♫ Have I Told You Lately ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history, Political commentary

Moving right along on Van Morrison Week, I chose tonight’s because, in addition to having been recommended by you guys, it is one that I know, although truth be told I was more familiar with Rod Stewart’s version!  Still … I like what Van Morrison does with it, so …

I was a bit surprised to read in both SongFacts and Wikipedia that this song had religious connotations, for I thought he was talking to a girl!  But according to SongFacts …

This song is widely considered to be about Van Morrison’s relationship with God and religious convictions. Although we’ve never heard him speak specifically about the song, he does acknowledge a spiritual element in his music. When asked about the topic in a 2009 Q&A in Time magazine, Morrison said, “Religion is a kind of word game. It’s whatever it means to those individuals who are following that belief system. If you say something has got spirit or “I feel the spirit,” to me, that would be more appropriate – spirit in the Aristotelian sense, that the mind and body and spirit are one thing. Which is different from religion.”

Confused yet?  I am!  But we all take away different things from a song, so I still like it because it pleases my ears.

I have to admit I found some humour in what one British weekly music newspaper, the Record Mirror, said of the song …

“Van the Man must have been talking to Stevie Wonder recently, because he seems to have caught some of his infectious sentimentality. Either that, or he bumped into Richard Clayderman in the corridor at his record company. There’s a really slushy bit of piano in this that my mum would love.”

The song won a Grammy for a Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 

The Van Morrison version charted at #12 in the U.S. and #74 in the UK (Hey, I thought you Brits liked Van Morrison???)  Rod Stewart’s version, however, reached #5 in both the U.S. and the UK, and #1 in Canada where Van Morrison’s did not chart at all.  Ordinarily, I would play both versions here, but since this is Van Morrison Week, I shan’t let Rod steal Rod’s limelight.

Have I Told You Lately

Van Morrison

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

For the morning sun and all it’s glory
Greets the day with hope and comfort, too
You fill my life with laughter
And somehow, you make it better
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

There’s a love that’s divine
And it’s yours and it’s mine
Like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

There’s a love that’s divine
And it’s yours and it’s mine
Like the sun
And at the end of the day
We should give thanks and pray
To the one, to the one

And have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there’s no one else above you
You fill my heart with gladness
Take away all my sadness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

Take away all my sadness, fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do
Take away all my sadness, fill my life with gladness
Ease my troubles, that’s what you do

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Harold Rome

Have I Told You Lately That I Love You lyrics © Chappell & Co., Inc., Barrule Uk Ltd

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21 thoughts on “♫ Have I Told You Lately ♫”

  1. If I’d heard this version before, I was not aware it was Van Morrison. Likely it was in an “elevator music” situation where I could have heard it as wallpaper or something. It is very beautiful, though. Thank you, Jill!

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      • I recall Stewart’s version well; I remember thinking it was sort of interesting that he could sing such a song so appropriately after loving so many different women! But I was young and cynical then, too. It’s a good song, and I like Van Morrison’s take on it, too; I’m glad I got to hear it from him when I knew about it.

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        • I, too, was more familiar with Stewart’s version, but since I rarely heard the lyrics to songs, I didn’t question how he could sing it! I just liked the tune. Still do. I’m glad you enjoyed hearing Van’s version! Oh, and in case I don’t get a chance to tell you later … Happy Thanksgiving, dear friend! 🥧

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  3. Oh, how beautiful this version is. I don’t think I ever heard it before. I only knew about Rod Stewart’s version. But Morrison’s voice is so much more expressive. Very beautiful!

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