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 Can Only Give You Everything
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't expect to give what I have not
I-I-I can only give ya lovin' 'till the sun goes down
And, until the leaves of summer turn to shades of brown
I try and I try
But baby, you know that I
Can only give you everything
I can't argue with you to a-understand
'Cause after all, I am just a man
A you are on my mind
When stars appear and shadows fall
And when every little flower close
And no birds call
I try and I try
But baby, you know that I
Can only give you everything
I'll do anything you want me to do
'Cause I don't want to know there's life without you
Ooh, ooh, ooh,
Don't ever go and leave me in this world alone
I-I-I'd be like a little child if I was on my own
I try and I try
But baby you know that I
Can only give you everything
Everything, baby
A little bit of this, a little bit of that
And everything
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Whoa, ooh, ooh
Whoa, ooh, ooh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
In Van Morrison's classic song "I Can Only Give You Everything," the singer expresses his love and devotion to his partner. He acknowledges his limitations as a man and that he cannot offer anything more than what he already has. He promises to love her until the sun goes down and the leaves of summer turn to shades of brown. He tries his best to understand her, but sometimes it's difficult for him. He begs her not to leave him alone, saying that he would be like a little child on his own.
The overall theme of "I Can Only Give You Everything" is about the constraints of love and relationships. Despite this, Van Morrison goes one step further by personifying the seasons and nature, almost as if they are living beings that change without the singer's control. This reinforces the idea that love, like nature, is unpredictable, and there is nothing one can do to stop it from changing. In the end, though, the song is a plea for the woman to stay and not to leave him alone.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't give you more than what I've got
I am limited in what I can offer you based on my current capacity.
I can't expect to give what I have not
It's unrealistic to assume I can give things I don't already possess.
I-I-I can only give ya lovin' 'till the sun goes down
All I can offer you is my love, but I will give it to you until the end of the day.
And, until the leaves of summer turn to shades of brown
I will continue to love you deeply, even when things change and the brightness of summer fades.
I try and I try
I put forth effort to give you what I can.
But baby, you know that I
You are aware of my limitations.
Can only give you everything
I am willing to give you all of what I have and am capable of.
I can't argue with you to a-understand
I can't force you to comprehend or see things my way.
'Cause after all, I am just a man
I'm not infallible; I make mistakes and have shortcomings like any human.
A you are on my mind
You occupy my thoughts regularly.
When stars appear and shadows fall
Even in the dark or difficult times, you are still on my mind.
And when every little flower close
Even when things around us come to an end.
And no birds call
Even in stillness and silence.
I'll do anything you want me to do
I am willing to please you and meet your needs.
'Cause I don't want to know there's life without you
I can't imagine life without you, so I'll do whatever it takes to keep you.
Don't ever go and leave me in this world alone
I will be consumed by loneliness if you are not with me.
I-I-I'd be like a little child if I was on my own
My dependency on you is akin to a child clinging to their parent.
Everything, baby
I am willing to offer you anything and everything I have.
A little bit of this, a little bit of that
I have a variety of things to offer you, all in small quantities.
Whoa, ooh, ooh
An expression of deep emotion or passion.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
An assertion of affirmation or agreement.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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