Monday, November 25, 2013

Sweet thing

About once a year my friend Josh and I debate this song on Facebook. We both love it, but he prefers this cover from The Waterboys (on Fisherman's Blues) to the original Van Morrison track. Nothing matches the sweet, evocative sound of guitars, fiddle and, I believe, bouzouki, which produces without fail massive twinkling nostalgia. For what, I don't know. (I'm sorry for the rather jarring ad which you have to bear for 4 seconds...). Is there anything, then, more perfect than this lyric?

And you shall take me strongly
In your arms again
And I will not remember
That I even felt the pain.
We shall walk and talk
In gardens all misty and wet with rain
And I will never, never, never
Grow so old again.

2 comments:

Josh Mutchnick said...

I just listened to this version again with headphones on so I could enjoy every ethereal creak and squeak that The Waterboys have to offer. Nice pull on the bouzouki reference, I think I could hear it in there. Nice, Nice, Nice

Katherine C. James said...

Saw Van Morrison on Saturday. Love him, but I think I like the Waterboys version better too. But Van wrote the beautiful lyrics. My favorite:

Just to dig it all an' not to wonder
That's just fine
And I'll be satisfied
Not to read in between the lines