George Ivan “Van” Morrison was born on August 31, 1945 in Belfast, No. Ireland at the end of World War II. His father was a Protestant and his mother was a Jehovah’s Witness.  Van was raised as a Protestant. Northern Ireland was divided along religious lines during this time, known as the Troubles. with the Protestants fighting with the Catholics for control of the country. The fighting between Protestants and Catholics lasted from 1960-1998,approximately.The Protestants were seen as Pro-Great Britain while the Catholics wanted independence from Britain and desired unification with Ireland.

When Van was fourteen, he convinced his father to buy him a saxophone and he devoted most of his time to mastering the instrument. By the time he was 15, he left school and began playing guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone in local bands. At this time in Ireland, if you weren’t cut out for school, you were expected to follow in your father’s footsteps and become a laborer. His first job was as a window washer. He commemorated that time in his life with the song, Cleaning Windows, released in 1981 on the album Beautiful Vision.

His musical journey begins

Van first toured Europe at 17 as a member of the “Monarchs”. But he got his big break with Gloria, when he fronted the band THEM from 1964 to 1966. He began his solo career in 1967, releasing his first big hit, Brown Eyed Girl. at the age of 22.

Throughout his career, one can find a random song with a spiritual twist or outright profession of a spiritual nature in the albums he released. Van was not embracing traditional religion but emphasizing feelings regarding his spiritual side. He once told an interviewer, that he wouldn’t touch religion with a ten-foot pole. He held the conviction that religion can mean anything from soup to nuts, but generally it meant organization with someone else calling the shots. To him, spirituality has a deeper meaning for each individual.

Discography:

If you research his discography, you will find an early spiritual bent on If I ever needed someone, from the album His Band and Street Choir (1970).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wO31lI-IW0&list=RD3wO31lI-IW0&start_radio=1

In 1977, he recorded Kingdom Hall, an homage to his mother, on the album Wavelength and Joyous Sound from A Period of Transition.

In 1982, he recorded the album Beautiful Vision which featured the songs She gives me Religion, Across the Bridge where Angels dwell and the title track Beautiful Vision.

The next year saw the release of Higher than the World from the album Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. In the liner notes, he dedicated the album to L. Ron Hubbard, the leader of Scientology. Van flirted with Scientology as a distant, pampered celebrity. The interest didn’t last long.

His greatest years recording and releasing Christian/Spiritual music was from 1985-1991 on four different albums.

In 1985, from the album A Sense of Wonder came the Masters Eyes, By His Grace and A Sense of Wonder

1986 Van released No Guru, No Method, No Teacher offering Someone Like You.

In 1989 came Avalon Sunset which included Whenever God shines his Light(with Cliff Richards), Have I told You Lately (that I love You), Contacting my Angel, When will I ever learn to Live in God, These are the Days and When the Saints come Marching In.

Then in 1991 the album Hymns for the Silence included I can’t stop Loving You, and See Me Through, Part II/ Just a Closer walk with You( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uQyWq2eTP0&list=RD_uQyWq2eTP0&start_radio=1)This album included classic Protestant hymns Be Thou my Vision and Just a Closer Walk with You in honor of his upbringing.

Here are the lyrics and the YouTube link to one such song, Whenever God shines his Life:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–XE4CYGRSY

Whenever God shines his light on me
Opens up my eyes so I can see
When I look up in the darkest night
Then I know everything’s going to be alright
In deep confusion, in great despair
When I reach out for him, he is there
When I am lonely as I can be
I know that God shines his light on me

Reach out for him, he’ll be there
With him your troubles you can share
If you live the life you love
You get the blessing from above
He heals the sick and he heals the lame
Says you can do it too in Jesus name

He’ll lift you up and he turns you around
And he puts your feet back on higher ground

Reach out for him, he’ll be there
With him your troubles you can share
You can use his higher power
In every day and any hour
He heals the sick and he heals the lame
And he says you can heal them too in Jesus name

He’ll lift you up and he turns you around
Puts your feet back on higher ground

When he shines his light
Whenever God shines his light
On you, on you
He is the way
He is the truth
He is the light
Oh

Van Morrison continues to make new music and occasionally does a few live performances. I have not yet explored the later albums since 1991, at this time. Van earned the ability to produce his own records and refuse the pressures from the record companies to give them hits. The hits came in spite of the pressure from “the suits”.

In 2020, during the worldwide COVID pandemic, Van Morrison and Eric Clapton were contrarians to the prevailing demands that everyone get vaccinated. The two of them garnered their share of enemies from the worldwide music community but it didn’t stop them from standing on their principles and beliefs.

I encourage you to listen to the songs that I have highlighted and see what new ones you may find. I welcome your comments regarding new tunes that you discover which would fit well with the Rock and Roll Jesus theme.

This new blog is the sixth in the series Rock and Roll Jesus, which turns the spotlight on songs of a spiritual nature from a contemporary artist who is not considered part of the New Christian Artist world of music. Each blog can be found at Substack as well as here in Do You Believe In Magic.

My only live experience seeing Van perform was back in Sept. 2019 when I saw him perform as part of the Willie Nelson Outlaw Music touring festival. My friend Steve Morse and I caught them at the Pavillion at Montage Mountain in Scranton,PA. His set was sandwiched between sets by the Tedeschi Trucks band and Willie Nelson and friends. Van did not disappoint!

You are encouraged to explore all of my previous blogs at DoYouBelieveInMagic.Blog. Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome. Please share your thoughts on any of the songs or any personal experiences you may have with Morrison’s music.