Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison, OBE (generally known as Van Morrison or Van… Read Full Bio ↴Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison, OBE (generally known as Van Morrison or Van The Man) (born 31 August 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning artist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He's a singer, songwriter, author, poet, and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since 1958. He plays a variety of instruments, including the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, drums, and saxophone. Featuring his characteristic growl - a unique mix of folk, blues, Irish, scat, and Celtic influences - Morrison is widely considered one of the most unusual and influential vocalists in the history of rock and roll. He has received numerous music awards during his career, including six Grammy Awards (1996–2007); inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (January 1993), the Songwriters Hall of Fame (June 2003), and the Irish Music Hall of Fame (September 1999); and a Brit Award (February 1994).

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.

Don't Go To Nightclubs Anymore
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't get around much anymore
The smoke has driven me out the door
All night I used to walk the floor
Don't go to nightclubs anymore

Don't see my old friend Mose
I don't run into Mr. Clive
I cut out all that off the wall jive

I don't go to nightclubs no more

I'm not a legend in my own mind
Don't need juice to unwind
And don't have no need to pretend
Ain't got no huckleberry friend

Alcohol was too big a price
Listen I just said no dice
When it comes to the men and the mice
Don't go to nightclubs anymore

I'm not a legend in my own mind
Don't need booze to unwind
Don't have no reason to pretend
Ain't got no huckleberry friend

Alcohol was too big a price
That why I said hey no dice
When it comes to men or mice
Don't go to nightclubs no more

Don't go to nightclubs no more
Don't go to nightclubs no more

Don't go to nightclubs no more, I'm such a bore
Don't go to nightclubs no more

Overall Meaning

Van Morrison's song "Don't Go to Nightclubs Anymore" speaks of a person who has grown tired of the wild party scene. The lyrics suggest that they used to be a regular at nightclubs, but have now chosen to avoid them altogether. The smoke in the clubs has driven them out the door, and they no longer see old friends or engage in off the wall jive. The person admits that they are not a legend in their own mind and they do not need alcohol to unwind or have any reason to pretend. They also do not have any huckleberry friends and feel that alcohol is too high of a price to pay. The lyrics convey a sense of maturity and a desire for a simpler life.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't get around much anymore
I don't go out much anymore

The smoke has driven me out the door
I don't like the smoke in nightclubs, so I don't go there anymore

All night I used to walk the floor
I used to spend all night in nightclubs walking around

Don't go to nightclubs anymore
I avoid going to nightclubs nowadays

Don't see my old friend Mose
I don't meet my old friend Mose anymore

I don't run into Mr. Clive
I don't bump into Mr. Clive anymore

I cut out all that off the wall jive
I stopped listening to nonsense talk

Don't go to nightclubs no more
I avoid going to nightclubs nowadays

I'm not a legend in my own mind
I am not overly self-important

Don't need juice to unwind
I don't need alcohol to relax

And don't have no need to pretend
I don't feel the need to pretend to be someone I'm not