Known as "Van the Man" by his fans, Morrison first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Northern Irish band Them, writing their 1964 hit "Gloria". A few years later, Morrison left the band for a successful solo career, starting with the album Astral Weeks.
Morrison has pursued an idiosyncratic musical path. Much of his music is tightly structured around the conventions of American soul and R&B, such as the popular singles "Brown Eyed Girl", "Moondance", "Domino", and "Wild Night". An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely connected, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as his classic album Astral Weeks and lesser known works such as Veedon Fleece and Common One. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic Soul," and Morrison rejects the characterization of his genre of music as Rock, citing Elvis Presley as a non-influence.
He continues to perform regularly and achieved his highest U.S. chart position (number ten on the Billboard 200) with his 2008 album, Keep It Simple.
Kingdom Hall
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So glad you're here
Come here beside me now
We can clear inhibition away
All our inhibitions
Throw them away
And when we dance like this
We will dance like we've never before
[Chorus]
Oh, they were swingin'
Down at Kingdom Hall
Oh, bells were ringin'
Down at the Kingdom Hall
A choir was singin'
Down at the Kingdom Hall
Hey, liley, liley, liley
Hey, liley, liley, low
Do do do do do do, do
Do do do do do do
Do do do do do do, do
Do do do do do do
Good body music
Brings you right here
Free flowin' motion now
When we're shakin' it out on the floor
Good rockin' music
Down in your shoes
And when we dance like this
Like we've never been dancin' before
[Chorus]
Down at the Kingdom Hall
They were havin' a party
They were havin' a ball
Bells were ringing out
And the choir was singin'
Hey, liley, liley, liley
Hey, liley, liley, low
Do do, do do, do do, do do
Sugar was there
Did you see Sugar
Down at the Kingdom Hall
Sugar was tough
The opening lines of “Kingdom Hall” by Van Morrison are filled with joy and pleasure as he sings about being happy to see someone and having them come dance with him to free themselves of inhibitions. He talks about how good music brings people together and can make them feel alive in the present moment. The chorus of the song is a celebration of a church’s event that Morrison attended, where everyone was having a good time dancing, singing and ringing bells in a way that lifted people's spirits. The repetition of “Hey, liley, liley, liley, hey, liley, liley, low” throughout the song is a chant that expresses pure joy and enthusiasm.
The song's verses likely consist of some autobiographical aspects since Morrison was raised in a religious family in Belfast. The Kingdom Hall is the meeting place of The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a religion whose practices and principles were taught to Morrison at a young age. The song drew mixed reactions upon its release, with Jehovah's Witnesses angry at Morrison for taking such liberties with their religion, but music critics praised the song for its catchy rhythm and uplifting sense of community.
Line by Line Meaning
So glad to see you
I'm really happy that you're here with me
So glad you're here
I'm really happy that you're here with me
Come here beside me now
Come closer to me
We can clear inhibition away
Let's forget our fears and just enjoy the moment
All our inhibitions
All the things that are limiting us
Throw them away
Let's forget about them
And when we dance like this
When we dance in this way
We will dance like we've never before
We'll dance like we've never danced before
Oh, they were swingin'
They were having a good time
Down at Kingdom Hall
At the church called Kingdom Hall
Oh, bells were ringin'
The church bells were ringing
A choir was singin'
The church choir was singing
Hey, liley, liley, liley
Lyrics that don't have an exact meaning
Hey, liley, liley, low
Lyrics that don't have an exact meaning
Good body music
Music that makes you want to dance
Brings you right here
Makes you feel present in the moment
Free flowin' motion now
We can move our bodies freely now
When we're shakin' it out on the floor
When we dance on the dance floor
Good rockin' music
Music that makes you want to dance and move
Down in your shoes
Makes you feel it in your feet
And when we dance like this
When we dance in this way
Like we've never been dancin' before
As if we've never danced before
They were havin' a party
They were having a good time
They were havin' a ball
They were having a really good time
Bells were ringing out
The church bells were ringing
Sugar was there
Someone called Sugar was there
Did you see Sugar
Did you see that person called Sugar
Sugar was tough
That person called Sugar was strong and capable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VAN MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind