Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Days when the rains came
Down in the hollow
Playin' a new game
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Skipping and a jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our hearts a thumpin' and you
You, my brown-eyed girl
Whatever happened
To Tuesday and so slow?
Going down the old mine
With a transistor radio
Standing in the sunlight laughing
Hiding behind a rainbow's wall
Slipping and sliding
All along the waterfall, with you
My brown-eyed girl
You, my brown-eyed girl
Do you remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
Just like that
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da, la te da
So hard to find my way
Now that I'm all on my own
I saw you just the other day
My, how you have grown
Cast my memory back there, Lord
Sometimes I'm overcome thinking 'bout
Making love in the green grass
Behind the stadium with you
My brown-eyed girl
You, my brown-eyed girl
Do you remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da, la te da
(Bit by bit, by bit, by bit, by bit, by bit)
(Sha la la la la la la, la te da, la te da
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da, la te da
(La te da, da da da da da da da da)
The opening verses of Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" are nostalgic, yearning for a simpler time when the singer and his "brown-eyed girl" would frolic and laugh in a misty hollow, playing new games and skipping around. The memories seem to suggest that their young love was intense and full of life, as their hearts thumped in the misty morning fog, and they laughed while slipping and sliding along a waterfall. The singer also notes that they used to sing together, creating a beautiful harmony with the chorus, "Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da, la te da."
This idyllic scene is then interrupted when the singer asks, "What ever happened to Tuesday and so slow?" The reference to Tuesday and its lack of speed perhaps signifies how fast-paced and hectic adult life is compared to youth. The singer remembers going down an old mine with a transistor radio, laughing and standing in the sunlight while hiding behind a rainbow's wall. He again remembers singing "Sha la la la" with his brown-eyed girl. However, the singer notes that finding his way now, as an adult, is hard, and he's seen his brown-eyed girl who has grown up. But the memories remain, and he is overcome by thoughts of making love in the green grass behind the stadium with his beloved brown-eyed girl.
Overall, "Brown Eyed Girl" is a wistful song about the beauty and intensity of young love, and how memories of youth can be both sweet and bittersweet.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, where did we go?
A nostalgic question about a time and place that no longer exists
Days when the rains came
A reference to a specific rainy season in the past
Down in the hollow
A specific location where the singer spent time in the past
Playin' a new game
Trying out new experiences and activities in the past
Laughing and a running hey, hey
Enjoying life and having fun in the past
Skipping and a jumping
Engaging in physical activities for enjoyment and release
In the misty morning fog with
A description of the surroundings during a specific memory
Our hearts a thumpin' and you
A sense of excitement and connection with a specific person
My brown-eyed girl
A term of endearment for the person the artist is reminiscing about
You, my brown-eyed girl
Reinforcing the significance of the person in the artist's memories
Whatever happened
A reflection on how things have changed since the past
To Tuesday and so slow?
A reference to the slow pace of life in the past and how time seems to have sped up
Going down the old mine
A specific location from the past that the singer visited
With a transistor radio
An item that the singer had with them during their visit to the old mine
Standing in the sunlight laughing
A happy memory of enjoying the sunshine with someone
Hiding behind a rainbow's wall
A poetic description of hiding with someone in a colorful place
Slipping and sliding
Engaging in playful physical activities
All along the waterfall, with you
Sharing an experience with someone important
Do you remember when we used to sing
A question to the person the singer is reminiscing about
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
A nonsensical phrase that represents a happy, carefree time
Just like that
Spontaneously enjoying life without worrying about the future
So hard to find my way
Feeling lost or struggling in the present
Now that I'm all on my own
Reflecting on how life has changed since the past
I saw you just the other day
A recent encounter with the person the artist is reminiscing about
My, how you have grown
Noticing physical changes in the person since the past
Cast my memory back there, Lord
A prayer-like request to revisit a specific memory from the past
Sometimes I'm overcome thinking 'bout
A feeling of being overwhelmed by memories
Making love in the green grass
A description of a intimate moment in the past
Behind the stadium with you
A specific location where the intimate moment took place
Sha la la la la la la la la la la te da
Repeating the nonsensical phrase from earlier to represent the carefree, happy memories
Bit by bit, by bit, by bit, by bit, by bit
A visual description of small changes over time
La te da, la te da
Another nonsensical phrase that represents carefree times
da da da da da da da da
Continuation of the nonsensical phrase
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Van Morrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ninahagen1453
"And every cat in the twilight's gray/ Every possible cat."
The tortoiseshell cat,
She sits on the mat,
As gay as a sunflower she;
In orange and black you see her wink,
And her waistcoat’s white and her nose is pink,
And her eyes are as green as the sea.
But all is vanity, all the way;
Twilight’s coming and close of day,
And every cat in the twilight’s gray,
Every possible cat.
The tortoiseshell cat,
She is smooth and fat,
And we call her Josephine,
Because she weareth upon her back
This coat of colours, this raven black,
This red of tangerine;
But all is vanity, all the way;
Twilight follows the brightest day,
And every cat in the twilight’s gray,
Every possible cat.
@Loveyalise
My husband used to sing this song to me all the time when we were dating. Then alot after we were married too. Every year on my birthday. He passed away three months ago and my birthday is tomorrow. It will be the first birthday I won't hear him sing this song to me . I was 16 when he first started and I'll be 54 tomorrow. I keep listening to it now just to remember him. I miss him so much.
@yauwish2364
i’m sorry for your loss hun <3 he’s watching over you in the sky
@tshepangsese1771
Happy Birthday 🎂
He is with you in spirit and heart ❣️❤️
@007Majed007
Happy birthday. May he Rest In Peace. Just treasure the memories. Try to seek support from friends and family. He would want you to be showing up and doing your best. Don’t let him down. Take care.
@reginasmalley5711
like, wow i hope you feel better.
@estajoykroten2990
I am so sorry. I hope you managed to have some comfort on your birthday and, indeed, everyday. Arms around you.
@richardtaff9523
I married my brown eye girl 60 years ago she is still the one I choose today . We had a good ride
@katejones8337
Richard Taff oh my god this has melted my heart
@marshalmatthews1042
@@katejones8337 it was like 1907 , marriages were arranged then
@MarkSeiler
@@marshalmatthews1042 just because you can't see the beauty in the world, doesn't mean it isn't there, just that you're too jaded to see it