Van Morrison has been releasing music for well over 50 years. A prolific songwriter, Morrison is the writer behind some of music’s most legendary songs, including these three, which almost everyone already knows.
“Brown Eyed Girl”
Morrison’s debut single, “Brown Eyed Girl” appears on his freshman Blowin’ Your Mind record. The song was released in 1967. Although it did not become a No. 1 hit for Morrison, it remains one of his most popular songs.
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“Brown Eyed Girl” says, “Laughing and a-running, hey, hey / Skipping and a-jumping / In the misty morning fog with / Our, our hearts a-thumping / And you, my brown-eyed girl / You, my brown-eyed girl.”
Morrison later said he went years without singing “Brown Eyed Girl”, mostly because he didn’t like it.
“‘Brown Eyed Girl’ I didn’t perform for a long time because for me it was like a throwaway song,” he admitted. “I’ve got about 300 other songs I think are better than that.”
“Have I Told You Lately”
Out in 1989 on Morrison’s Avalon Sunset record, “Have I Told You Lately” became a Top 15 hit for Morrison.
The romantic tune says, “There’s a love that’s divine / And it’s yours and it’s mine / Like the sun at the end of the day / We should give thanks and pray to the One / Have I told you lately that I love you / Have I told you there’s no one above you / Fill my heart with gladness / Take away my sadness / Ease my troubles, that’s what you do.”
“Have I Told You Lately” has been covered multiple times. Artists who have put their own spin on “Have I Told You Lately” include Rod Stewart, Kenny Rogers, and Andy Williams, among others.
“Moondance”
“Moondance” is the title track of a record Morrison released in 1970. Surprisingly, it wasn’t until 1977 that “Moondance” became a single.
A song of longing, “Moondance” says, “Well, it’s a marvelous night for a Moondance / With the stars up above in your eyes / A fantabulous night to make romance / ‘Neath the cover of October skies / And all the leaves on the trees are falling / To the sound of the breezes that blow / And I’m trying to please to the calling / Of your heart-strings that play soft and low / And all the night’s magic seems to whisper and hush / And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush.”
“Moondance” later became part of the 2007 film, August Rush, sung by Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage
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