Last Updated on: 11th January 2021, 08:30 am
It’s always a little disappointing when somebody whose contributions to your entertainment you’ve enjoyed goes and ruins everything by showing himself to be kind of a moron. Hopefully I’ll still be able to listen to most Van Morrison without wanting to reach through whatever speaker I happen to be close to so I can punch him in his conspiracy spreading head for this garbage.
As Northern Ireland’s Health Minister, Robin Swann’s primary job these days is to ensure that the public is kept up to date with the latest factual information on the coronavirus and continually disseminate ways that the public can keep safe.
Van Morrison, of all people, is not helping this situation. Taking the concept of “protest music” to bizarre conclusions, the 75-year-old singer announced the upcoming release of three new songs — “No More Lockdown,” “Born to Be Free” and “As I Walked Out” — that accuse the government of “taking our freedom” and bashes the worldwide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19. “Morrison makes it clear in his new songs how unhappy he is with the way the Government has taken away personal freedoms,” a post on his website helpfully notes.
“No more lockdown/No more government overreach/No more fascist bullies/Disturbing our peace,” Morrison sings on “No More Lockdown.” “No more taking of our freedom/And our God-given rights/Pretending it’s for our safety/When it’s really to enslave.”
Did homeboy really just try to rhyme “rights” with “enslave”? Yes. Yes he did. He also rhymed “eyes” with “feel” and “threats” with “facts”.
And wait a minute. If we don’t need celebrities telling us how to feel, what is he even doing here?
No more lockdown
No more government overreach
No more fascist police
Disturbing our peace
No more taking our freedom
And our God-given rights
Pretending it’s for our safety
When it’s really to enslave
Who’s running our country?
Who’s running our world?
Examine it closely
And watch it unfurl
No more lockdown
No more threats
No more Imperial College scientists makin’ up crooked facts
No more lockdown
No more pulling the wool over our eyes
No more celebrities tellin’ us
Tellin’ us what we’re supposed to feel
No more status quo
Put your shouldеr to the wind
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more government overreach
No more fascist police
Disturbing our peace
No more taking our freedom
And our God-given rights
Pretending it’s for our safety
When it’s really to enslave
Who’s running our country?
Who’s running our world?
Examine it closely
And watch it unfurl
No more lockdown
No more threats
No more Imperial College scientists makin’ up crooked facts
No more lockdown
No more pulling the wool over our eyes
No more celebrities tellin’ us
How we’re supposed to feel
No more status quo
Gotta put your shoulder to the wind
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
No more lockdown
I started out annoyed by this, but the longer I let it stew the more I realize that it might be more sad than anything else. I hope he’s ok. I’m not even kidding.
But sad as it is, it’s still dangerous as a message. The last thing the yahoos of the world need is an anthem, and the rest of us need Van Morrison pushing fence sitters over the wrong edge even less.