Van Morrison - Into the Mystic (Into the Mystic lyrics on screen & in description)

Van Morrison - "Into the Mystic" slideshow with lyrics on screen and in description.

"Into the Mystic" is from Van Morrison's third solo album, Moondance, which was released in 1970, became his first million selling album and reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard charts. Moondance was listed at number sixty-five on the Rolling Stone magazine's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

"Into The Mystic" Lyrics:

We were born before the wind
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the mystic
Hark, now hear the sailors cry
Smell the sea and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic

And when that fog horn blows I will be coming home
And when the fog horn blows I want to hear it
I don't have to fear it

And I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
And magnificently we will fold into the mystic

When that fog horn blows you know I will be coming home
And when that fog horn whistle blows I got to hear it
I don't have to fear it

And I want to rock your gypsy soul
Just like way back in the days of old
And together we will fold into the mystic
Come on girl...

Too late to stop now...

Commentary:

I've loved this song from the very first time I heard it, but found it enigmatic. I wanted to understand the meaning better. Then I came across a comment on a website that asked:

"I want to know if anyone thinks "Into the Mystic" was written about the legend of "Arturo and Katerina"? They were young lovers, but destined to be together forever..'.We were born before the wind/also younger than the sun". He is coming home to get her, in the legend, the foghorn blows 3x to let her know he is coming, and in the song, the foghorn blows 3x... in the legend, she jumps into the sea, to swim out to him in the boat (the lyrics 'come on girl'), and he loses her in the fog (the lyrics, 'too late to stop now'). He jumps into the sea after her. They are finally together...and drowned. The legend says the sea spray against the rocks is evidence of them making love forever. Is the "Mystic" enternity???' - L., Eustis, FL"

Well, I certainly think the lyrics make a lot more sense if you listen to them with this legend in mind. Notice the archaic language used in the first verse. This tells us they are from a by-gone time. Morrison puts emphasis on the word "before" in the lyric "We were born before the wind". "Also younger than the sun". So this means that they lived at a time before the current wind and sun. Now look at "Ere the bonnie boat was won." This is Middle English. Ere means before. Bonnie means lovely or good. Won means occupied or dwelt in. So this line means "before the lovely boat was occupied as we sailed into the mystic. Mystic, of course, pertains to the mysterious, strange, enigmatic obscure and mystical. A legend such as this certainly is mystical and inspires a sense of mystery and wonder. (Which, by the way, is a title for another one of his songs --"Sense of Wonder".)

So, if we imagine them as a couple who died hundreds of years ago who are now spirits still together in the sea where they died together, the lyrics make sense. I would love to hear your thoughts about this song. Please comment.