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 Start Crying Now
Van Morrison Lyrics

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You ain't never had to cry baby
Don't start crying now
You ain't never had to cry baby
Don't start crying now
You never did it before
Don't do you know good no how

Cry cry baby, cry cry, all night long

Cry cry baby, cry cry, all night long
You're gonna wake up in the morning
And find your good man gone

Well you brag 'bout your woman
Take one look at mine
Well you brag 'bout your woman
A take one look at mine
She's as sweet as any angel
Make-a love most all the time

Cry cry baby, cry cry all night long
Cry cry baby, cry cry all night long
You might wake up in the morning
And find your good man gone

Ooh!

Well I sent for you yesterday
Here you come walking today
Well I sent for you yesterday
Here you come walking today
Got you all fired up
And don't know what I said

Cry cry baby, cry cry all night long
Cry cry baby, cry cry all night long
Gonna wake up in the morning
Find your good man gone

Well cry cry baby, cry cry all night long
(Well) cry cry baby, cry cry all night long

You're gonna wake up in the morning
And find your good man gone

Overall Meaning

Van Morrison's "Don't Start Crying Now" is a classic blues song featuring lyrics that warn a woman not to start crying because she hasn't cried before and it won't do her any good. The song is a showcase of the bandleader's distinctive voice and bluesy guitar riffs, backed up by a tight horn section and swinging rhythm section that pulls the listener along with its upbeat groove. Van Morrison uses this blues tune to tell a story of a man who is talking to his woman, and he is warning her not to get upset and start crying as it won't solve any problems.

Throughout the song, he advises her to calm down, emphasizing that crying will not change anything. He also brags about his own woman, describing her as sweet and an angel who makes love all the time, seemingly hinting at possibly straying from the current relationship. The final verse sees him informing his woman that he sent for her yesterday, and she's arrived today, fired up and emotional. He seems to be warning her that if she keeps acting up, then she just might wake up the next day and find her good man gone.

In summary, "Don't Start Crying Now" by Van Morrison is a classic blues tune that warns a woman not to start crying and causing unnecessary drama. It's a song that emphasizes the importance of staying calm, and finding reasonable solutions to problems rather than crying for no good reason.

Line by Line Meaning

You ain't never had to cry baby
You have never experienced any major problems in your life.

Don't start crying now
Don't let your emotions get the best of you at this moment.

You ain't never had to cry baby
You have never faced any difficulty that would make you cry.

Don't start crying now
Don't express your sorrow at this point in time.

You never did it before
You haven't expressed your sadness previously.

Don't do you no good no how
Crying will not help you in any way.

Cry cry baby, cry cry, all night long
You can express your sorrow by crying for as long as you want.

Cry cry baby, cry cry, all night long
Keep crying as much as you want, throughout the night.

You're gonna wake up in the morning
You will realize something unpleasant the next day.

And find your good man gone
You will discover that the person you cared about deeply has left you.

Well you brag 'bout your woman
You boast about your partner.