High Summer
Van Morrison Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

By the mansion on the hillside
Red sports car comes driving down the road
And pulls up into the driveway
And a story does unfold

She's standing by the rhododendrons
Where the roses are in bloom
Looking out at the Atlantic ocean
And in her head she hums this tune

Thank God the dark nights are drawing in again
'cause high summer has got me down
I'll wait till the end of August
And get off this merry-go-round

And they shut him out of paradise
Called him Lucifer and frowned
She took pride in what God made him
Even before the angels shot him down to the ground

He's a light out of the darkness
And he wears a starry crown
If you see him, nothing will shake him
'cause high summer has got him low down

High summer's got him lonesome
Even when he makes the rounds
There's been no two ways about it
High summer's got him low down

Checked in to the tiny village by the lakeside
Settled down to start a new
Far away from the politicians
And the many chosen few

Far away from the jealousy factor
And everything that was tearing him apart
Far away from the organ grinder
And everyone that played their part

And they shut him out of paradise
Called him Lucifer and frowned
'Cause he took pride in what God made him
Even before the angels shot him to the ground

He's a light out of the darkness
And he wears a starry crown
If you see him nothings shaken
'cause high summer's got him low down

High summer's on the rebound
High summer's got him low down
High summer's on the rebound
High summer's got him down, low down
High summer's on the rebound




High summer's got him low down
Low down

Overall Meaning

In Van Morrison's song High Summer, the first stanza sets the stage with a sports car driving up to a mansion, serving as a backdrop for a story that is about to unfold. The scene then shifts to a woman standing among rhododendrons and roses, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean, humbling a tune to herself. The song talks about high summer, which seems to have a profound effect on the different characters. The lyrics convey the idea that the season brings changes and not always good ones, like the end of a pleasant period of time.


The next stanza compares the mythological character Lucifer, who is thrown out of heaven, with a man who takes pride in who he is, which causes others' resentment in society. The central message of the song appears to be that natural rhythms, such as seasonal changes, can affect individuals profoundly, and that people must learn to take responsibility for their actions and the way that they react to different life situations.


Line by Line Meaning

By the mansion on the hillside
The story begins by the mansion on the hillside, where a red sports car is pulling up into the driveway.


Red sports car comes driving down the road
A red sports car is driving down the road and arrives at the mansion on the hillside.


And pulls up into the driveway
The red sports car pulls up into the mansion's driveway.


And a story does unfold
This is the beginning of a story that is about to be told.


She's standing by the rhododendrons
She is standing near the rhododendrons.


Where the roses are in bloom
The roses are in bloom near the rhododendrons where she is standing.


Looking out at the Atlantic ocean
She is looking towards the Atlantic ocean.


And in her head she hums this tune
She hums a tune in her head while looking out at the ocean.


Thank God the dark nights are drawing in again
The artist is grateful that the dark nights are coming back.


'cause high summer has got me down
The artist is feeling low because of the heat of summer.


I'll wait till the end of August
The singer plans to wait until the end of August.


And get off this merry-go-round
The artist plans to end a cycle or pattern.


And they shut him out of paradise
He was excluded from paradise by others.


Called him Lucifer and frowned
He was referred to as Lucifer and people frowned upon him.


She took pride in what God made him
She was proud of what God made him.


Even before the angels shot him down to the ground
He was figuratively 'shot down' before the actual incident took place.


He's a light out of the darkness
He is a symbol of hope or positivity in difficult situations.


And he wears a starry crown
He is like a king, regal or special in some way.


If you see him, nothing will shake him
He is unshakeable and strong in character.


'cause high summer has got him low down
He is feeling low because of the heat of summer.


High summer's got him lonesome
The summer season is making him feel lonely.


Even when he makes the rounds
Even when he is trying to socialize or interact with others.


There's been no two ways about it
This is an absolute, no doubts about the matter.


High summer's got him low down
He is feeling down because of the heat of summer.


Checked in to the tiny village by the lakeside
He arrived at a small village by a lake.


Settled down to start a new
He decided to settle down and start anew.


Far away from the politicians
He wanted to be far away from politicians.


And the many chosen few
He wanted to be away from those chosen or favored by others.


Far away from the jealousy factor
He needed to avoid any form of jealousy.


And everything that was tearing him apart
He was breaking down internally because of something in his life.


Far away from the organ grinder
He wanted to distance himself from the person controlling others.


And everyone that played their part
And all those who play a particular role in the situation.


Low down
This could mean a feeling of depression or sadness towards something.


High summer's on the rebound
The summer season is turning things around in a positive way.


High summer's got him low down
He is feeling down because of the heat of summer.


High summer's on the rebound
The summer season is turning things around in a positive way.


High summer's got him down, low down
He is feeling down because of the heat of summer.


Low down
This could mean a feeling of depression or sadness towards something.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VAN MORRISON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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