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.

Good Morning Little School Girl
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A good morning little schoolgirl,
Can I go home with you?
Tell your mama and your daddy,
That I'm a little schoolboy too

Baby I love you,
I just can't help help myself
You're so good looking pretty babe,

I don't need nobody else.

Good morning little schoolgirl,
Can I go home with you?
Uh, uh, uh
I'm gonna leave you baby,
About the break of day
On account of the way you treat me,
I've got to stay away

A good morning little schoolgirl,
Can I go home with you?
Tell your mama and your daddy,
That I'm a little schoolboy too

Come on pretty baby,
Oh you know I can't help myself
Uh, uh, uh
I'm gonna buy me an aeroplane,
To fly all over your town.
And tell everybody baby,
Lord knows you've been putting me down.

I can't stand it babe,
Just cannot help myself
You're so young and pretty,
But you're lovin' somebody else

A good morning little schoolgirl,
Can I go home with you?
Uh, uh, uh

Oh babe what you do to me,
I can't help myself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Van Morrison's "Good Morning Blues" captures the essence of a young man's desire for a girl who he describes as a schoolgirl, possibly indicating that she is younger than he is. The lyrics begin with the young man asking if he can go home with this girl, and if she could tell her parents that he is just a little schoolboy too. This line infers that he may be younger than her and he wants to reassure her parents that he is just a boy looking for love. The singer is clearly head over heels in love with this young girl, and he cannot control how he feels.

In the second verse, he declares his love for her, and that he does not need anyone else because she is just too pretty. He continues to beg her to let him go home with her in the third verse, but he acknowledges that he has to leave before the break of day because of the way she treats him. The boy knows that he needs to keep a distance from this girl, as she has been putting him down.

The fourth verse describes how the boy would do anything just to be with this girl, even going as far as buying himself an airplane to fly all over her town just to tell everyone about how she has captured his heart. The song ends with the boy admitting that he just can't stand it anymore because she has left him for someone else. The repetition of the line "I can't help myself" in the song underscores how the boy's infatuation has taken control of his emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

A good morning little schoolgirl,
The singer greets a young woman in school and expresses his interest in going home with her.

Can I go home with you?
The singer directly asks the young woman if he can accompany her home.

Tell your mama and your daddy,
The singer requests that the young woman informs her parents about his presence and intentions.

That I'm a little schoolboy too
The artist suggests that he is of the same age and social status as the young woman, implying that they are a good match.

Baby I love you,
The artist expresses his strong feelings of love and affection towards the young woman.

I just can't help help myself
The singer admits that he is unable to control his emotions and desires towards the young woman.

You're so good looking pretty babe,
The singer compliments the young woman's physical appearance.

I don't need nobody else.
The artist declares that his infatuation with the young woman is all-consuming and he does not desire anyone else.

Uh, uh, uh
The artist interjects with an expression of hesitation or interruption.

I'm gonna leave you baby,
The artist reveals his intention of leaving the young woman.

About the break of day
The singer intends to depart at a specific time, which is in the early hours of the morning.

On account of the way you treat me,
The artist blames the young woman for his decision to leave, suggesting that she has mistreated him in some way.

I've got to stay away
The singer asserts that he needs to avoid the young woman in order to protect himself from further harm.

Come on pretty baby,
The singer attempts to coax the young woman back into his company.

Oh you know I can't help myself
The singer once again admits to his lack of control over his feelings for the young woman.

I'm gonna buy me an aeroplane,
The artist claims that he will purchase an aircraft to travel freely.

To fly all over your town.
The artist intends to use the aircraft to travel to different locations within the young woman's town or city.

And tell everybody baby,
The singer plans to share his story with others, potentially spreading word of the young woman's actions.

Lord knows you've been putting me down.
The singer accuses the young woman of undermining his confidence or self-worth.

I can't stand it babe,
The artist declares that he cannot tolerate the situation any longer.

Just cannot help myself
The artist once again admits his powerlessness to resist his emotions and desires towards the young woman.

You're so young and pretty,
The artist reiterates his admiration for the young woman's physical appearance and youthfulness.

But you're lovin' somebody else
The singer expresses his frustration and jealousy towards the young woman's alleged affection for another person instead of himself.

Oh babe what you do to me,
The artist laments the impact that the young woman's actions or presence have on him.

I can't help myself
The singer concludes with a repetition of his prior admission of powerlessness over his feelings and actions towards the young woman.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WILLIE WILLIAMSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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