Brown Eyed Girl
Basse Wickman Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey, where did we go
Days when the rains came ?
Down in the hollow
Playing a new game
Laughing and a-running, hey, hey
Skipping and a-jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our, our hearts a-thumping
And you, my brown-eyed girl
You, my brown-eyed girl

Whatever happened
To Tuesday and so slow
Going down to the old mine with a
Transistor radio
Standing in the sunlight laughing
Hide behind a rainbow's wall
Slipping and a-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 dee dah
Just like that
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
La dee dah

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
Sometime I'm overcome thinking about
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 dee dah
Laying in the green grass
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee
Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la




Dee dah la dee dah la dee dah la
D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d

Overall Meaning

The song "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison is a nostalgic journey through the memories of the singer's youth and his first love - the "brown-eyed girl." The song begins with the singer asking "Hey, where did we go / Days when the rains came?" which sets the tone of longing to go back to a simpler time in the past. He remembers playing a new game down in the hollow with his brown-eyed girl, laughing, skipping, and jumping in the misty morning fog. The singer's heart is still full of the excitement and joy they experienced together as children.


The second verse, "Whatever happened / To Tuesday and so slow / Going down to the old mine with a / Transistor radio," expresses the sense of disappointment and loss the singer feels as an adult. The once carefree days are gone, and he can't seem to find his way on his own. He recalls their time singing "sha la la la la la la" and having fun in the sun, hiding behind the rainbow's wall, and slipping along the waterfall. The refrain, "You, my brown-eyed girl," reinforces his memories of her and the love they shared.


In the third verse, the singer sees his brown-eyed girl again as an adult and reflects on how she has grown. He remembers making love in the green grass behind the stadium with her and is overwhelmed by the memories. The song ends with the memory of lying in the green grass singing "sha la la la la la la" and feeling the freedom and joy of being young and in love. The wistful memories of the past evoke a sense of nostalgia, longing, and bittersweetness.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey, where did we go
Asking the listener to remember a time in the past


Days when the rains came ?
A specific time period in their past


Down in the hollow
Describing the location of the memory


Playing a new game
Enjoying a new experience


Laughing and a-running, hey, hey
Enjoying the moment and having fun


Skipping and a-jumping
Describing the physical activity in the moment


In the misty morning fog with
Describing the atmosphere of the memory


Our, our hearts a-thumping
Feeling excited and alive


And you, my brown-eyed girl
Addressing a specific person in the memory


Whatever happened
Reflecting on how things have changed


To Tuesday and so slow
Referencing a specific day and how time felt different


Going down to the old mine with a
Describing an activity from the past


Transistor radio
A specific detail to add context to the past memory


Standing in the sunlight laughing
Describing another memory from the past


Hide behind a rainbow's wall
Imagining a playful scene from the past


Slipping and a-sliding
Having fun in the moment


All along the waterfall
Describing the setting of the memory


With you, my brown-eyed girl
Addressing the same person from earlier in the song


Do you remember when we used to sing
Bringing the listener back to a specific moment in the past


Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Recalling a specific song or melody from the past


Just like that
Describing the ease and simplicity of the past moment


So hard to find my way
Feeling lost in the present moment


Now that I'm all on my own
Reflecting on being alone in the present moment


I saw you just the other day
Recalling a recent encounter with the same person from earlier in the song


My, how you have grown!
Noticing a change in the person's appearance since the past memory


Cast my memory back there, Lord
Asking for a moment of reflection and memory recall


Sometime I'm overcome thinking about
Feeling emotional when thinking about the past


Making love in the green grass
Recalling an intimate moment from the past


Behind the stadium
Describing the setting of the past memory


Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Referencing the same song/melody from earlier in the song


Laying in the green grass
Describing another scene from the past memory


Dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee
Adding a playful tone and rhythm to the lyrics


Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la
Continuing the reference to the same song/melody


Dee dah la dee dah la dee dah la
Continuing the playful tone and rhythm


D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d
Adding a playful sound effect to the lyrics




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VAN MORRISON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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