of love it burns so bright
That is my desire
Keep on liftin’ me, liftin’ me up
Higher and higher
You’re the keeper of the flame
Girl, you burn so bright
Baby, why don’t we reconnect?
Move into the light
. Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images
