Van Morrison - Listen to the Lion

Van Morrison - "Listen to the Lion", taken from his sixth solo album Saint Dominic's Preview (July 1972 Warner Bros). "Listen to the Lion" was first recorded during the sessions for Morrison's third solo album Moondance in 1969 but not used. The longer eleven minute version that is featured on the Saint Dominic's Preview album was recorded during the 1971 sessions at the Columbia Studios in San Francisco and intended for the album Tupelo Honey.

I find "Listen to the Lion" uplifting, and heartbreaking at the same time. Van confronts all his dreams, all his doubts and all of the tangled web of the celtic diaspora and mysticism and emerges triumphant. It's almost a hymne. I like to hear a CS Lewis Lion (Aslan) in this song. This song is one of the defining tracks of Morrison's career, comparing it with works such as "The Garden", "Into the Mystic", and "You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River".

Photograps: Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee

Band:
Van Morrison -- vocals, guitar,backing vocals
Ronnie Montrose -- guitar, backing vocals
Mark Jordan -- piano
Bill Church -- bass
Connie Kay -- drums
Garry Mallaber -- percussion, vibraphone
"Boots" Rolf Houston -- backing vocals

Lyrics:
And all my love come down
All my love come tumblin' down
All my love come tumblin' down
All my love come tumblin' down
Oh, listen listen
To the lion
Oh, listen listen listen
To the lion...
Inside of me
Oh, oh, oh

And I shall search my soul
I shall search my very soul
And I shall search my very soul
I shall search my very so-o-oul

For the lion
For the lion
For the lion
For the lion...
Inside of me
Oh, oh, yeah

And all my tears have flown
All my tears like water flown
And all my tears like water flown
All my tears like-a water flown

For the lion
For the lion
For the lion
For the lion...
Inside of me

Listen to the lion [14 times]

And we sailed, and we sailed...
And we sailed, and we sailed...
And we sailed, and we sailed...
... sailed to Caledonia

And we sailed, and we sailed,
And we sailed, and we sailed, and we sailed...
Away from Denmark
Way up to Caledonia
Away from Denmark
Way up to Caledonia

And we sailed, and we sailed, and we sailed...
All around the World
And we sailed..., and we sailed..., and we sailed...
Looking for a brand new start

And we sailed...
And we sailed, and we sailed...
All around the World
... a brand new start

Looking for a brand new start
Looking for a brand new start
Looking for a brand new start

And we sailed, and we sailed, and we sailed...
And we sailed...
Away from the Golden Gate
Way up to the New York City

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