Caravan (Van Morrison song)
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| “Caravan” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by Van Morrison | ||
| Album | Moondance | |
| Released | February 1970 | |
| Genre | R & B/Country rock | |
| Length | 4:57 | |
| Label | Warner Bros. Records | |
| Writer | Van Morrison | |
| Composer | Van Morrison | |
| Producer | Van Morrison and Lewis Merenstein | |
| Moondance track listing | ||
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"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 one of the songs on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now.
It was also performed by Morrison with The Band in the 1978 film by Martin Scorsese entitled The Last Waltz which commemorates The Band's last concert appearance together before disbanding in 1976.
This song is about gypsy life and the radio which are both images of harmony. Van Morrison also based the song on real memories while living in a rural house in Woodstock, New York, where the nearest house was far down the road.
Morrison has said about the writing of this song:[1]
I could hear the radio like it was in the same room. I don't know how to explain it. There was some story about an underground passage under the house I was living in, rumours from kids and stuff and I was beginning to think it was true. How can you hear someone's radio from a mile away, as if it was playing in your own house? So I had to put that into the song, It was a must.
Nick Hornby in his book Songbook about his 31 favourite songs, names "Caravan" from the live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now as the song he wants played at his funeral. He says that "in the long, vamped passage right before the climax Morrison's band seems to isolate a moment somewhere between life and its aftermath, a big, baroque entrance hall of a place where you can stop and think about everything that has gone before." Then he humorously realizes that this is also the place where Morrison introduces the band and wonders how the mourners will feel about hearing all the unknown people's names being called out as they file out of the funeral, but says "I'm not changing my mind, so there."[2]
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[edit] In the Media and Acclaim
- "Caravan" was played during a season three episode of The West Wing.
- It was listed as No. 254 on the All Time 885 Greatest Songs compiled in 2004 by WXPN from listener's votes.[3]
- Caravan is the song that Dr. Johnny Fever is playing and singing along to in Season 1 of WKRP. The "Young Master Carlson" episode.
- Counting Crows appeared in place of the absent Morrison at his 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and performed the song "Caravan".
- Eric Clapton, when asked about his enjoyment performing in The Last Waltz said: " For me, Muddy [Waters] and Van [Morrison] steal the show. Van doing ["Caravan"] with the leg kicks. Some of the greatest live music you'll ever see."[4]
[edit] Appearances on other albums
- The live version from The Last Waltz was included in Van Morrison's 2007 compilation album, Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits.
- It was one of the live performances recorded and included on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late To Stop Now.
[edit] Personnel on original release
- Van Morrison - vocals
- John Klingberg - bass guitar
- Jeff Labes - piano
- Gary Mallaber - drums
- John Platania - guitar
- Jack Schroer - alto saxophone
- Collin Tilton - tenor saxophone
[edit] Notes
- ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads, p107
- ^ Hornby, Songbook, p.95-98
- ^ All-Time 885 Greatest Songs
- ^ Eric Clapton's Long Chicago Love Affair. Retrieved on 2007-07-26.
[edit] References
- Hinton, Brian (2000). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074169X
- Hornby, Nick (2002) Songbook, McSweeney's Books, ISBN 0971904774
[edit] External links
- Moondance/Caravan Reviewsuperseventies.com
- Lyrics and Audio sample 1970s, It's Too Late to Stop Now
