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.
Sitting on Top of the World
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Holding out your hand
I'm gonna get me a woman, baby
And you can have that man
Lord, I'm gone, gone, gone
I don't worry
Lord, I am sitting on top of the world
Yes, I am
I worked all summer and all the fall
I even spent Christmas in my overalls
But now, child's gone, yeah, she is
And I don't worry, boy, don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
Lord, I reckon
That Mississippi River
So deep and wide
My baby's standing, Lord
On the other side
Oh, but now she's gone, gone, gone
And I don't worry
'Cause I am sitting on top of this world
Can you blow me some of that horn, cat now?
One summer day
She went away
She went and left me
For good to stay
And now she's gone
And I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world, yeah
You come here running
Holding out your hand
I'm gonna get me a woman
And you can have your man
Well, though she's gone, gone, gone
And I don't worry
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
The lyrics to Van Morrison's "Sitting on Top of the World" convey a sense of triumph over heartbreak and loss. The singer has been working hard all year, spending even Christmas in his overalls, but he found himself abandoned by his lover. Nonetheless, he declares he has nothing to worry about because he is sitting on top of the world. The song suggests that the singer is looking for a new woman and that the woman to whom he is speaking can have the man who left him.
The Mississippi River imagery in the song underscores the singer's sense of accomplishment and stability. The river is an iconic symbol of the American South, and the singer invokes it as a way of emphasizing the vastness of his newfound sense of power. He notes that it is deep and wide and imagines his former lover standing on the other side.
The song's tone is one of resilience and determination. Even though the singer has been deserted, he remains confident in his own worth and ability to rebound. His declaration that he is "sitting on top of the world" suggests a level of contentment that comes from appreciating one's own strength.
Line by Line Meaning
You come here running
Someone is approaching Van Morrison quickly
Holding out your hand
The person is holding out their hand to Van Morrison upon arrival
I'm gonna get me a woman, baby
Van Morrison plans to find a new romantic partner
And you can have that man
Van Morrison is willing to let the person have their own romantic partner
Lord, I'm gone, gone, gone
Van Morrison has mentally or emotionally checked out of a particular situation
I don't worry
Van Morrison is not stressing or feeling anxious
Lord, I am sitting on top of the world
Van Morrison feels triumphant or successful
Yes, I am
Van Morrison is emphasizing his confidence in his current state
How you think about it, Van?
Someone is asking for Van Morrison's opinion or thoughts
I worked all summer and all the fall
Van Morrison has been consistently working for an extended period of time
I even spent Christmas in my overalls
Van Morrison spent Christmas in a casual outfit, likely due to working or lack of plans
But now, child's gone, yeah, she is
Van Morrison's child has left or is no longer in the picture
And I don't worry, boy, don't worry
Van Morrison is reassuring someone not to stress or feel concerned
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
Van Morrison feels triumphant or successful
Lord, I reckon
Van Morrison is acknowledging or accepting something
That Mississippi River
Van Morrison is referencing the Mississippi River, possibly as a metaphor for something
So deep and wide
Van Morrison is emphasizing the enormity of the Mississippi River
My baby's standing, Lord
Van Morrison's romantic partner is in a particular place or situation
On the other side
Van Morrison's romantic partner is physically on the other side of the Mississippi River
Oh, but now she's gone, gone, gone
Van Morrison's romantic partner has left or is no longer in the picture
And I don't worry
Van Morrison is not stressing or feeling anxious
'Cause I am sitting on top of this world
Van Morrison feels triumphant or successful
Can you blow me some of that horn, cat now?
Van Morrison is asking someone to play a particular instrument
One summer day
Van Morrison is referencing a specific day in the summer
She went away
Van Morrison's romantic partner left or departed
She went and left me
Van Morrison's romantic partner chose to leave him
For good to stay
Van Morrison is emphasizing that his romantic partner is gone for good
And now she's gone
Van Morrison's romantic partner has left or is no longer in the picture
And I don't worry
Van Morrison is not stressing or feeling anxious
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world, yeah
Van Morrison feels triumphant or successful
You come here running
Someone is approaching Van Morrison quickly
Holding out your hand
The person is holding out their hand to Van Morrison upon arrival
I'm gonna get me a woman
Van Morrison plans to find a new romantic partner
And you can have your man
Van Morrison is willing to let the person have their own romantic partner
Well, though she's gone, gone, gone
Van Morrison's romantic partner has left or is no longer in the picture
And I don't worry
Van Morrison is not stressing or feeling anxious
'Cause I'm sitting on top of the world
Van Morrison feels triumphant or successful
Contributed by Gabriel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Water Type
Finally - someone was able to post this masterpiece. I have the soundtrack, but never could find a way to upload on to You Tube. Thank you!!!!
Jinaa Yah Bandiya
I have searched high and low for this song from when I first heard it on the movie sound track starring Pierce Brosnan....Thank You thank you for sharing this :-)
Graham
Jinaa Yah Bandiya Evelyn
ariesgirl54ify
To James Wilson...Whoever you are God Bless you!!! I've been looking for this song since I saw the movie. The only thing that would come up was the Pinetop Perkins blues classic. I found it on the album soundtrack but it wasn't available as a 'single' to buy. Ironically, I just found it after listening to his 1987 album, "Poetic Champions Compose" this morning, and on a lark I typed in this song and it's finally on Amazon as a single. Wasn't there before...But this surpasses even that because of this FULL version you uploaded in its entirety...Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
John Louis
This song resonated with me in such a soulful way. I too heard it for the first time when I saw the movie "Evelyn". Which btw is a very good movie.
Deanna
I love this version of this beautiful song!! ❤🌹❤
Woolhall
Classic Van , pure , pure soul 🙏
Patricia M Sandoval
Been looking for.this one a long time! Thank you for sharing it!
Tim Warner
I heard this song for the first time about 14 minutes ago on a station I listen to out of Mendocino,CA. I thought to myself "How did I miss this gem?" Then was able to read up a bit about it. To me, this "newer" sound of Van Morrison comes out one of the most achingly gorgeous musical forays of his lifetime career which he has been pursuing for a few years now. I can't think of anyone as brilliantly creative and appealing as Van Morrison over as many decades as he has been producing his totally original music. And yes this is one of my favorites all of a sudden. It has that same aural beauty as "Every Time I see a River." Thank you Van for writing and recording another stellar piece of music.
sally Cunag
Thank you find the lyrics