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.
Cypress Avenue
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up on Cyprus Avenue
Caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue
And I'm conquered in a car seat
Not a thing that I can do
I may go crazy
I may go crazy
Before that mansion on the hill
But my heart keeps beating faster
And my feet can't keep still
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
And the leaves fall one by one
And call the autumn time a fool
Yeah, my t-tongue gets tied
Every, every, every time I try to speak
My tongue gets tied
Every time I try to speak
And my inside shakes just like a leaf on a tree
I think I'll go on by the river with my cherry, cherry wine
I believe I'll go walking by the railroad with my cherry, cherry wine
If I pass the rumbling station where the lonesome engine drivers pine
Wait a minute, yonder come my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Yonder come my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Six white horses and a carriage
She's returning from the fair
Baby, baby, baby
And I'm caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue
And if I'm, yeah, caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue
And I'm conquered in a car seat
And I'm looking straight at you
Way up on, way up on, way up on
The avenue of trees
Keep walking down
In the wind and the rain, darling
You keep walking down when the sun shone through the trees
Nobody, no, no, no, no, nobody stops me from loving you baby
So young and bold, fourteen-year old
Baby, baby, baby
The song "Cypress Avenue" is a nostalgic and romantic ballad that takes listeners on a journey of self-discovery through childhood memories and unrequited love. The singer is caught on Cypress Avenue, which is likely a reference to a street in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where Van Morrison grew up. He is sitting in a car seat, feeling powerless and uncertain, but also hopeful about the possibilities that lie ahead. He may go crazy before he reaches the "mansion on the hill," which represents his dreams and aspirations, but his heart keeps beating faster and his feet can't keep still.
Throughout the song, Morrison weaves together different themes and images that evoke a sense of longing and belonging. He observes the little girls rhyming on their way back home from school, the leaves falling one by one, and the rumbling station where the lonesome engine drivers pine. He struggles to express himself, as his tongue gets tied every time he tries to speak, but he finds solace in walking by the river with his cherry wine or by the railroad where he can watch the world go by. He is also drawn to a lady with rainbow ribbons in her hair, who rides a carriage with six white horses and returns from the fair. She represents the ideal of beauty and grace that he yearns for, but cannot possess.
Overall, "Cypress Avenue" is a beautiful and poignant song that captures the essence of Van Morrison's music, which blends soul, jazz, blues, and folk influences into a unique and timeless sound. It speaks to the universal experiences of love, loss, and hope, and invites us to embrace our inner child and dream big.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue
Caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue
I find myself on Cyprus Avenue once again, unable to stay away from this place.
And I'm conquered in a car seat
Not a thing that I can do
I may go crazy
Before that mansion on the hill
I am stuck in a car seat, unable to escape my surroundings. I feel like I might lose my mind before I reach the mansion on the hill in the distance.
I may go crazy
Before that mansion on the hill
But my heart keeps beating faster
And my feet can't keep still
I am so eager to reach the mansion on the hill that my heart races with anticipation and my feet can't stop moving.
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
And all the little girls rhyme something
On the way back home from school
As I walk down the street, I hear the little girls chanting some sort of rhyme as they make their way home from school.
And the leaves fall one by one
And call the autumn time a fool
I watch as the leaves fall from the trees one by one, mocking the season of autumn as foolish.
Yeah, my t-tongue gets tied
Every, every, every time I try to speak
My tongue gets tied
Every time I try to speak
Whenever I try to speak, I become tongue-tied and struggle to get my words out.
And my inside shakes just like a leaf on a tree
I think I'll go on by the river with my cherry, cherry wine
I believe I'll go walking by the railroad with my cherry, cherry wine
If I pass the rumbling station where the lonesome engine drivers pine
My nerves are so rattled that I feel like a leaf blowing in the wind. I decide to calm myself by taking a walk with my cherry wine, even if it means passing by the lonely engine drivers at the train station.
Wait a minute, yonder come my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Yonder come my lady
Rainbow ribbons in her hair
Six white horses and a carriage
She's returning from the fair
Baby, baby, baby
Suddenly, I see my lady with her hair adorned with rainbow ribbons riding in a carriage pulled by six white horses. She is returning from the fair, and I can't help but feel entranced by her beauty.
And I'm caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue
And if I'm, yeah, caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue
Once again, I find myself on Cyprus Avenue, unable to resist its pull.
And I'm conquered in a car seat
And I'm looking straight at you
Way up on, way up on, way up on
The avenue of trees
I am still stuck in my car seat, but now I find myself looking at you as we travel up the avenue of trees on Cyprus Avenue.
Keep walking down
In the wind and the rain, darling
You keep walking down when the sun shone through the trees
No matter what the weather is like or what obstacles we face, we must keep moving forward together.
Nobody, no, no, no, no, nobody stops me from loving you baby
So young and bold, fourteen-year old
Baby, baby, baby
No one can stop me from loving you, regardless of our age or any other obstacles that may come our way.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patriciathewisher2315
Cyprus Avenue - a one man play in eight minutes
@TheStuport
I'm in an old musty smelling farmhouse out in the Ohio Countryside with Vintage Van Morrison playing loud and the windows open wide...and All Is Good In My World......Cheers Everyone
@owentuckett938
That's the way to do it. All the best.
@KH-mn8cz
5:59 a.m and I have been here sitting playing the sounds of Van Morrison since 9 p.m. ...Cheers!
@alasdairwreid
weel done . . . from an itinerant Scot of the same vintage . . ..!
@TheStuport
@@owentuckett938 Cheers Owen!
@TheStuport
@@alasdairwreid Cheers auchie!
@annprehn
Van was living in Woodstock when my bf, who knew Jack Schroer the sax player, invited the band to live with us in San Anselmo, Ca. They not only showed up but Jack and his wife, back-up singer Ellen, and the bass player John Klingberg did move in and my bf became Van's roadie. Great times, great memories. I have to say, Van was quite an interesting character.
@myronbuck2436
Ann, was this in 1970? I didn't know Klingberg moved to California with Jack and Van....he didn't play on Tupelo Honey. When did John leave the band?
@annprehn
I think it was 1970 and I think Klingberg played on Moondance. He didn't live with us for long and he wasn't with the band for long.