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.

Hymns to the Silence
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love
Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love
When I'm away from you, when I'm away from you
Well I feel, yeah, well I feel so sad and blue
Well I feel, well I feel so sad and blue
Oh my dear, oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love
When I'm away from you, I just have to sing, my hymns
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence

Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence

Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love it's a long, long journey
Long, long journey, journey back home
Back home to you, feel you by my side
Long journey, journey, journey
Yeah in the midnight, in the midnight, I burn the candle
Burn the candle at both ends, burn the candle at both ends
Burn the candle at both ends, burn the candle at both ends
And I keep on, 'cause I can't sleep at night
Until the daylight comes through
And I just, and I just, have to sing
Sing my hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
My hymns to the silence

I want to go out in the countryside
Oh sit by the clear, cool, crystal water
Get my spirit, way back to the feeling
Deep in my soul, I want to feel
Oh so close to the One, close to the One
Close to the One, close to the One
And that's why, I keep on singing baby
My hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Oh my hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Oh hymns to the silence, oh hymns to the silence
Oh hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Oh my dear, my dear sweet love
Can you feel the silence? can you feel the silence?
Can you feel the silence? can you feel the silence?

Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence

Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Van Morrison's "Hymns to the Silence" express the deep longing and yearning for a loved one who is far away. He repeats the phrase "oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love" multiple times, as if to convey the intensity of his love for this person. He sings about feeling sad and blue when he's away from them and how he copes by singing hymns to the silence. This can be interpreted as a way of connecting with his innermost self, as if the silence represents the quiet space within.

As the song progresses, Morrison mentions a "long, long journey" back home to his love. He burns the candle at both ends in the midnight hours because he can't sleep without them. He wants to go out into the countryside and connect with nature to feel close to the One (likely a reference to a higher power or God). The repetition of the phrase "hymns to the silence" is soothing and meditative, almost as if Morrison is attempting to transcend his earthly feelings of sadness and longing and connect with the divine.

Overall, "Hymns to the Silence" is a powerful and emotional ballad that expresses the complexities of human love and emotion. It speaks to the universal experience of missing someone and searching for a deeper connection to oneself and the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love
The singer addresses their beloved with affection.

When I'm away from you, when I'm away from you Well I feel, yeah, well I feel so sad and blue Well I feel, well I feel so sad and blue
The singer experiences intense sadness and loneliness when separated from their beloved.

When I'm away from you, I just have to sing, my hymns Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
The singer copes with their feelings of loneliness and longing through music, specifically hymns that express their innermost thoughts and emotions.

Oh my dear, oh my dear sweet love it's a long, long journey Long, long journey, journey back home Back home to you, feel you by my side Long journey, journey, journey
The singer compares their journey back to their beloved to a long and arduous one, but it is one they are determined to make in order to be reunited with them.

Yeah in the midnight, in the midnight, I burn the candle Burn the candle at both ends, burn the candle at both ends Burn the candle at both ends, burn the candle at both ends And I keep on, 'cause I can't sleep at night Until the daylight comes through And I just, and I just, have to sing Sing my hymns to the silence Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence My hymns to the silence
The singer is so consumed by their longing for their beloved that they stay up late into the night, burning the candle at both ends, and can only find comfort in singing their hymns.

I want to go out in the countryside Oh sit by the clear, cool, crystal water Get my spirit, way back to the feeling Deep in my soul, I want to feel Oh so close to the One, close to the One Close to the One, close to the One
The singer yearns for a place of peace and solitude where they can reconnect with their inner self and feel closer to a higher power.

And that's why, I keep on singing baby My hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence Oh my hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence Oh hymns to the silence, oh hymns to the silence Oh hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
The singer reiterates the importance of their hymns in coping with their feelings of loneliness and longing, and continues to sing them as a way of seeking solace.

Can you feel the silence? can you feel the silence? Can you feel the silence? can you feel the silence?
The singer asks their beloved if they too can feel the silence, perhaps hoping that their beloved shares their sense of longing and desires to be reunited.

Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence Hymns to the silence, hymns to the silence
The singer repeats the phrase 'hymns to the silence' several times, emphasizing the importance and power of their music in coping with their deep sense of longing and loneliness.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VAN MORRISON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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