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.

When The Sun Goes Down
Van Morrison Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I want you, be around
When that evening sun goes down
I want you, be around
Keep my both feet on the ground
When that evening sun goes down

I want you, understand
Little girl, take me by my hand

I want you, understand
I want to be your loving man
When that evening sun goes down

If it's nice, we'll go for a walk,
A stroll in the clear moonlight
Singing a song, won't take long
Everything gonna be alright

And I want to hold you oh so near
Keep you, darling from all fear
I want to hold you oh so near
Nibble on your little ear
When that evening sun goes down

If it's nice, go for a walk,
Stroll in the clear moonlight
Sing you a song, won't take long
Everything gonna be alright

And I want to hold you oh so near
Keep you, darling from all fear
I want to hold you oh so near
Nibble on your little ear
When that evening sun goes down

When that evening sun goes down
When that evening sun goes down

One more time
When that evening sun goes down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Van Morrison's song, "When That Evening Sun Goes Down," express a deep desire to be with someone special, to have them close by, and to enjoy a romantic evening together. The singer of the song is pleading with this person to be around when the evening sun goes down, to keep their feet on the ground and hold them tight. He wants her to understand that he wants to be her loving man, and to take him by the hand so that they can walk together in the moonlight.

The lyrics also suggest that the singer wants to make this a special evening, one that they will cherish forever. He promises to sing her a song and make everything alright, and he wants to hold her close, keep her from fear, and nibble on her ear. The repeated refrain of "when that evening sun goes down" adds to the sense of longing and anticipation, as though the singer is waiting for a special moment to express his feelings.

Overall, the lyrics of "When That Evening Sun Goes Down" capture the essence of a romantic evening, where two people can share their love and affection for each other in a beautiful setting, surrounded by the tranquility of the night. It is a reminder of the power of love and its ability to bring two souls together in a way that is both magical and memorable.

Line by Line Meaning

I want you, be around
I desire your presence

When that evening sun goes down
Particularly during the sunset

I want you, be around
I reiterate, I want you to be by my side

Keep my both feet on the ground
Help me maintain balance

When that evening sun goes down
Especially during the sunset

I want you, understand
I want you to comprehend my sentiments

Little girl, take me by my hand
Lead me along with you like a child

I want you, understand
Repeating that I want you to comprehend my feelings

I want to be your loving man
I want to be the man that you love

When that evening sun goes down
While the evening sky is picturesque

If it's nice, we'll go for a walk,
In case the weather is pleasant, we'll take a walk

A stroll in the clear moonlight
We'll walk while the moon provides light

Singing a song, won't take long
We'll sing a tune that won't be too long

Everything gonna be alright
Everything will be fine

And I want to hold you oh so near
I want to embrace you very closely

Keep you, darling from all fear
I aim to protect you from all dread

I want to hold you oh so near
Again, I want to embrace you very closely

Nibble on your little ear
Playful biting on your ear

When that evening sun goes down
Again, this will all occur during the sunset

If it's nice, go for a walk,
Repeating that if the weather is pleasant, we'll stroll

Stroll in the clear moonlight
Reiterating that we will walk while the moon provides light

Sing you a song, won't take long
Repeating that we'll sing a brief tune together

Everything gonna be alright
Reiterating that everything will be fine

And I want to hold you oh so near
Again, I want to embrace you very closely

Keep you, darling from all fear
Repeating that I want to keep you safe

I want to hold you oh so near
Yet again, I want to embrace you very closely

Nibble on your little ear
Repeating the playful ear-biting

When that evening sun goes down
Still emphasizing that this is during sunset

When that evening sun goes down
Repeating the phrase

One more time
As a final emphasis

When that evening sun goes down
Again, this is all happening during sunset

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: VAN MORRISON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

jan hensley

1y↑3

Love this! 💚🎶

Debby Harrison

4y↑9

What a fabulous song!!!😀

James Clayton

4y↑3

Does a soul good to know someone besides myself that takes time to dig Van outta all the stuff on the tube , peace and look out for the nibble!!!

Evelyn O'Connor

2y↑3

A very HEARTFELT rendering of a REALLY BEAUTIFUL LOVE ❤️.song by the always fabulous VOCALIST, MUSICIAN and COMPOSER, Van Morrison --- LOVE ❤️ Evelyn O'Connor