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.

Take Your Hand Out of My Pocket
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Take your hands outta my pocket, baby
I ain't got nothin' let to loan to you
Take your hands outta my pocket
I ain't got nothin' left to loan to you
If you don't take your hand out
I'm gonna call the police on you

I got hip to your record

The first thirty-five seconds I got in town
I got hip, hip to your record
The first thirty-five seconds that I got in town
If you don't take your fingers off my wallet
I believe the Man is gonna take you down
Whoa, yeah
Play the blues, n' blow

I don't mean anybody no harm
I just want what belong to me
I don't mean no one no harm, no, no
I just want, just want what belong to me

So, ya take your hand outta my pocket, hu

I'll ask the judge to set you free
Oh yeah

Overall Meaning

The song Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket by Van Morrison is a blues song filled with emotions of anger and resentment. The lyrics are directed towards someone who is trying to take advantage of the singer. The opening line of the song, "Take your hands outta my pocket, baby" shows the singer's desperation for the other person to stop taking advantage of him. He asserts that he has nothing left to lend to the other person, and this person needs to take their hands out of his pocket. If they fail to do so, the singer warns that he will call the police.

The song continues with the singer admitting that he knows the other person's intentions. He is aware of their record and what they are likely to do. He warns them off his wallet, knowing that if they don't remove their fingers, the police will intervene. The singer asserts that he has no intent of hurting anyone; he merely wants what belongs to him. The song concludes with the singer telling the other person that if they remove their hand from his pocket, he will ask the judge to let them go.

The song is about taking what belongs to someone, and the singer's desperation to hold onto his possessions. The lyrics also suggest that the singer has been through this situation before and is aware of how to deal with it. Overall, Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket is a passionate song that conveys strong emotions of resentment and anger.

Line by Line Meaning

Take your hands outta my pocket, baby
Stop trying to take things from me

I ain't got nothin' left to loan to you
I don't have anything left to give you

If you don't take your hand out I'm gonna call the police on you
If you keep stealing from me, I will report you to the authorities

I got hip to your record The first thirty-five seconds I got in town
I quickly realized what kind of person you are when I first met you

If you don't take your fingers off my wallet I believe the Man is gonna take you down
If you don't stop trying to steal from me, you will likely face consequences from the law

I don't mean anybody no harm I just want what belong to me
I have no ill intentions towards anyone, I simply want to keep what is rightfully mine

So, ya take your hand outta my pocket, hu I'll ask the judge to set you free
If you stop stealing from me, I won't press charges and you'll be free

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WILLIE WILLIAMSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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