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.

Venice U.S.A.
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Found myself, found myself
Oh, in a restaurant in Venice
Found myself
Oh, in a restaurant in Venice

I was talkin' to my baby
In a restaurant down in Venice
When I found myself

Down in Venice
And I'm cryin'
But my tears, but my tears
Are filled with joy
And I'm walkin' in Venice
And I'm cryin'

[Chorus]
Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah
Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah
Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah
Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah
Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah
Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah

As I'm leaving Venice, as I'm leaving Venice
As I'm leaving Venice
All the streets are wet with rain
And in my memory, and in my memory
And in my memory
I remember it well

And I take a stroll
Oh, see the ships come sailing in
In the harbor in the harbor
Down in Venice

And I'm cryin'
But my tears, but my tears
Are filled with joy
And I'm walkin' in Venice
And I'm cryin'

[Chorus]

Walkin' in Venice and I'm cryin'
Oh, as I'm walkin' in Venice, walkin' in Venice
And I'm cryin'
Well, I'm walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk walk, walk
Walkin' in Venice
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Well, I walk and I walk and I walk and I walk
Well, I'm walkin' in Venice
I walk and I walk and I walk
And I feel you and I see you as I'm walkin'
Down in Venice
Now sing a song, goes like this:

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Van Morrison's song Venice U.S.A. describe the moment when he finds himself in a Venice restaurant, talking to his baby. It is here that he "found himself", a phrase that suggests a moment of self-discovery, of being fully in the present and aware of one's surroundings. The repetition of the line "Found myself" adds emphasis to the significance of this moment. The sense of joy that Morrison feels is expressed in his tears, but it is also tempered by a sense of sadness, as expressed in the line "All the streets are wet with rain". The chorus of the song is a repetitive, nonsensical refrain that adds to the sense of joy and abandon expressed in the lyrics.

The lyrics of Venice U.S.A. suggest a moment of heightened awareness and emotional intensity. There is a sense of place and of memory, as Morrison takes a stroll in Venice and remembers the experience he had in the restaurant. The song is notable for its use of repetition, both in the melody and in the lyrics. This repetition creates a sense of momentum and forward motion, as if Morrison is walking through the streets of Venice with a purpose. The song also expresses a sense of yearning, as Morrison longs to be reunited with his baby. Overall, Venice U.S.A. is a song that captures a moment of emotional intensity and heightened awareness, as the singer finds himself in the midst of a powerful experience.

Line by Line Meaning

Found myself, found myself
I discovered something new about myself

Oh, in a restaurant in Venice
This realization happened in a restaurant in Venice

Found myself
Again, I discovered something new about myself

Oh, in a restaurant in Venice
This happened in that same restaurant in Venice

I was talkin' to my baby
I was having a conversation with my significant other

In a restaurant down in Venice
This conversation took place in a restaurant located in Venice

When I found myself
It was then that I realized something new about myself

Down in Venice
I was in Venice when all of this took place

And I'm cryin'
This realization made me very emotional

But my tears, but my tears
Even though I'm crying, I am filled with

Are filled with joy
a sense of happiness and satisfaction

And I'm walkin' in Venice
I am now walking around in Venice after this emotional experience

And I'm cryin'
I am still feeling emotional while walking in Venice

Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah
This is a nonsensical part of the song and can be disregarded

As I'm leaving Venice, as I'm leaving Venice
I am now leaving Venice

All the streets are wet with rain
It is currently raining in Venice and the streets are wet

And in my memory, and in my memory
I will always remember this experience in Venice

I remember it well
This experience is vividly remembered in my mind

And I take a stroll
I decide to take a leisurely walk

Oh, see the ships come sailing in
I observe ships sailing into the harbor

In the harbor in the harbor
The ships come into the harbor in Venice

And I'm cryin'
I am still feeling emotional

But my tears, but my tears
Despite crying, I am filled with

Are filled with joy
a sense of happiness and satisfaction

And I'm walkin' in Venice
I continue my walk in Venice

And I'm cryin'
I am still crying while walking in Venice

Dumb derra dumb dumb diddy diddy dah dah
This is again a nonsensical part of the song and can be disregarded

Walkin' in Venice and I'm cryin'
I am still walking in Venice and crying

Oh, as I'm walkin' in Venice, walkin' in Venice
I am emphasizing the fact that I am still walking in Venice while singing this part

And I'm cryin'
I am still crying while walking in Venice

Well, I'm walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk walk, walk
I am still walking in Venice

Walkin' in Venice
I am still walking in Venice

Yeah, yeah, yeah
This is a part of the song to be disregarded

Well, I walk and I walk and I walk and I walk
I am repeating that I am walking in Venice

Well, I'm walkin' in Venice
I am still walking in Venice

I walk and I walk and I walk
I am still emphasizing the fact that I am walking in Venice

And I feel you and I see you as I'm walkin'
I am expressing that I have a strong emotional connection while walking in Venice and that I still feel the presence of my significant other

Down in Venice
This is the last line of the song and emphasizes that everything takes place in Venice

Now sing a song, goes like this:
This is a part of the song to be disregarded

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VAN MORRISON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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