“All the orange boxes are scattered.
We get to 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”
From Saint Dominic’s Preview by Van Morrison
I had loved this song for some thirty years, it had even given its title to one of my University soccer teams, but it was a cover version by Iain Archer at a Van Tribute night in Derryvolgie Hall when I was Chaplain at Queens that opened these lines up for me. Tucked away in the middle of this brilliant if meandering song Morrison gives the modern ill of individuality a real hammering; funny though as Van has never really ever come across as Mr Community Builder! Anyway, that determination to avoid other’s pain and lack of commitment to doing anything about other people’s needs is the great malaise of our time. Critical social critique!
Unlike his previous two albums, Morrison biographer Ritchie Yorke when it interviewed a well-spoken "Album because of studio time and things like that was kind of off but I thought it a good shot was the album .
Posted by: article submission site | 29/01/2011 at 03:25 PM
I've a very strange doodle here in my computer from that time you did the Van Morrison tribute thing at Greenbelt with Iain A - it's of the Queen Mother's statue at Cheltenham talking and enjoying the show...
Posted by: canal ways | 30/01/2011 at 12:56 AM