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.
County Down
Van Morrison Lyrics
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One morning last July,
From a boreen green came a sweet colleen
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She looked so sweet from her two bare feet
To the sheen of her nut brown hair.
Such a coaxing elf, sure I shook myself
For to see I was really there.
[Chorus]
From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay and
From Galway to Dublin Town,
No maid I've seen like the brown colleen
That I met in the County Down.
As she onward sped, sure I scratched my head,
And I looked with a feelin' rare,
And I say's, say's I, to a passer-by,
"Whose the maid with the nut brown hair"?
He smiled at me and he says, say's he,
"That's the gem of Ireland's crown.
It's Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann,
She's the star of the County Down".
[Chorus]
At the Harvest Fair she'll be surely there
And I'll dress in my Sunday clothes,
With my shoes shone bright and my hat cocked
Right for a smile from my nut brown rose.
No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke
Till my plough turns rust colored brown.
Till a smiling bride, by my own fireside
Sits the star of the County Down.
[Chorus]
The song "Star of the County Down" by Van Morrison and The Chieftains is a romantic ballad about a chance encounter between a young man and a beautiful woman in Banbridge Town in County Down, Ireland. The singer is struck by the beauty of the woman, from her bare feet to the sheen of her nut brown hair. He asks a passerby who she is and learns that she is Rosie McCann, the "star of the County Down," a gem of Ireland's crown. The singer is smitten and vows to win her heart, hoping to someday marry her and have her sit by his fireside as his smiling bride.
The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery of the Irish countryside and the beauty of the "brown colleen," which is a term used to refer to a young woman with brown hair. The song captures the romantic ideals and aspirations of youth, as the singer dreams of finding true love and building a life with the woman he has just met. The chorus reinforces this theme as the singer proclaims that he has never seen a maid like the "brown colleen" he has met in the County Down.
Line by Line Meaning
In Banbridge Town in the County Down
In a small town called Banbridge, located in County Down in Northern Ireland
One morning last July,
One morning in July, specifically
From a boreen green came a sweet colleen
From a small, green lane came a beautiful young woman
And she smiled as she passed me by.
She walked past him with a smile
She looked so sweet from her two bare feet
She was so cute from head to toe, especially her bare feet
To the sheen of her nut brown hair.
Her hair was shiny and smooth and was of a rich, nutty-brown color
Such a coaxing elf, sure I shook myself
He was so enchanted by her, he had to convince himself that it was real
For to see I was really there.
He double-checked to confirm that he truly saw her
From Bantry Bay up to Derry Quay and
This girl outshines any other girl in all of Ireland, from Bantry Bay to Derry Quay
From Galway to Dublin Town,
Everywhere between Galway and Dublin, she is unmatched
No maid I've seen like the brown colleen
No other girl he's seen is as beautiful as she is
That I met in the County Down.
He met her in County Down, and she stands out as the most beautiful woman he's seen
As she onward sped, sure I scratched my head,
As she walked away, he pondered her beauty curiously
And I looked with a feelin' rare,
He couldn't take his eyes off her but was filled with wonder and awe
And I say's, say's I, to a passer-by,
He spoke to a stranger that passed by
"Whose the maid with the nut brown hair"?
He asked the stranger who this beautiful girl with nut brown hair was
He smiled at me and he says, say's he,
The stranger smiled and replied
"That's the gem of Ireland's crown.
She's the most beautiful girl in Ireland
It's Rosie McCann from the banks of the Bann,
Her name is Rosie McCann and she's from the Bann river area
She's the star of the County Down".
He called her the star of County Down for her beauty and charm
At the Harvest Fair she'll be surely there
He knows that she'll be at the Harvest Fair
And I'll dress in my Sunday clothes,
He plans to dress in his finest clothing
With my shoes shone bright and my hat cocked
He'll shine his shoes and cock his hat to look his best
Right for a smile from my nut brown rose.
He wants to impress her with his appearance and hopes for a smile from her
No pipe I'll smoke, no horse I'll yoke
He'll make a sacrifice by not smoking his pipe or ploughing his fields that day until...
Till my plough turns rust colored brown.
...the plough's silver turns brown from disuse, representing his undivided attention to her
Till a smiling bride, by my own fireside
He wants her to be his smiling bride, sitting by his fireside
Sits the star of the County Down.
He wants her to be his bride, and keep the star of County Down shining in his home
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: PETER HOPE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind