Sometimes art works on multiple levels. Consider how The Wizard of Oz can be understood as a story about Dorothy’s surreal journey to the Emerald City or as an allegory for U.S. monetary policy in the late 1800s. The same can be said for Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” The track from Morrison’s 1970 breakthrough album Moondance has a surface meaning but also a more philosophical one.
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Neither interpretation can be considered as the unquestionably “correct” one, because Morrison himself was not entirely clear on the song’s meaning. He wrote some of the song’s lyrics with two different sets of wordings. Choosing one version over the other actually alters the song’s meaning. Morrison originally called the song “Into the Misty,” which corresponds with a more down-to-earth interpretation. Then he changed it to “Into the Mystic,” which connotes a more ethereal meaning.
Does one meaning ring a little truer than the other? Let’s investigate the different interpretations of “Into the Mystic.”
A Literal Interpretation
With little effort, we can hear “Into the Mystic” as a fairly straightforward song about sailing. Especially once we get past the first verse, it’s an interpretation that fits the lyrics almost seamlessly. The initial verse, though, is a little convoluted.
We were born before the wind
Also, younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won
As we sail into the mystic
It’s not clear why Morrison would assume that the sun has been around longer than the wind or why he says our birth is chronologically between the two of them. Clearly, these opening lines are symbolic, but of what we can’t be sure. The “bonnie boat” is a reference to a traditional Scottish tune called “The Skye Boat Song.” According to the Scots Language Center, “The Skye Boat Song” is about “how Bonnie Prince Charlie, disguised as an Irish woman, was rowed over the Minch to the island of Skye to hide from the British soldiers.” Why Morrison is calling his craft “the bonnie boat,” or why it was something to be “won” is open for interpretation.
The verse’s final line—As we sailed into the mystic—sets us up to more easily follow the rest of Morrison’s narrative. In the second verse, he paints a vivid picture of being on a boat.
Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly
Into the mystic
Morrison adds to the sensory experiences of smell and touch by inviting us to listen as well. In the pre-chorus, he sings, And when that foghorn blows / I will be coming home. In the chorus, he wants “to rock your gypsy soul,” encouraging the listener to have a whole-body (and spiritual) experience while we “float into the mystic.”
A Spiritual Interpretation
That first line of the chorus—And I want to rock your gypsy soul—suggests that Morrison is singing about something more metaphysical than just an experience on a body of water. So do the alternative wordings for the first verse.
We were borne before the wind
All so younger than the son
Ere the bonnie boat was one
(In a discussion of these lyrics that was included in Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison by Brian Hinton, Morrison actually mixes lines from the two different versions together. Therefore, it’s not even clear which ones he intended for the final version.)
These versions of the lines conjure up a vision of humans as part of a universal whole. With “born” changed to “borne,” the word “before” takes on a spatial rather than a temporal meaning. The bonnie boat being “one,” makes more immediate sense than “won.” It implies that the boat is just part of the “oneness,” along with everything else in Morrison’s maritime scene.
This interpretation also works with the rest of the song. It especially makes the lines And when that foghorn blows / I will be coming home more poignant. In this context, “coming home” refers to recognizing one’s place as part of the universal wholeness. Morrison favored the latter interpretation, though with a caveat. He said, “I guess the song is just about being part of the universe.” If Morrison isn’t completely sure about this, perhaps we can’t be either.
The Impact of “Into the Mystic”
“Into the Mystic” was not one of the three singles from Moondance released in the U.S. However, it enjoyed airplay on album-oriented rock stations and continues to be one of Morrison’s best-known songs. It charted on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales rankings, peaking at No. 5. From his catalog, only “Brown Eyed Girl” has received more streams on Spotify. The platform’s users have played “Into the Mystic” more than 325 million times.
Moondance peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified Triple Platinum in May 1996.
“Into the Mystic” has been covered by dozens of artists. Johnny Rivers released his version of the song as a single in April 1970, three months after Morrison released Moondance. Rivers’ cover of “Into the Mystic” reached No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ben E. King, Paul Carrack, The Wallflowers, Lowen & Navarro, Michael McDonald, and Gretchen Wilson are among the other artists to cover the song.
It has also been used in several films, including Immediate Family, Dream a Little Dream, Patch Adams, and American Wedding.
A BBC survey concluded that “Into the Mystic” is one of the most popular songs to be played in operating rooms. Surgeons apparently prefer the song due to its mellow, calming mood.
And, really, who can blame them? “Into the Mystic” is an enjoyable, relaxing song, even when the stakes aren’t as high as surgery. It’s a great listen, regardless of how you interpret it. The fact that Morrison himself isn’t sure which set of lyrics applies just adds to the song’s magical quality.
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