"Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Written and recorded in 1967 by Van Morrison and produced by Bang Records chief Bert Berns, it was first released in May 1967 on the album Blowin' Your Mind!. When released as a single, it rose to number eight on the Cashbox charts, and reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It featured the Sweet Inspirations singing back-up vocals and is widely considered to be Van Morrison's signature song.
This song would prove to be the impetus for Morrison's career as a solo artist. It was to be his first single after leaving his position as lead singer for the Belfast formed Them and would lead to his relocation to the United States and an eventual contract with Warner Bros. Records, where he would record his career-defining album, Astral Weeks.
"Brown Eyed Girl" has remained a popular classic pop song that continues to be played regularly on many radio stations and is featured on the top ten list as one of the most played songs by DJs. It appeared at No. 4 on the top 200 in 2011. It has been covered by hundreds of bands over the years and has earned many awards for Morrison, most prominently when it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 and in 2003, when it was listed as one of the The 365 Top Selling Songs of the 20th Century by RIAA. Ever since its release in 1967, it has been widely considered one of the greatest songs ever written.
Read more about Brown Eyed Girl: Recording and Title, Composition, Aftermath, Legacy, Critical Acclaim and Influence, Cultural References, In The Media, Other Releases, Cover Versions
Famous quotes containing the words brown, eyed and/or girl:
“The river’s tent is broken; the last fingers of leaf
Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind
Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed.
Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.
The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,
Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends
Or other testimony of summer nights.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“And the child not caring to whom he climbs his prayer
Shall drown in a grief as deep as his made grave,
And mark the dark eyed wave, through the eyes of sleep,
Dragging him up the stairs to one who lies dead.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“If women were umpiring none of this [rowdyism] would happen. Do you suppose any ball player in the country would step up to a good-looking girl and say to her, “You color- blind, pickle-brained, cross-eyed idiot, if you don’t stop throwing the soup into me I’ll distribute your features all over you countenance!” Of course he wouldn’t.”
—Amanda Clement (1888–1971)