The 1967 Hit Song That the World Still Loves, but Van Morrison Can’t Stand Singing Anymore (And We Don’t Blame Him)

Ever since Van Morrison released “Brown-Eyed Girl” in March 1967, the song has appeared in countless sing-alongs, cover sets, and weddings. From the uplifting romance of the lyrics to the earworm “sha-la-la” hook, “Brown-Eyed Girl” was an instant classic, bolstered by American audiences’ desire for upbeat, whimsical, and love-oriented music during the iconic Summer of Love.

Nevertheless, an artist’s favorite song from their catalog isn’t always the public’s favorite, and this is especially true of the song that would help define Morrison’s career. And with each passing year, the Irish singer-songwriter felt farther and farther removed from the song.

Speaking to The Sun in 2024, Morrison lamented, “How can a 79-year-old guy sing about something he wrote when he was 20? It’s basically a teenage song. I can’t relate to it much now, you know?”

There Might Be Another Reason Van Morrison Doesn’t Like Singing “Brown-Eyed Girl”

The benefits “Brown-Eyed Girl” offered to Van Morrison’s career are undeniable. Some people who would have never known him otherwise do so simply because of that track. Still, that doesn’t mean Morrison had particularly fond feelings toward the song. In fact, he likely thought of “Brown-Eyed Girl” as a reminder of shoddy business deals he made when he was young, not the notoriety it granted him.

A young Morrison signed a contract with Bang Records ahead of his session for “Brown-Eyed Girl”. The stipulations were anything but accommodating to an artist, but Morrison was hungry for some kind of deal. So, he took what he could get, even if it wasn’t a great deal.

Per Can You Feel The Silence?: Van Morrison, A New Biography, the singer-songwriter’s contract stated that Morrison was responsible for covering all recording costs, from musicians’ salaries to studio time to the tape he recorded on. Morrison also didn’t get ownership of the masters, which meant he was effectively paying for everything, and Bang Records would reap virtually all the rewards.

All of them, of course, except for the household notoriety Morrison earned from “Brown-Eyed Girl”. The shows he performs as a senior musician—again, a byproduct of the fame this song and others earned him—still include “Brown-Eyed Girl” in the set list. But he makes sure to point out to his listeners that he’s never been paid royalties for what became one of his biggest all-time hits.

Photo by PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images