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.
Midnight Special
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let the midnight special
Shine its light on me
Shine a light on me,
Let the midnight special
Let the midnight...
Shine its ever-loving light on me
Ever loving light on me.
Yonder come miss Rosey,
How in the world do you know,
How in the world do you know ?
Well, I know her by her apron
And the dress she wore.
Umbrella on her shoulder,
A piece of paper in her hand,
She gonna tell old John
She want back her man,
She want back her man.
Let the midnight special
Let the midnight special
Shine its light on me
Shine a light on me.
Let the midnight special
Let the midnight...
Shine its ever-loving light on me
Ever loving light on...
If you ever go to Houston,
Yeah, you better walk right,
You'd better not gamble
And sure thing better not fight.
The next thing you know
The sheriff gonna arrest you
And some judge send you down
And you can bet your bottom dollar
Lord, you'll be chain gang bound,
Chain gang bound.
Let the midnight special
Let the midnight
Shine its light on me
Shine, shine, shine, shine,
Let the midnight special
Shine on,
Shine its ever-loving light on me
Shine on me, yeah.
Let the midnight special
Shine, shine, shine,
Shine its light on me
Shine, shine on me,
Let the midnight special
Way into midnight,
Shine its ever-loving light on me
Way into midnight, baby,
Let the midnight special
Waah...
The song Midnight Special by Van Morrison is a classic American folk song that has been covered and reinterpreted by several musicians over the years. The song has its roots in African-American folklore and tells the story of a woman named Miss Rosey who is on a mission to get her man back. The singer of the song is asking for the "midnight special" to shine its light on him, indicating that he is also on a journey of some sort.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of danger and foreboding. The lyrics caution listeners about the dangers of gambling and fighting in Houston, implying that those who do so will find themselves in legal trouble. The imagery of Miss Rosey with her umbrella and piece of paper in hand suggests that she is on a mission of vengeance, and the mention of the chain gang at the end of the song reinforces the idea that actions have consequences.
Overall, Midnight Special is a song that captures the essence of American folk music - simple, rhythmic, and steeped in storytelling. The song has endured over the years due to its timeless message, and it remains a beloved classic to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Let the midnight special
Request for the midnight special to shine its light
Shine its light on me
Request for the midnight special to shine its light on the singer
Shine a light on me,
Request for the midnight special to shine a light on the singer
Let the midnight...
Continuing request for the midnight special to shine its light
Shine its ever-loving light on me
Request for the midnight special to shine its light with love
Yonder come miss Rosey,
Miss Rosey is approaching
How in the world do you know,
Questioning how the singer knows Miss Rosey
Well, I know her by her apron
The artist recognizes Miss Rosey by her apron
And the dress she wore.
The artist also recognizes Miss Rosey by her dress
Umbrella on her shoulder,
Miss Rosey is carrying an umbrella on her shoulder
A piece of paper in her hand,
Miss Rosey is holding a piece of paper
She gonna tell old John
Miss Rosey is going to tell John something
She want back her man,
Miss Rosey wants her man back
If you ever go to Houston,
Advice on what to do if you visit Houston
Yeah, you better walk right,
You should behave properly
You'd better not gamble
You shouldn't gamble
And sure thing better not fight.
You definitely shouldn't fight
The next thing you know
If you don't listen, something bad will happen
The sheriff gonna arrest you
The sheriff will arrest you
And some judge send you down
A judge will sentence you
And you can bet your bottom dollar
You can be sure
Lord, you'll be chain gang bound,
You'll end up on a chain gang
Shine, shine, shine, shine,
Continuing request for the midnight special to shine its light
Shine on me,
Request for the midnight special to shine on the artist
Way into midnight,
Deep into the night
Shine on me, yeah.
Request for the midnight special to shine on the singer
Waah...
Vocalization to end the song
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TRADITIONAL, J BAIRD, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tim
Van the man. He's a damn alchemist - - every song he sings turns to gold. Truly amazing.... for over a half century.
Tuesday
My favorite cover of “Midnight Special”...my God, I love this man’s voice...
Ed the Sax Player
Me two listening for 54years still love it
JJ
I like that this is different from CCW's iconic version🎵🎼🎶💜
Master Tonberry
This cover is absolute fireeee
Eric Beaulieu
Man,could he sing.This song's got SouL.
John Benn
WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111
From a mad keen 75yo Aussie fan.
Jimmy Jack
Van goin' hard
MrMusicguyma
Not Van's best, IMHO.