Into the Mystic

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“Into the Mystic”
Song by Van Morrison
Album	Moondance
Released	February 1970
Genre	R & B/Country rock
Length	3:25
Label	Warner Bros. Records
Writer	Van Morrison
Composer	Van Morrison
Producer	Van Morrison and Lewis Merenstein
Moondance track listing
"And It Stoned Me" "Moondance" "Crazy Love" "Caravan" "Into the Mystic" "Come Running" "These Dreams of You" "Brand New Day" "Everyone" "Glad Tidings"

"Into the Mystic" is a song written by singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his 1970 album Moondance. This song was also included on Morrison's 1974 live album, It's Too Late To Stop Now.

The lyrics are about a spiritual quest, typical of Morrison's work. "Bass thrums like a boat in motion, and the song comes back to water as a means of magical transformation."^[1]"At the very end Van sings: too late to stop now, suggesting that the song also describes an act of love." (This phrase would become a key point of many live concerts.)^[2]

Morrison remarked on the song:

"Into the Mystic" is another one like "Madame Joy" and "Brown Skinned Girl". Originally I wrote it as "Into the Misty". But later I thought that it had something of an ethereal feeling to it so I called it "Into the Mystic". That song is kind of funny because when it came time to send the lyrics in WB Music, I couldn't figure out what to send them. Because really the song has two sets of lyrics. For example, there's "I was born before the wind" and "I was borne before the wind", and also "Also younger than the son, Ere the bonny boat was one" and "All so younger than the son, Ere the bonny boat was won"...I guess the song is just about being part of the universe.^[3]

The song has soothing, calm, medium-paced tempo. It is among the most popular songs doctors listen to while operating, according to a survey made by BBC.^[4]

[edit] Acclaim

• It was listed as No. 7 on the All Time 885 Greatest Songs compiled in 2004 by WXPN from listener's votes.^[5]
• "Into the Mystic" is No. 480 on the list of Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 feature, The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[6]

[edit] Cultural references

• This song was played as Jim and Michelle's first dance as a married couple in the 2003 movie, American Wedding.
• "Into the Mystic" was one of the songs featured on the soundtrack of the 1989 movie, Dream a Little Dream.
• "Into the Mystic" was one of the songs played in the 1998 movie, Patch Adams .
• This song was played twice in the 1989 film "Immediate Family," about a teenage couple placing their baby for adoption.

[edit] Appearance on other albums

• A live version was included in the 1974 for the double live album It's Too Late to Stop Now.
• The same live version was included on the 2007 compilation album, Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits.
• It is one of the songs included in the 2007 compilation album, Still on Top - The Greatest Hits (UK edition only}.

[edit] Personnel on original recording

• Van Morrison - vocals, guitar
• John Klingberg - bass guitar
• Jeff Labes - piano
• Gary Mallaber - drums
• John Platania - guitar
• Jack Schroer - alto saxophone
• Collin Tilton - tenor saxophone

[edit] Covers

Selective List of Recordings

• Blue Soul
• Blue Latitude
• Bridgette
• Paul Carrack
• Joe Cocker
• Stewart Francke
• Gypsy
• Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová - Once (Collector's Edition of Original Soundtrack)
• Warren Haynes
• Colin James
• Ben E. King (whose version the composer described as "magnificent")
• Michael McDonald - Soul Speak (2008)
• Mike McClure
• Olde Cellar Band
• Johnny Rivers (Top 40 hit in June 1970)
• Steve Edwards Orchestra
• Tattoo
• The Allman Brothers Band
• The Barking Dogs
• The Lavens
• The Wallflowers
• Lavelle White
• Frederick Knight
• David Gray on Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - Sings lyrics from Into the Mystic as song fades

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074169X

[edit] External links

• All Music Guide Review
• Lyrics and Audio sample 1970s, Moondance