
Singing songs about Edith Piaf's soul.
And I hear blue strains of "no regredior"
Across the street from Cathedral Notre Dame.
Meanwhile back in San Francisco
We're trying hard to make this whole thing blend,
As we sit upon this jagged
Storey block, with you my friend.
And it's a long way to Buffalo.
It's a long way to Belfast city too.
And I'm hoping the joist won't blow the hoist
'cos this time, they bit off more than they can chew.
As we gaze out on, as we gaze out on
As we gaze out on, as we gaze out on
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview
All the orange boxes are scattered.
Against the Safeway's supermarket in the rain.
And everybody feels so determined
Not to feel anyone else's pain.
(You know that) No one's making no commitments
To anybody but themselves,
Hidin' behind closed doorways,
Tryin' to get outside, outside of empty shells
And for every cross-cuttin' country corner,
For every Hank Williams railroad train that cried,
And all the chains, badges, flags and emblems
And every strain on every brain and every eye (?)
As we gaze out on, as we gaze out on
As we gaze out on, as we gaze out on
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview.
And the restaurant tables are completely covered.
The record company has paid out for the wine.
You got everything in the world you ever wanted
Right about now your face should wear a smile.
That's the way it all should happen
When you're in, when you're in the state you're in;
You've got your pen and notebook ready,
I think it's about time, time for us to begin.
And we're over in a 52nd Street apartment,
Socializing with the white hope few,
Just to be hip and get wet with the jet set.
But they're flying too high to see my point of view.
As we gaze out on, as we gaze out on
As we gaze out on, as we gaze out on
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview.
See them freedom marching,
Out on the street, freedom marching.
Saint Dominic's Preview.

Sir George Ivan Morrison OBE (born 31 August 1945) is a singer-songwriter and musician from Northern Ireland whose recording career spans seven decades.
Morrison began performing as a teenager in the late 1950s, playing a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands, covering the popular hits of that time. Known as "Van the Man" to his fans, Morrison rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Belfast R&B band Them, with whom he wrote and recorded "Gloria", which became a garage band staple. His solo career started under the pop-hit oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single "Brown Eyed Girl" in 1967.
After Berns's death, Warner Bros. Records bought Morrison's contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks (1968). While initially a poor seller, the album has come to be regarded as a classic. Moondance (1970) established Morrison as a major artist, and he built on his reputation throughout the 1970s with a series of acclaimed albums and live performances.
Much of Morrison's music is structured around the conventions of soul music and early rhythm and blues. An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz and stream of consciousness narrative, such as the album Astral Weeks. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic soul", and his music has been described as attaining "a kind of violent transcendence".
Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK top 40. He has scored top ten albums in the UK in four consecutive decades, following the success of 2021's Latest Record Project, Volume 1. Eighteen of his albums have reached the top 40 in the United States, twelve of them between 1997 and 2017. Since turning 70 in 2015, he has released – on average – more than an album a year. He has received two Grammy Awards, the 1994 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, the 2017 Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was knighted for services to the music industry and to tourism in Northern Ireland.
Agree. We saw him in San Francisco about 20 years ago. He brought along someone younger that was also a tenor. Van sung a couple of songs and pretty much let this lad do the rest of the show. Very disappointing.
This is one person's opinion, which is fine.
BUT... please don't let them tell you to miss seeing an artist that you have longed to see just because they presented his performance in a derogatory manner. They could be wrong. They could be ageist. Van could have just had a bad night. There's really no way of knowing.
Go see him if you can. Form your own opinion. I saw him in the late aughts and he was very good, fwiw.
Even if he hadn't been all that I had hoped (which was not the case), it still would have been great to see the real man performing the real songs. Songs that are his.
This song is good for the ears...
I have seen Van live around 20 times between 1986 and 2010. I tend to agree with you that I do not have an urge to see him again, especially after all his Covid rhetoric.
Having said that, most of the shows I saw were absolutely magical and cannot be compared with other artists. Yes, he is an old grump and I truly believe he has some major anxiety issues on stage. But he has a real knack of putting extremely talented musicians on the stage. Once he gets into that zone musically it is a very unique experience that I would not want to miss. He take can you to places that touch you emotionally and I have not felt with other artists. I do cherish those moments I have seen him live.
(I was very young)
ok, i know i'm commenting on a 15 yr old post/comment, but i feel the same. i can't remember the year, but it was over 20 yrs ago when i saw him live in toronto one summer. drove up from pittsburgh. was really excited.
worst concert ever. the venue was an arena or something, no venthilation at all, so hot. that's ok. was excited to see van. well, he sang maybe 2 songs and the rest of his band and "back up" singers played the rest of the performance. i drove to a different country to see van morrison, in summer, spent a lot of money - tickets, gas, lodging, food - and he couldn't stay on stage for more than 2 songs?
very disappointing.
I adore this album. Listen to the Lion is one of my most beloved Van songs.
Yes, that and Almost Independence Day from the same album are both epic.