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.

Haunts of Ancient Peace
Van Morrison Lyrics

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Beside the garden walls,
We walk in haunts of ancient peace.
At night we rest and go to sleep
In haunts of ancient peace.
The love and light we seek,
The words we do not need to speak,
Here in this wondrous way we keep
These haunts of ancient peace.

Let us go there again
When we need some relief
Oh, when I can't find my feet
When I need rest and sleep.
The Sunday bells they chime
Around the countryside and towns
A song of harmony and rhyme
In haunts of ancient peace.
The holy grail we seek
On down by haunts of ancient peace.
We see the new Jerusalem
In haunts of ancient peace.
Oh, when I can't find my feet
Oh, when I need some relief
One more time again.
You know I want to go there one more time again.

Be still in haunts of ancient peace.
(Be still)

Overall Meaning

Van Morrison's song "Haunts of Ancient Peace" is a soothing and spiritual meditation on the search for love, light, and rest in a chaotic world. The opening stanza places the listener in a peaceful garden, walking alongside ancient walls. This is a place where the hum of daily life fades away, where we can rest and sleep without worries. The chorus repeats the refrain "In haunts of ancient peace," emphasizing the song's central message of finding solace in a deeper, ancient sense of peace.

The second stanza highlights the power of this peace to free us from the pressures of life. When we need relief from daily troubles, we can return to these haunts of inspiration and wonder, where the love and light we seek are already present. Morrison's lyrics suggest that this peace is beyond words, as we "do not need to speak" to feel its comfort and healing power. When we find ourselves lost or without direction, the song invites us to return to these haunts of ancient peace, where the wonder of existence will guide us.

Overall, "Haunts of Ancient Peace" is a poetic exploration of the spiritual search for peace and rest. Morrison emphasizes the sacredness of the "haunts of ancient peace" where we can find relief and restored faith. The mystical images and comforting melody make this song a perfect soundtrack for meditation, reflection, and the pursuit of inner peace.

Line by Line Meaning

Beside the garden walls,
Walking alongside a garden's walls

We walk in haunts of ancient peace.
We are walking in a place full of ancient peace

At night we rest and go to sleep
We rest and fall asleep at night

In haunts of ancient peace.
In a peaceful place with ancient qualities

The love and light we seek,
We search for love and light

The words we do not need to speak,
Words are not necessary to communicate

Here in this wondrous way we keep
We keep this wonderful way of being

These haunts of ancient peace.
These peaceful places with ancient qualities

Let us go there again
Let's revisit this place

When we need some relief
When we need to feel better

Oh, when I can't find my feet
When I am lost and unsure