Moondance

Van Morrison

About Moondance

"Moondance" is a song recorded by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison and is the title song on his third studio album Moondance (1970). It was written by Morrison, and produced by Morrison and Lewis Merenstein. Morrison did not release the song as a single until November 1977, seven and a half years after the album was released. It reached the US Billboard Hot 100, charting at number 92. The single's B-side, "Cold Wind in August", had been released in the same year, on his latest album at the time, A Period of Transition. "Moondance" is the song that Van Morrison plays most frequently in concert. 


Year:
1970
4:34
56 

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Little Jimmy's gone
Way out of the backstreet
Out of the window
Through the fallin' rain
Right on time
Right on time
That's why Broken Arrow
Waved his finger down the road so dark and narrow
In the evenin'
Just before the Sunday six-bells chime, six-bells chime
And all the dogs are barkin'
Way on down the diamond-studded highway where you wander
And you roam from your retreat and view
Way over on the railroad
Tomorrow all the tippin' trucks will unload
Every scrapbook stuck will glue
And I'll stand beside you
Beside you child
To never never never wonder why at all
No no no no no no no no
To never never wonder why at all
To never never never wonder why it's gotta be
It has to be
Way across the country where the hillside mountain glide
The dynamo of your smile caressed the barefoot virgin child to wander
Past your window with a lantern lit
You held it in the doorway and you cast against the pointed island breeze
Said your time was open, go well on your merry way
Past the brazen footsteps of the silence easy
You breathe in you breathe out you breathe in you breathe out you breath in
You breathe out you breathe in you breathe out
And you're high on your high-flyin' cloud
Wrapped up in your magic shroud as ecstasy surrounds you
This time it's found you
You turn around you turn around you turn around you turn around
And I'm beside you
Beside you
Oh darlin'
To never never wonder why at all
No no no no no
To never never never wonder why at all
To never never never wonder why it's gotta be
It has to be
And I'm beside you
Beside you
Oh child
To never never wonder why at all
I'm beside you
Beside you
Beside you
Beside you
Oh child

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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 »

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Written by: Van Morrison

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Album Debut
"Moondance" is the title track of Van Morrison's third studio album, released in 1970. It marked a turn from the abstract folk-rock of his earlier work towards a more accessible, jazz-inflected sound.
Song Composition
Van Morrison reportedly wrote this song in two hours while living in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1968. He got the melody in his head during a saxophone practice session and the lyrics came to him later that night.
Hit Ranking
Despite not being released as a single until 1977 – seven years after the album's release – "Moondance" has become one of Van Morrison's most popular and enduring songs. Rolling Stone magazine later ranked Moondance number 65 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time."
Song License
Van Morrison permitted the song to be used for the first time in a movie for 1990's "An American Werewolf in London."
Music Genre
The song "Moondance" is a jazz standard and has been covered by many artists in a variety of genres, including jazz, blues, rock, and country. It features Morrison's rich vocal style and a lively, swing-infused rhythm.
Song Inspiration
"Moondance" was inspired by Morrison's interest in astrology. The song vividly conveys the romantic and uplifting feelings associated with a moonlit night, hence the song's name.
Recognition
In 2007, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognized "Moondance" for its "artistic, historic, and aesthetic significance to the musical landscape" and inducted it into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Live Performance
"Moondance" is a beloved standard at Van Morrison's live performances, often earning cheers of recognition from the moment the introductory bass line begins.
Album Production
Van Morrison produced the "Moondance" album with Lewis Merenstein, who had been heavily involved in the production of his previous album, "Astral Weeks," that released in 1968.
Music Structure
The song has unusual chord changes, which give it a unique sound. It follows a standard 32-bar AABA jazz structure, but with a few twists, such as a key change during the bridge.

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    Moondance

    10.9M
    65,276     2,287

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1977

    Billboard #92


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