Ireland has produced some fantabulous poets over the centuries.  Keeping to fairly modern times, we think of William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Brendan Behan – and the list goes on.  Come October, when the leaves on the trees are falling to the sound of the breezes that blow, we are reminded to include Van Morrison on that list.

“Moondance” is a great song from sort of turning point in the life of Sir George Ivan “Van” Morrison, Jr.  He had been immensely popular in Belfast as a founding member of Them (which was the seminal Irish band for two years, much as U2 has been for the past several decades).  Then, in 1966, Morrison left the group to pursue a solo career.  His first solo single, “Brown Eyed Girl,” has become one of the most popular rock and roll songs of all time.  However, due to contractual issues, he received almost no payment, and was nearly destitute when he left Bang Records and began recording for Warner Brothers.

It seems that Warner signed him because it believed, based on songs like “Gloria” and “Brown Eyed Girl,” that Morrison would create commercially successful pop music.  However, his first album for the new label was Astral Weeks, a complicated enigmatic song cycle that is recognized as a work of genius; but did not sell well when it was released in 1968.  Within a few months, though, listeners began to appreciate the gift he had given them, and that album presaged his marvelous career that followed.

His next album was Moondance, released in 1970.  As dark and mystical as Astral Weeks had seemed, this one was optimistic and upbeat; and it continued the display of Morrison’s genius.  Many critics have named it to lists of the greatest albums of all time – and deservedly so.  It has sold millions of copies over the years, and many of its songs continue to be popular today, 45 years later (“It Stoned Me,” “Caravan,” “Into the Mystic,” “Crazy Love,” “These Dreams of You”).

The most popular of them all is the title track.  Everyone knows that song; and obviously I was thinking of it here under the cover of October skies.  Listening to the song, I felt I should choose one of the many hundreds of great songs Morrison has recorded to be the Song of the Week.

I spent the day doing Fall cleaning and maintenance chores around the house, so I thought a good choice might be “Cleaning Windows,” which is another feeling good song about a working man in his prime, and is based on memories of one of Morrison’s early jobs.

I also considered “Rough God Goes Riding.”  I have thought that to be a great song since it was included on Morrison’s 1997 album, The Healing Game; and earlier this year he gave us a new version, singing with his daughter Shana on his Duets album.

An obvious feature of the “Moondance” song is its jazzy feel and arrangement.  To follow up on that aspect, I thought maybe it would be good to listen to “Lonely Avenue,” which is a great cover he did of a song recorded by Ray Charles in 1956.

Those are all terrific songs.  However, this is the time of year when “Moondance” seems perfect. So, popular and well-known as it may be, it is the Song of the Week.

Van Morrison has never given many interviews, so it is not easy to find great insight into the background of his compositions.  It seems that “Moondance” was written about the time he married his first wife, Janet Planet, and moved to Woodstock, New York.  He has said that the tune came to him first.  For several weeks he would play it whenever he picked up his saxophone.  When it came time to make an album, he added words.

Here it is:

Moondance
By Van Morrison

Copyright: Caledonia Soul Music, Caledonia Productions Inc., WB Music Corp.