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.
Dum Dum George
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dumb, dumb George,
Who came up to Boston
One sunny afternoon.
He drove up from New York City,
And he was freaky,
And he wanted to record me,
And I said,
You're dumb."
And he said, "I know.
Why do you think I make so much money.
I want to do
A record
That'll make number one."
Dumb, dumb.
The lyrics to Van Morrison's "Dum Dum George" tell the story of a man named George who drives up to Boston from New York City with the intention of recording Van Morrison. George is characterized as being "freaky," and he expresses his desire to create a record that will become a number one hit. In response, Van Morrison tells George that he is "dumb," and George accepts this label, arguing that his lack of intelligence is why he is successful.
On the surface, the song appears to be a simple story about a foolish man who is deluded about his abilities. However, a closer examination of the lyrics reveals a deeper commentary on the music industry and the pressures that artists face to create commercially successful music. George's desire to make a record that will become a hit reflects the way that musicians are often pressured to prioritize commercial success over artistic expression. Van Morrison's dismissal of George's ambitions suggests that he values artistic integrity over commercial success, even if it means being called "dumb" by those who prioritize the latter.
Overall, "Dum Dum George" is a clever commentary on the music industry and the dichotomy between commercial success and artistic integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
This here's the story about
Introducing the story that follows
Dumb, dumb George,
Describing the singer as unintelligent
Who came up to Boston
George traveled to Boston
One sunny afternoon.
Setting the time of day for George's arrival
He drove up from New York City,
George traveled from New York City by car
And he was freaky,
George was strange or unusual in his behavior
And he wanted to record me,
George had a desire to record Van Morrison's music
And I said,
Van Morrison spoke to George
"George,
Directly addressing George
You're dumb."
Pointing out George's lack of intelligence
And he said, "I know.
George acknowledged his own lack of intelligence
Why do you think I make so much money.
George assumed his success was due to his lack of intelligence
I want to do
George expressed his desire to accomplish something
A record
George wanted to create a recording
That'll make number one."
George's goal was to create a popular recording
Dumb, dumb.
Reiterating George's lack of intelligence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: VAN MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind