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.
No Religion
Van Morrison Lyrics
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Some people thought it was blessing
Other people think that it's a curse
It's a choice between fact and fiction
And the whole world has gone astray
That's why there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
And there's no straight answers
Some say it's unconditional
Other people just remain in doubt
Well I cleaned up my diction, I had nothing left to say
Except there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
And they ask what hate is
It's just the other side of love
Some people want to give their enemies
Everything they think that they deserve
Some say why don't you love your neighbors
Go ahead, turn the other cheek
But there's nobody on this planet that can ever be so meek
And I can't bleed for you
You have to do it your own way
And there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
And they ask what hate is
It's just the other side of love
Some people want to give their enemies
Everything they think that they deserve
Some say why don't you love your neighbors
Go ahead, turn the other cheek
But have you ever met anybody who's ever been the meek
And it's so cruel to expect the savior to save the day
And there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
And there's no mystery, and there's nothing hidden
And there's no religion here today
And there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
In Van Morrison's song "No Religion," the singer reflects on the nature of faith and love, questioning the traditional expectations of religion and morality. The first verse suggests that beliefs about religion and morality are subjective, and vary from person to person. While some people see their faith as a blessing, others view it as a curse. Moreover, Morrison suggests that the world has lost its way, as people have become too caught up in their own beliefs to recognize truth from fiction. This leads the singer to declare that there is "no religion" to be found in the world today, as faith has become too complicated and divisive.
In the second verse, the theme of love comes to the forefront. Morrison again contrasts different beliefs about love, suggesting that there is no clear answer to what it really means. Some see love as unconditional, while others doubt its existence altogether. For Morrison, it seems, love is best expressed through action rather than words. He suggests that he has done all he can to clean up his own life, offering an example for others to follow.
The third verse presents a conflicted view of the world. On the one hand, Morrison acknowledges that hate is the flip side of love, and that some people believe in revenge rather than forgiveness. On the other hand, he suggests that love is more complicated than simply "turning the other cheek." He emphasizes the importance of self-reliance, suggesting that no savior can truly rescue us from our problems. Ultimately, Morrison appears to embrace a form of spiritual individualism, arguing that faith and love must be defined by each person, rather than dictated by traditional belief systems.
Line by Line Meaning
We didn't know no better, and they said it could be worse
We were ignorant and they said things could be worse
Some people thought it was a blessing
Some people believed it was a blessing
Other people think that it's a curse
Others believed what we had was a curse
It's a choice between fact and fiction
We have to choose between fact and fiction
And the whole world has gone astray
The world has lost its true path
That's why there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
This is why we have no religion here today
And there's no straight answers
There aren't any clear-cut answers
Of what this thing called love is all about
When it comes to love, we cannot explain it in simple terms
Some say it's unconditional
Some believe love is unconditional
Other people just remain in doubt
While others are skeptical about love being unconditional
Well I cleaned up my diction, I had nothing left to say
I have no further words on this
Except there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
The only undeniable truth is that there is no religion today
And they ask what hate is
People are trying to understand what hate is
It's just the other side of love
Hate is love's opposite
Some people want to give their enemies
Some people want to hurt their enemies
Everything they think that they deserve
They want to give their enemies what they believe they deserve
Some say why don't you love your neighbors
Some preach loving our neighbors
Go ahead, turn the other cheek
Even when wronged, forgive and move on
But there's nobody on this planet that can ever be so meek
But it's impossible for anyone to be that forgiving
And I can't bleed for you
I cannot suffer on your behalf
You have to do it your own way
You have to find your own way in life
And there's no religion, no religion, no religion here today
This struggle is why there is no religion here today
And there's no mystery, and there's nothing hidden
There are no mysteries or hidden things
And there's no religion here today
All we have is the absence of religion
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VAN MORRISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind