In the Garden (Van Morrison song)

Last updated

"In the Garden"
Song by Van Morrison
from the album No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
ReleasedJuly 1986
Genre Celtic, Folk rock, Jazz fusion
Length5:46
Label Mercury
Songwriter(s) Van Morrison
Producer(s) Van Morrison
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher track listing
  1. "Got to Go Back"
  2. "Oh the Warm Feeling"
  3. "Foreign Window"
  4. "A Town Called Paradise"
  5. "In the Garden"
  6. "Tir Na Nóg"
  7. "Here Comes the Knight"
  8. "Thanks for the Information"
  9. "One Irish Rover"
  10. "Ivory Tower"

"In the Garden" is a spiritually inspired song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1986 album No Guru, No Method, No Teacher .

Contents

Recording and composition

The album version of the song was recorded in 1985 at Studio D at the Sausalito Record Plant in Sausalito, California. [1]

The lyrics of "In the Garden" contain a line which gives the album its name: "No Guru, no method, no teacher/ Just you and I and nature/And the Father in the garden." Some of the words also fall back to Astral Weeks territory with mentions of "childlike visions", "into a trance" from the song, "Madame George" and "in the garden wet with rain" from "Sweet Thing". According to Morrison, the song is based upon a form of transcendental meditation, which takes about ten minutes before a person arrives at a degree of tranquility. [2]

Biographer Johnny Rogan has highlighted the song as one of the defining tracks of Morrison's career, comparing it with works such as "Into the Mystic", "Listen to the Lion", and "You Don't Pull No Punches, But You Don't Push the River". He also believes that "Morrison himself recognises 'In the Garden' as perhaps the key recording in the Eighties career." [3]

Other releases

"In the Garden" was one of the songs performed and featured on Van Morrison The Concert , Morrison's video film released in 1990. It was included on The Best of Van Morrison Volume Two In 1993. A live version was one of the songs on the 1994 album, A Night in San Francisco . The compilation album issued in 2007 Still on Top - The Greatest Hits contains a remastered version of the song.

Personnel on original release

Notes

  1. ↑ Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p. 525
  2. ↑ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, p. 255
  3. ↑ Rogan, No Surrender, p. 359

Related Research Articles

<i>Veedon Fleece</i> 1974 studio album by Van Morrison

Veedon Fleece is the eighth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in October 1974. Morrison recorded the album shortly after his divorce from wife Janet (Planet) Rigsbee. With his broken marriage in the past, Morrison visited Ireland on holiday for new inspiration, arriving on 20 October 1973. While there he wrote, in less than three weeks, the songs included on the album.

<i>A Period of Transition</i> 1977 studio album by Van Morrison

A Period of Transition is the ninth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1977. It was his first album in two-and-a-half years. At the time of its release it was received with some disappointment by critics and fans: "Most were hoping for a work of primeval vocal aggression that would challenge the emerging élite of Morrison pretenders, whose ranks included Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Phil Lynott, Graham Parker and Elvis Costello." However, the album is still notable for several major compositions, including "Heavy Connection", "Flamingos Fly", "The Eternal Kansas City" and "Cold Wind in August".

<i>Wavelength</i> (album) 1978 album by Van Morrison

Wavelength is the tenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, and was released in the autumn of 1978. The album has a different musical sound from his previous albums, leaning towards a pop rock sound with prominent electric guitars and synthesizers. Wavelength was Morrison's best selling album at the time of the original release. Mick Glossop, Bobby Tench and Peter Bardens were given credit for special assistance in production.

<i>No Guru, No Method, No Teacher</i> 1986 studio album by Van Morrison

No Guru, No Method, No Teacher is the sixteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1986 on Mercury.

<i>Beautiful Vision</i> 1982 studio album by Van Morrison

Beautiful Vision is the thirteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in February 1982. It continued Morrison's departure from R&B at the time, instead favoring Celtic folk and American jazz in its music. As with many of Morrison's recordings, spirituality is a major theme and some of the songs are based on the teachings of Alice Bailey. Other songs show Morrison's Celtic heritage and reminiscence of his Belfast background.

<i>Poetic Champions Compose</i> 1987 studio album by Van Morrison

Poetic Champions Compose is the seventeenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1987 on Mercury Records. It received generally positive reviews from critics, most of whom viewed it as adequate mood music.

"Caravan" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, Moondance. It was a concert highlight for several years and was included as one of the songs on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bright Side of the Road</span> 1979 single by Van Morrison

"Bright Side of the Road" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1979 album Into the Music. It was also one of the outtakes that made up the 1998 compilation album, The Philosopher's Stone. As a single "Bright Side of the Road" was released in September 1979 and charted at No. 48 in the Netherlands, No. 63 in the UK and just outside the Billboard Hot 100 in the US at No. 110. In 2020, the song reached its highest radio airplay chart position in Ireland, peaking at #2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleaning Windows</span> 1982 single by Van Morrison

"Cleaning Windows" is a song written by the Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, recorded on his 1982 album Beautiful Vision.

"And It Stoned Me" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It is the opening track on his 1970 solo album, Moondance.

"Saint Dominic's Preview" is the title song of the sixth album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in July 1972 by Warner Bros. It was recorded at the Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco in April 1972, with overdubs made later on. Morrison wrote it in a stream of consciousness in the same vein as some of his earlier works, particularly those on Astral Weeks. The song's narrative moves from France to San Francisco, Morrison's place of residence at the time, to Belfast, where he grew up, to New York City.

"Almost Independence Day" is the closing song on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1972 album Saint Dominic's Preview. The song is ten minutes long and features Morrison trading guitar licks with Ron Elliott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Days Like This (Van Morrison song)</span> 1995 single by Van Morrison

"Days Like This" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and the title song of his 1995 album of the same name. Morrison has often performed this song in concert appearances,and it has become one of his most popular songs from his later years. Despite peaking at #65 in the UK, it reached positions #17 and #12 on the Billboard US. In Ireland, "Days Like This" peaked at #1 on the radio airplay chart in 2022.

"Slim Slow Slider" is the closing track on the 1968 album Astral Weeks by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison.

"Vanlose Stairway" is a song written by the Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, and included on his 1982 album Beautiful Vision. It has remained a popular concert performance throughout Morrison's career and has become one of his most played songs.

"And the Healing Has Begun" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and recorded on his 1979 album, Into the Music.

"You Don't Pull No Punches, but You Don't Push the River" is a nine-minute song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It appears on the album Veedon Fleece, released in 1974.

"Brand New Day" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his 1970 album Moondance.

<i>Blowin Your Mind!</i> 1967 studio album by Van Morrison

Blowin' Your Mind! is the debut studio album by Northern Irish musician Van Morrison, released in 1967. It was recorded 28–29 March 1967 and contained his first solo pop hit "Brown Eyed Girl". It was included by Rolling Stone as one of the 40 Essential Albums of 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ro Ro Rosey</span> 1967 single by Van Morrison

"Ro Ro Rosey" is a song written by Van Morrison that was written and recorded for Bang Records owner and producer Bert Berns and released on his 1967 album Blowin' Your Mind!. It was also released as the follow-up single to "Brown Eyed Girl."

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.