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.

I`ll Tell Me Ma
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll tell me Ma when I go home,
The boys won't leave the girls alone.
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb,
Well that's alright till I go home.

She is handsome. She is pretty.
She is the bell of Belfast City.
She is courtin' one, two, three.

Please won't you tell me, who is she?

Albert Mooney say's he loves her.
All the boy's are fighting for her.
They knock at the door and ring at the bell
Sayin' "Oh my true love, are you well"?
Out she comes as white as snow,
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes.
Ole Jenny Murray says she'll die
If you don't get the fella
With the roving eye.

Let the wind and the rain and hail blow high
And the snow come tumbling from the sky,
She's as nice as apple pie.
She'll get her own lad by and by.
When she gets a lad of her own,
She won't tell her Ma when she gets home.
Let them all come as they will
For it's Albert Mooney she loves still.

I'll tell me Ma when I go home,
The boys won't leave the girls alone.
They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb,
Well that's alright till I go home.

She is handsome. She is pretty.
She is the bell of Belfast City.

She is courtin' one, two, three.
Please won't you tell me, who is she?

Overall Meaning

The song "I'll Tell Me Ma" by Van Morrison & The Chieftains is a traditional Irish folk song that talks about a sweet girl from Belfast, who is being courted by boys. The lyrics talk about how the boys won't leave the girls alone, and that they love to tease and pull their hair. Although it's annoying for the girl, she knows that it's all in good fun and she's not too bothered by it. Whenever she goes back home, she tells her mother about these incidents, and her mother just laughs it off, knowing that it's a common occurrence.

The song continues to highlight the girl's beauty, how she's the bell of Belfast City, and how all the boys want to court her. The lyrics feature different boys vying for her attention, including Albert Mooney, who claims that he loves her. Despite this, there is another girl named Jenny Murray, who warns her that she'll die if she doesn't get the boy with a roving eye. The song implies that whoever wins her heart, it's going to be a lucky man, and when she picks someone for herself, she won't tell her mother about it.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll tell me Ma when I go home,
I will inform my mother when I return home

The boys won't leave the girls alone.
The young men persistently hit on the young women

They'll pull my hair, they stole my comb,
They will physically tease me and take my comb

Well that's alright till I go home.
It's tolerable until I leave and go home

She is handsome. She is pretty.
The subject is attractive

She is the bell of Belfast City.
She is popular among the citizens of Belfast

She is courtin' one, two, three.
She is involved romantically with multiple suitors

Please won't you tell me, who is she?
I am curious about her identity

Albert Mooney say's he loves her.
Albert Mooney professes his love for her

All the boy's are fighting for her.
The other young men are competing for her affection

They knock at the door and ring at the bell
They visit her home frequently

Sayin' "Oh my true love, are you well"?
Asking about her wellbeing

Out she comes as white as snow,
She emerges with a fair complexion

Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes.
She has jewelry on her fingers and toes

Ole Jenny Murray says she'll die
Jenny Murray claims she will pass away

If you don't get the fella with the roving eye.
Unless she secures the attention of a particular man

Let the wind and the rain and hail blow high
Even during bad weather

And the snow come tumbling from the sky,
In even the harshest of snowstorms

She's as nice as apple pie.
She is kind and pleasant

She'll get her own lad by and by.
She will eventually find a partner

When she gets a lad of her own,
When she acquires a boyfriend

She won't tell her Ma when she gets home.
She will not tell her mother immediately

Let them all come as they will
Let all the suitors come

For it's Albert Mooney she loves still.
Her affections remain with Albert Mooney