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.
New Biography
Van Morrison Lyrics
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Where did they get the info from
Same as before some, so called friends
Who claim to have, known me then
How come they've got such good memories
And I can't even remember last week
Got to question where they're coming from
What knowledge of me is it that they speak
So far away, way back when
The people that claim, to have known me then
Not on my wavelength and it's such a shame
That they have to play the name game
The fame game, oh the name game,
Lord it's a cryin' shame
Lord tell me what's to blame
Reinvented all the stories they know
Give them all a different slant
What is it that they're really looking for
Just a hobby on the internet
So far away, way back when
The people that claim, to have known me then
Not on my wavelength and it's such a shame
That they have to play the name game
The fame game, the name game,
Oh it's such a cryin' shame, tell me who's to blame
If they didn't really know me way back
How can they know me now, in any respect
It's a pity they don't feel the pain
That they should pay the price to play, to play
The fame game, the name game
It's such a cryin' shame, please tell me who's to blame
Not on my wavelength and it's such a shame
That they have to play, have to play the fame game
Oh the name game, it's a cryin' shame
Please tell me who's to blame
They keep on playin'
The fame game, oh the name game
It's such a cryin' shame, please tell me who's to blame
Keep on playin' the fame game
Lord, the name game, its such a cryin' shame
Please tell me who's to blame
They just keep on playin' the fame game
Oh the name game, its such a cryin' shame
Please tell me who's to blame
Keep on, keep on playin'
In Van Morrison's song New Biography, the artist expresses frustration at the people who claim to know him from his past and are now writing his biography. He questions the accuracy of their memories and wonders why they are so interested in his life. He acknowledges the influence of fame and the game that comes with it, hence the repeated references to the "fame game" and the "name game". Ultimately, he challenges the legitimacy of their claim to knowledge about him, questioning how they could truly know him in any respect if they didn't really know him way back when.
The song seems to be a commentary on the nature of fame and the way in which people feel entitled to know everything about celebrities, regardless of whether they actually have a personal relationship with them. It also speaks to the idea of reinvention and the tendency for people to rewrite history to suit their own purposes. Overall, the song conveys a sense of frustration with the way in which people construct narratives about others for their own gain, while ignoring the emotional toll this can take on the subject of those narratives.
Line by Line Meaning
See you've got the new biography
You have a copy of my new biography.
Where did they get the info from
Where did the writers of this biography get their information?
Same as before some, so called friends
The same people who claim to be my friends are the ones providing information for this biography.
Who claim to have, known me then
These people claim to have known me during a certain time period.
How come they've got such good memories
Why do these people have such sharp memories of the past?
And I can't even remember last week
I, the subject of the biography, cannot even remember events from just a week ago.
Got to question where they're coming from
I must question the motives of these people providing information for the book.
What knowledge of me is it that they speak
I must wonder how much they really know about me.
So far away, way back when
The time period they are discussing is far in the past.
The people that claim, to have known me then
These same people claim to have known me during this distant time period.
Not on my wavelength and it's such a shame
These people are not in sync with me and it is unfortunate.
That they have to play the name game
They are only interested in name-dropping and appearing to have inside knowledge.
The fame game, oh the name game,
This behavior is part of the larger game of chasing fame and notoriety.
Lord it's a cryin' shame
It is very disappointing and sad to see this behavior.
Lord tell me what's to blame
I wonder what is the cause of this problem.
Reinvented all the stories they know
These people twist and change the stories they remember in order to make them more interesting or intriguing.
Give them all a different slant
They manipulate the stories to make themselves look better or more knowledgeable.
What is it that they're really looking for
I question what these people are really trying to achieve with their behavior.
Just a hobby on the internet
Perhaps they are simply enjoying playing this game online.
If they didn't really know me way back
If these people did not truly know me during this distant time period,
How can they know me now, in any respect
how can they claim to know me now and provide accurate information for the biography?
It's a pity they don't feel the pain
It is unfortunate that they do not realize the harm they are causing by spreading false information.
That they should pay the price to play, to play
They should be held accountable for their actions.
They keep on playin'
These people continue to play their games and cause harm.
Please tell me who's to blame
I truly want to know who is responsible for this problem.
Keep on, keep on playin'
These individuals show no signs of stopping their games and behavior.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VAN MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind