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.

Hey Girl
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let's go walking where the boats go by
And watch them sail across the bay
Let me hold your hand in the morning fog
Little child I want to walk your dog

Hey, hey girl
Hey, hey girl
You're so young

I don't know what to do

And let's go walking up that mountain slope
And look down on the city down below
I will make a fool of you

Hey, hey girl
Hey, hey girl
You're so young
You make me lose my mind

Hey, a-ha, there goes your baby sister

FADES-
Lookin'

Overall Meaning

Let's begin with the lyrics of the song 'Hey Girl' by Van Morrison. The song is all about a person who is smitten by a young girl and wants to spend time with her. The lyrics describe the singer's desire to walk with the girl by the bay, hold her hand in the fog, and even walk her dog. He then talks about wanting to climb up a mountain slope with her and share a view of the city down below. The singer admits that the girl's youth confuses him, and she makes him lose his mind. Towards the end of the song, the singer notices the girl's baby sister, and the song fades away.

The song 'Hey Girl' seems to capture the innocence and confusion that can accompany young love. The singer is enamored by the girl's youth and describes the beauty of the world around them as they spend time together. However, the singer is also aware of the difference between their ages and, at times, feels like a fool when he's around her. Van Morrison's powerful voice conveys a sense of longing and vulnerability, making the song relatable to many listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

Let's go walking where the boats go by
Let's take a walk near the water where all the boats are passing by

And watch them sail across the bay
And watch as those boats sail across the bay

Let me hold your hand in the morning fog
Let me hold your hand while walking in the morning fog

Little child I want to walk your dog
I want to take your dog for a walk, little child

Hey, hey girl
Hey, hey girl

You're so young
You're very young and inexperienced

I don't know what to do
I'm unsure of what to do with you

And let's go walking up that mountain slope
Let's go for a walk up that mountain slope

And look down on the city down below
And observe the city below from high up

I will make a fool of you
I will make you look foolish

Hey,hey girl
Hey, hey girl