Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison, OBE (generally known as Van Morrison or Van… Read Full Bio ↴Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison, OBE (generally known as Van Morrison or Van The Man) (born 31 August 1945) is a Grammy Award-winning artist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He's a singer, songwriter, author, poet, and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since 1958. He plays a variety of instruments, including the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, drums, and saxophone. Featuring his characteristic growl - a unique mix of folk, blues, Irish, scat, and Celtic influences - Morrison is widely considered one of the most unusual and influential vocalists in the history of rock and roll. He has received numerous music awards during his career, including six Grammy Awards (1996–2007); inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (January 1993), the Songwriters Hall of Fame (June 2003), and the Irish Music Hall of Fame (September 1999); and a Brit Award (February 1994).

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.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Long way from my home

Sometimes I wish I could fly
Like a bird up in the sky
Oh, sometimes I wish I could fly

Fly like a bird up in the sky
Sometimes I wish I could fly
Like a bird up in the sky
Closer to my home

Motherless children have a hard time
Motherless children have-a such a hard time
Motherless children have such a really hard time
A long way from home

Sometimes I feel like freedom is near
Sometimes I feel like freedom is here

Sometimes I feel like freedom is so near
But we're so far from home

Overall Meaning

Van Morrison's song "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" is a blues-infused piece that reflects the pain and sorrow of being alone and far away from one's home. The song is about the feeling of not having a mother, a bond that is supposed to be one of the strongest and most meaningful of all. The repetition of the title line drives home the sense of alienation that the singer feels, making it clear that he or she is lost and unhinged.

The lyrics also express a desire for escape, both in the form of the freedom that the singer feels is near and the bird that they wish they could fly like. This longing for release from the burdens of the world is a common theme in the blues, and it is no surprise that Morrison would incorporate it into such a song.

The mention of "motherless children" in the lyrics is a reference to the African-American slave songs that were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These songs often spoke of the hardships that slave children faced, especially those who were taken from their mothers and sold into slavery. Morrison's use of this phrase acknowledges this legacy, while also making it more universal by emphasizing the idea of loneliness, of being without any strong connections.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
At times, I feel disconnected from the care and guidance of a mother figure.

Sometimes I wish I could fly Like a bird up in the sky
Occasionally, I yearn for the freedom and mobility of a bird soaring in the sky.

Closer to my home
In proximity to the place where I truly belong and feel safe.

Motherless children have a hard time
Children without a mother's influence may struggle with emotional, physical, and social challenges.

A long way from home
Physically distant from the place where I feel most comfortable and secure.

Sometimes I feel like freedom is near
At times, I sense that liberation from burdens and constraints may be within reach.

But we're so far from home
Despite a desire for freedom, we are still distant from the place where we belong and feel at ease.

Lyrics © Music Hub O/B/O GEMA, RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SY OLIVER, DP

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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