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
  1. "And It Stoned Me"
  2. "Moondance"
  3. "Crazy Love"
  4. "Caravan"
  5. "Into the Mystic"
  6. "Come Running"
  7. "These Dreams of You"
  8. "Brand New Day"
  9. "Everyone"
  10. "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

[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

[edit] Personnel on original recording

[edit] Covers

Selective List of Recordings

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads p108
  2. ^ HInton, Celtic Crossroads p109
  3. ^ Hinton, Celtic Crossroads p108
  4. ^ BBC News Health
  5. ^ All-Time 885 Greatest Songs
  6. ^ Rolling Stone Into the Mystic

[edit] References

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

[edit] External links