Astral Weeks by Van Morrison Lyrics Meaning – A Journey Through the Cosmic Soul of a Folk Masterpiece
Lyrics
Between the viaducts of your dream
Where immobile steel rims crack
And the ditch in the back roads stop
Could you find me?
Would you kiss-a my eyes?
To lay me down
In silence easy
To be born again
To be born again
From the far side of the ocean
If I put the wheels in motion
And I stand with my arms behind me
And I’m pushin’ on the door
Could you find me?
Would you kiss-a my eyes?
To lay me down
In silence easy
To be born again
To be born again
There you go
Standin’ with the look of avarice
Talkin’ to Huddie Ledbetter
Showin’ pictures on the wall
Whisperin’ in the hall
And pointin’ a finger at me
There you go, there you go
Standin’ in the sun darlin’
With your arms behind you
And your eyes before
There you go
Takin’ good care of your boy
Seein’ that he’s got clean clothes
Puttin’ on his little red shoes
I see you know he’s got clean clothes
A-puttin’ on his little red shoes
A-pointin’ a finger at me
And here I am
Standing in your sad arrest
Trying to do my very best
Lookin’ straight at you
Comin’ through, darlin’
Yeah, yeah, yeah
If I ventured in the slipstream
Between the viaducts of your dreams
Where immobile steel rims crack
And the ditch in the back roads stop
Could you find me
Would you kiss-a my eyes
Lay me down
In silence easy
To be born again
To be born again
To be born again
In another world
In another world
In another time
Got a home on high
Ain’t nothing but a stranger in this world
I’m nothing but a stranger in this world
I got a home on high
In another land
So far away
So far away
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
In another time
In another place
In another time
In another place
Way up in the heaven
Way up in the heaven
We are goin’ up to heaven
We are goin’ to heaven
In another time
In another place
In another time
In another place
In another face
Van Morrison’s ‘Astral Weeks’ is more than just a collection of melodies strung together; it’s a foray into the depths of the human spirit, a mosaic of poetic imagery woven into the fabric of sound. Released in 1968, the eponymous track ‘Astral Weeks’ serves as a gateway into Morrison’s introspective and transformative universe, capturing a bold and otherworldly journey into rebirth and the pursuit of transcendence.
The song’s lyrics, ripe with dreamscapes and vivid, elusive imagery, have long intrigued listeners and sparked countless interpretations. What many fans have experienced is a song that refuses to be pinned down, a song that thrives in the realm of the ethereal, inviting a deep dive into what lies between reality and the astral planes Morrison so elegantly crafts.
The Slipstream of Dreams: Unlocking Lyric Mysteries
Morrison’s use of the ‘slipstream’ in the opening lines serves as an allegory for stepping into an alternate state of consciousness—a place between the rigid structures of reality (‘viaducts of your dream’) and a realm unbound by the physical limitations of the world (‘immobile steel rims crack’). This choice of imagery sets the stage for an odyssey that is at once personal and universal, suggesting a landscape of transformation and self-discovery.
Asking to be ‘born again,’ Morrison is not merely reflecting on a religious concept but also expressing a profound longing for regeneration—a theme that resonates with the song’s recurring sense of longing and existential contemplation. It’s a cry for a cleanse from the taint of worldly experiences and a rebirth into a state of innocence and purity.
Embracing Rebirth and the Eternal Cycle
The refrain ‘to be born again’ emerges as a mantra throughout the song, one that Morrison delivers with a mixture of vulnerability and anticipation. The repetition suggests a cyclical view of life, a belief in the continuity of the soul beyond the physical vessel. Here, Morrison blurs the lines between the end and the beginning, between death and new life.
In this sense, ‘Astral Weeks’ could be seen as a form of spiritual jazz, improvising and weaving a fabric where the temporal meets the eternal—the temporal in the fleeting moments of earthly existence and the eternal in the infinite possibility of the afterlife or the astral plane.
Vision of Innocence: The Little Red Shoes
One of the song’s most arresting images is that of ‘little red shoes,’ which Morrison uses to evoke a sense of innocence and childhood. This image, contrasted with the scene of a finger being pointed at him, juxtaposes the simplicity and purity of youth against the judgment and complexity that come with adult life.
The ‘little red shoes’ become a motif, symbolizing a return to a state unmarred by the cynicism of experience or the ‘look of avarice.’ Morrison seeks to recapture that essence, the unblemished, untainted spirit of beginnings.
Between Two Worlds: The Search For Home
Morrison paints himself as a ‘stranger in this world,’ longing for a ‘home on high.’ These lines reveal a duality in his existence, as if he’s oscillating between the terrestrial and the celestial. The earthly world is depicted as a temporary abode, a place where his soul resides but doesn’t belong.
The motif of ‘another time,’ ‘another place,’ and ‘another face’ hints at a desire for escape and transformation, and this multi-dimensional yearning becomes more poignant as Morrison reaches towards his ethereal, true abode—a place where earthly troubles dissolve and the spirit ascends to a higher state of being.
The Memorable Lines That Defined an Era
‘If I ventured in the slipstream, between the viaducts of your dream.’ These words, set against the song’s hauntingly improvisational structure, capture the very essence of Morrison’s poetic discourse. It’s a line that encapsulates the song’s pursuit of the indefinable, an invitation to join him in exploring the boundless realms of imagination.
The beauty of the song lies in its resistance to easy interpretation; it’s a lyrical labyrinth where listeners find their own meanings and experiences reflected. ‘Astral Weeks’ remains a timeless invitation from Morrison to leave the material world behind, if only for a moment, and to confront the vastness within ourselves.
