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.
Ain't Nothing You Can Do
Van Morrison Lyrics
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An you try to soothe the pain
Go right back to sleep
And you'll feel all right again
When ya got a backache
Little rubbin' will see you through
When you got a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
There ain't nothin' you can do
When you got a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
A man can't break a stone
So he tried another lick
Iceman can't break his ice, Lord
So he tries another pick
An electric lights go out
Candle light will see you through
When you got a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
There ain't nothin' you can do
There ain't nothin' you can do
When you got a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
Hey
Man can't break a stone
So he tried another lick
Iceman can't break his ice, Lord
So he tried another pick
'Lectric lights go out
A candle light will see you through
When ya got a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
There ain't nothin' you can do, Lord
There ain't nothin' you can do, hey
When you got a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
Every time I think about it
Every time I think about it
When ya got a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
Every time I think about it
Every time I think about it
Every time I think about it
The song "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" by Van Morrison talks about how some pains cannot be healed by any form of treatment or medication, especially when it comes to heartache. The singer in the song compares heartache to physical pains like headaches and backaches, which can be soothed with sleep or rubbing. However, when it comes to heartache, there is nothing anyone can do about it.
The song presents heartache as something that cannot be avoided or controlled, and it's a pain that people must inevitably endure. The lyrics suggest that people must learn to live with the pain and try to find ways to cope with it, just as an iceman would try another pick to break the ice, or a person would light a candle when the electric lights go out.
Overall, the song "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" highlights the universal feeling of heartbreak and the realization that there are some things in life that are inevitable and beyond our control.
Line by Line Meaning
When you got a headache
If you have a headache
An you try to soothe the pain
And you attempt to alleviate the discomfort
Go right back to sleep
Try going back to sleep
And you'll feel all right again
And you'll feel better once again
When ya got a backache
If you have a backache
Little rubbin' will see you through
Massaging the area will help you feel better
When you got a heartache
But when you have a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
There's nothing you can do to make the pain go away
There ain't nothin' you can do
There's nothing you can do
A man can't break a stone
A person can't break a stone
So he tried another lick
So he tried a different method
Iceman can't break his ice, Lord
A person who sells ice can't break it
So he tries another pick
And has to try a different approach
An electric lights go out
When the electric lights go out
Candle light will see you through
Candle light will help you make it through
When you got a heartache
But when you have a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
There's nothing you can do to make the pain go away
There ain't nothin' you can do
There's nothing you can do
When you got a heartache
When you have a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
There's nothing you can do to make the pain go away
A man can't break a stone
A person can't break a stone
So he tried another lick
So he tried a different method
Iceman can't break his ice, Lord
A person who sells ice can't break it
So he tried another pick
And has to try a different approach
'Lectric lights go out
Electric lights go out
A candle light will see you through
A candle will help you make it through
When ya got a heartache
But when you have a heartache
There ain't nothin' you can do
There's nothing you can do to make the pain go away
There ain't nothin' you can do, Lord
There's nothing you can do
There ain't nothin' you can do, hey
There's nothing you can do
When you got a heartache
When you have a heartache
Every time I think about it
Whenever I think about it
There ain't nothin' you can do
There's nothing you can do to make the pain go away
Every time I think about it
Whenever I think about it
Every time I think about it
Whenever I think about it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON ROBEY, JOSEPH W. SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind