Best Van Morrison Songs - The Mystical Psalms

One of Van Morrison's many faces is that of the window-gazing dreamer, rapt in wonder - or caught in Silas Marner-like catalepsy. He's given us gorgeous songs of rapture, hymns to the unknown, to love, to mystery, to the indefinable things of our lives. And, in my estimation, no one has done it better. Take a moment to experience this introduction to some of the best Van Morrison songs for daydreaming and staring into the Great Unknown.

"Astral Weeks" - Astral Weeks (1968)

Strains of separation, alienation, intense spiritual love, familial love, all come in a stream of consciousness and settle into a meditation on the afterlife. Interesting that the singer doesn't find his solace or redemption in this woman and her boy, on the "far side of the ocean," but instead in his "home on high, in another life, so far away." There's almost a naiveté about Van's conclusion here, one that can be forgiven a man in his early 20s. It's also interesting to note this was written in the days where Van's band Them had fallen apart, his early solo career had been a music industry cliché of a disaster, and his future was uncertain. He had very little, and he turned to "the One" for solace. Which leads us to...

"Spirit" - Common One (1980)

This is maybe my favorite of Van Morrison songs about the mystical. "When you've given up hope... You turn to the One." I added the caps, on "the One" but how else are we to interpret the phrase? This is a recurring theme for Van, where he returns to a belief in something higher, something unknown and really unknowable, when all else seems uncertain and useless. At least he does through the early 1980s; by the 1990s it's as if there's no religion for Van, other than music itself (see "No Religion" from 1995's Day's Like This). Whatever his theology, this song is a must-have for the modern mystic, and a go-to for the soul in its dark night.

"And it Stoned Me" - Moondance (1970)

I'm so thankful to Van Morrison for his work, for so many reasons. "And it Stoned Me" reminds us to find beauty and wonder in simple things, in this case an afternoon walk to the local swimming hole. I like the way he phrases it too - "And it stoned me, to my soul" - stoned, like drugs? or stoned like the ancient form of capital punishment? I'm going with the first one - and what a lovely thought: great highs, transformation of the mind even, can be find in the common and the routine. Thank you, Van - that was a wonderful remark!

Whenever I talk about Van Morrison I always want to tell people about another favorite artist, prattle on, rick. Deeply influenced by Van's music, prattle on, rick. preserves Van's heartfelt, dreamy aesthetic and updates it in a lovely modern folk-pop sound. Do yourself the favor of downloading some of their music for free at http://prattleonrickmusic.com/

You can read the other articles in my Best Van Morrison Songs: 30 Essentials series, available at my profile.