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've Been Working
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been workin'
I've been workin' so hard
I've been workin'
I've been workin' so hard
I come home
Make love to you, make love to you

I've been grindin'

I've been grindin' so long
I've been grindin'
I've been grindin' so long

Been up the thruway, down the thruway
Up the thruway, down the thruway
Up, down, back and up again

I said woman, woman, woman, woman, woman
Make me feel so good
Woman, woman, woman, woman, woman, woman , woman
Make me feel alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright

I said woman, woman, woman, woman, woman, woman, woman
Make me feel so good
Woman, woman, woman, woman, woman, woman, woman, woman
Make me feel alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright
Make me feel so good
Set my soul on fire

Set my soul on fire
Oooo weee

Overall Meaning

In this song, Van Morrison talks about working hard and grinding for a long time, while also expressing his desire for his woman to make him feel good and alright. The repetition in the lyrics emphasizes the hard work he has been doing and the pleasure he seeks in his relationship.

The first few lines of the song repeatedly say "I've been workin'" which shows the importance of work in someone's life but also the exhaustion that comes with it. Morrison implies that he needs someone to help him feel good and keep him motivated. However, towards the end of the song, the lyrics change to "Set my soul on fire" indicating that he wants someone to ignite passion and excitement in him.

The repetition of the word "woman" also emphasizes the importance of a relationship and the desire for love and affection in life. Morrison's message is that work is essential, but love and intimacy are just as important.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been workin'
I've been putting in a lot of effort at work

I've been workin' so hard
I've been working tirelessly

I come home
I return back home after work

Make love to you, make love to you
I show my love and affection towards my partner through intimacy

I've been grindin'
I've been working non-stop for a long time period

I've been grindin' so long
I've been working without any breaks for a long time

Been up the thruway, down the thruway
I've been travelling up and down the highway

Up, down, back and up again
I've been moving around a lot

I said woman, woman, woman, woman, woman
I address my partner with care and attention

Make me feel so good
You bring me happiness and pleasure

Woman, woman, woman, woman, woman, woman , woman
I repeat my partner's name multiple times, expressing my admiration towards her