Summertime in England

Van Morrison

About Summertime in England

"Summertime in England" is the longest song on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1980 album, Common One, and is approximately fifteen minutes long. Although the album on which the song appeared was not critically or commercially successful, the song would be performed by Morrison in concert for almost two and one-half decades, taking on new meaning when performed live. A truncated version of the song with an early fade-out was also released as the B-side of the 1983 single "Cry for Home".  


Year:
1980
15:30
802 
#2

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com

Can you meet me in the country
In the summertime in England
Will you meet me?
Will you meet me in the country
In the summertime in England
Will you meet me?
We'll go riding up to Kendal in the country
In the summertime in England.
Did you ever hear about
Did you ever hear about
Did you ever hear about
Wordsworth and Coleridge, baby?
Did you ever hear about Wordsworth and Coleridge?
They were smokin' up in Kendal
By the lakeside
Can you meet me in the country in the long grass
In the summertime in England
Will you meet me
With your red robe dangling all around your body
With your red robe dangling all around your body
Will you meet me
Did you ever hear about 
William Blake
T. S. Eliot
In the summer
In the countryside
They were smokin'
Summertime in England
Won't you meet me down Bristol
Meet me along by Bristol
We'll go ridin' down
Down by Avalon
Down by Avalon
Down by Avalon
In the countryside in England
With your red robe danglin' all around your body free
Let your red robe go.
Goin' ridin' down by Avalon
Would you meet me in the country
In the summertime in England
Would you meet me?
In the Church of St. John 
Down by Avalon 
Holy Magnet
Give you attraction
Yea, I was attracted to you.
Your coat was old, ragged and worn
And you wore it down through the ages
Ah, the sufferin' did show in your eyes as we spoke
And the gospel music
The voice of Mahalia Jackson came through the ether
Oh my common one with the coat so old
And the light in the head
Said, daddy, don't stroke me
Call me the common one.
I said, oh, common one, my illuminated one.
Oh my high in the art of sufferin' one.
Take a walk with me
Take a walk with me down by Avalon
Oh, my common one with the coat so old
And the light in her head.
And the sufferin' so fine
Take a walk with me down by Avalon
And I will show you
It ain't why, why, why
It just is.
Would you meet me in the country
Can you meet me in the long grass
In the country in the summertime
Can you meet me in the long grass
Wait a minute
With your red robe
Danglin' all around your body.
Yeats and Lady Gregory corresponded 
And James Joyce wrote streams of consciousness books
T.S. Eliot chose England 
T.S. Eliot joined the ministry 
Did you ever hear about 
Wordsworth and Coleridge?
Smokin' up in Kendal
They were smokin' by the lakeside 
Let your red robe go 
Let your red robe dangle in the countryside in England
We'll go ridin' down by Avalon
In the country
In the summertime
With you by my side
Let your red robe go 
You'll be happy dancin' 
Let your red robe go 
Won't you meet me down by Avalon
In the summertime in England
In the Church of St. John
Did you ever hear about Jesus walkin'
Jesus walkin' down by Avalon?
Can you feel the light in England?
Can you feel the light in England?
Oh, my common one with the light in her head
And the coat so old
And the sufferin' so fine
Take a walk with me
Oh, my common one,
Oh, my illuminated one
Down by Avalon 
Oh, my common one 
Oh, my storytime one
Oh, my treasury in the sunset
Take a walk with me
And I will show you
It ain't why 
It just is 
Oh, my common one
With the light in the head
And the coat so old
Oh, my high in the art of sufferin' one 
Oh, my common one
Take a walk with me
Down by Avalon
And I will show you
It ain't why 
It just is.
Oh, my common one with the light in her head
And the coat so fine
And the sufferin' so high 
All right now.
Oh, my common one 
It ain't why 
It just is
That's all
That's all there is about it.
It just is.
Can you feel the light?
I want to go to church and say.
In your soul 
Ain't it high?
Oh, my common one
Oh, my story time one
Oh, my high in the art of sufferin' one
Put your head on my shoulder 
And you listen to the silence.
Can you feel the silence?

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


Van Morrison

Van Morrison, OBE (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are described as transcendental, while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are critically acclaimed and appear at the top of many greatest album lists. more »

14 fans

Written by: VAN MORRISON

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


15 facts about this song

Song Context
"Summertime in England" is a semi-epic track that appeared on Van Morrison’s 1980 album, "Common One".
Song Duration
Notable for its length, "Summertime in England" runs for just over 15 minutes, making it one of Morrison's lengthiest studio recordings.
Song Inspiration
The song's lyrics reveal Morrison's knowledge of English literature, including references to William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and W. B. Yeats.
Song Technique
The song employs stream-of-consciousness lyrics which makes it somewhat unique.
Cover Versions
Canadian artist Adam Cohen covered "Summertime in England" on the 1992 tribute album "No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison".
Song Reaction
Initially, it was considered too long and self-indulgent by critics, but has since become a fan favorite.
Live Performances
Despite its length, Morrison often included "Summertime in England" in his concert repertoire.
Song Theme
It's a meditation on the peacemaking and calming power of nature, exploring English landscapes and romantic poetry.
Peculiar Fact
At the end of the song, Morrison recites the names of various artists as if in prayer.
Featured Artists
Musicians who contributed to this track include Mark Isham on trumpet, David Hayes on bass, John Allair on keyboard, and Peter Van Hooke on drums.
Lyrics Analysis
The lyrics are a bit slangy and contemplative, incorporating both jazz and gospel techniques.
Song Structure
"Summertime in England" lacks a traditional pop music structure with verse-chorus-verse. Instead, it is more of a continuous narrative.
Album Context
The song fits into the overall theme of its parent album, "Common One," which is often categorised as one of the most spiritual and experimental albums in Van Morrison’s discography.
Song Musicianship
Many critics do laud the musianship on "Summertime in England," noting the improvisational aspect of the song.
Notable Mention
Greil Marcus, an American author and cultural critic, praised "Summertime in England," calling it the most daring track Morrison ever wrote and recorded.

Discuss the Summertime in England Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Summertime in England Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2813176/Van+Morrison/Summertime+in+England>.

    Missing lyrics by Van Morrison?

    Know any other songs by Van Morrison? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Summertime in England

    81,206
    776     37

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    In which year was the song, "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo, released as a single?
    A 2020
    B 2021
    C 2018
    D 2019

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Van Morrison's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Van Morrison tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!