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.
bayou girl
Van Morrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Na na na na na
Bayou girl
Can you come out tonight
Bayou girl
Can you come out tonight
I've been waitin' on you
Right down by the bayou
Bayou girl,
Come on and let your hair down
Bayou girl ,
Come on and let your hair down
I want to dance with you,
All night, uh
By the light of the moon
that's what I want to do
Na na na na na,
Bayou girl
Can you hear me when I call?
Bayou girl
Can you hear me when I call?
I want to be with you
All night, that's all
Yes sir
Na na na na
Goin' to knock on your window
I'm gonna , I'm gonna
Ring your doorbell too
Knock on your window
I'm gonna ring your doorbell too
Won't you come out tonight
Yea yea yea
And jam on the bayou
Na na na na
Bayou girl
Can you hear me when I call
Bayou girl,
Na na na
Can you hear me when I call
And I'm callin' you
I want to be with you
All night and that's all
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
I said now bayou girl
I want to know can you come out tonight
I'm gonna knock on your window
Yes sir
Gonna ring your doorbell too
Na na na na
Bayou girl
Tell me , tell me can you come out tonight
I want to dance with you
Yea yea
With you on the bayou
Van Morrison’s song “Bayou Girl” is a playful and upbeat love song that is exuding with romantic charm. The lyrics are written in a simple and repetitive manner, which takes us through the story of the singer wanting to express his desire to dance with a Bayou girl all night long. The singer uses a great deal of colorful imagery and clever metaphors throughout this song to express his emotions. Bayou Girl refers to a girl who is most likely living near the bayou or river bank, and the singer wants to spend a night dancing with her in the moonlight by the river. The use of the phrase “Let your hair down” is a common metaphor for someone who is willing to be more relaxed and spontaneous.
The singer asks the Bayou girl to come out and dance with him, and he is willing to knock on her window and ring the doorbell to get her attention. He also uses the phrase “Can you hear me when I call?”, which could be seen as another metaphor, as he hopes that the Bayou girl will be able to hear his call for her to come out and dance with him. The song ends by repeating the chorus one more time, inviting and encouraging the Bayou girl to come out and dance on the bayou all night long.
Overall, “Bayou Girl” is a good example of Van Morrison’s ability to craft a song that is full of emotion, and his use of metaphors and imagery helps to create a powerful image in the listener's mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah yeah,
The singer is excited and enthusiastic
Na na na na na
Nonsensical syllables that add to the song's rhythm and energy
Bayou girl
The singer is addressing a woman who lives by the bayou
Can you come out tonight
The artist is asking the woman if she is available to spend time with him tonight
I've been waitin' on you
The artist has been anticipating spending time with the woman
Right down by the bayou
The singer has been waiting for the woman near the bayou
Yea yea yeah,
The singer is reaffirming his enthusiasm
Come on and let your hair down
The artist wants the woman to relax and be herself
I want to dance with you,
The artist wants to dance with the woman
All night, uh
The artist wants to spend a long time with the woman
By the light of the moon
The singer wants to dance with the woman outside, under the moonlight
that's what I want to do
The artist is reiterating his desire to dance with the woman under the moonlight
Na na na na na,
Nonsensical syllables that add to the song's rhythm and energy
Can you hear me when I call?
The singer is asking if the woman can hear him trying to get her attention
I want to be with you
The singer desires the woman's company
All night, that's all
The artist wants to spend a long time with the woman
Yes sir
An exclamation expressing the artist's determination
Goin' to knock on your window
The singer plans on trying to get the woman's attention by knocking on her window
I'm gonna , I'm gonna
Re-affirming the singer's determination
Ring your doorbell too
In addition to knocking on her window, the artist plans on ringing her doorbell
Won't you come out tonight
The artist is asking the woman to spend time with him tonight
And jam on the bayou
The artist wants to dance and have fun with the woman by the bayou
Tell me , tell me can you come out tonight
The singer is asking again if the woman can spend time with him tonight
With you on the bayou
The artist wants to dance and have fun with the woman by the bayou
I said now bayou girl
The singer is addressing the woman who lives by the bayou
I want to know can you come out tonight
The singer is asking if the woman is available to spend time with him tonight
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lindamugford5507
Wow, fantastic duet, Vans the man, and Linda does a fantastic job on that piano,
@gerryto50
versión maravillosa de este clásico
@dirkbag22
This is great. Never heard before. Wonderful.
@AlphaCatholic
Who'd have thunk this pairing would result in such a raucous and joyous track ? It's so much fun..crank it up
@schaake01
I have 27 versions of this song - This is realy the best !!!
@freddysimon7934
This is my favourite version of jambalaya ✊☺️
@NEOcreativegenius
This song always makes me happy!
@mohammedbouache5414
Its jambalaya the best song in the world sings by many many from The great Hank through fats and so many
@bonnyvee
I love 'Old Black Joe' by them, it rocks
@gerdtwilke7096
Das ist nicht zu überbieten!!! Mir fehlen die Worte! Weltklesse😀❤️