Is Van Morrison Ireland's greatest poet?
Clearly not.
I love Van Morrison. I've seen him in concert many times (with and without Brian Kennedy). And I rate him very highly indeed. As a songwriter, he's in the same league as Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. No question about it. As a lyricist/poet, his acknowledged influences include Yeats, Blake and Joyce. But, much as I admire the living legend from Hyndford Street, I can't agree with Lindy McDowell that Van is a better writer than Yeats or Joyce. In fact, in her Belfast Telegraph column today, Lindy suggests that Morrison is a better writer than "any Irish poet (northern or southern) you'd care to mention".
Without doubt, Morrison has not been given the recognition he deserves. Even the government has managed only an OBE for him, when other less significant talents have been knighted. (And Sir Van Morrison has a ring to it.) I think it's also true that Belfast, Morrison's home town, has not yet recognised him appropriately. But a greater writer than James Joyce? In one song, Morrison says, "Been too long in exile / Just like James Joyce, Baby". I'll grant you that: they are both exilic prophets (... ish), but a greater writer than Joyce and Yeats? .
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I remember the first time i listened to astral weeks, i had replayed the opening few lines several times before i would let the track run on...........
If I ventured in the slipstream
Between the viaducts of your dream
Where immobile steel rims crack
And the ditch in the back roads stop
awesome
I prefer the Spice Girls:
If ya wanna be my lover
Ya gotta get with my friends
Yeats? PAH!!!
S.
Whew, for a moment I thought we were going to have another "greatest Irish poet of all times." We've had two on this message board alone in just the last few months. But both of those were dead, this one is still alive...for the moment (from the looks of him, that may not last much longer though.) Maybe that's one reason he doesn't qualify. One was so famous he was even published on the outside of city buses. Where do you suppose this one's most memorable word's got scrawled?...besides in his books that is.
"As a songwriter, he's in the same league at Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen." Well I suppose it depends on whom you ask but in my opinion that isn't saying much. He's no Gilbert. He's not the very model of a modern major anything. He's not even a Cole Porter. The difference between them is like night and day. In fact I could mention dozens which I think are far better. BTW, as mediocre as Dylan's and Cohen's lyrics were, they paled by comparison to their insufferable singing voices...IMO of course.
"Even the government has managed only an OBE for him."
Well that cinches it. Surely the government knows a great poet or song writer when they see one. Didn't four fools with the world's best publicity agents become knights for their gems which included "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields?" How can "Been too long in exile/just like James' Joyce, baby" compete with lyrics like "We all live in a yellow submarine" which is right up there with "to bee or not to bee" (Hamlet contemplating playing a role in the recent Jerry Seinfeld movie) and "out out damned spot" (Lady McBeth commanding her dog after he had an accident in the castle.) Do you think if Morrison were to die, that would improve his chances? Perhaps his body of work would be seen in a whole new light. Just a suggeston :-)
Much as I love Van for his music and his lyrics, I do think his writing should wait in line behind some of our other great bards: Seamas Heaney, Michael Longley, Padraic Fiacc, Ciaran Carson, Seamas Deane to mention a few. I fear Lindy McDowell is not terribly well-versed (excuse pun) in the poetry of Northern Ireland.
Still Van is up there with the others. What I do find strange about Van is that he is not more honoured in the country of his birth - specifically, East Belfast. Van may be a difficult individual but if they can name an airport after an alcholic wife-beater shouldn't Van receive a little more civic recognition?