Van Morrison – Domino

This song jumps out of the radio right at you. The horn section is great and so is Van’s voice in this song. Robert Christgau, writing in the Village Voice in 1971, described “Domino” as one of the “superb examples of Morrison’s loose, allusive white r&b.”

Domino peaked at #9 in 1971 on the Billboard 100. It was on the album His Band and the Street Choir which peaked at #32 on the Billboard Album Charts in 1971. Like I said in another post…I bought this album without knowing much about it except Blue Money and Domino…because it was Van Morrison and I wasn’t disappointed.

Van Morrison: “The record company was asking me for singles, so I made some like “Domino”, which was actually longer but got cut down.”

 

From Songfacts

This song is a musical tribute to Morrison’s inspiration, Fats Domino. Its musical style combines those of Irish Celtic (something that people from Ireland are terribly proud of) and urban contemporary gospel.

In his 1989 book The Heart of Rock and Soul, The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever, Dave Marsh ranks this song at #197.

Morrison’s then wife, Janet Planet, sang vocals on the album. 

On this track, Morrison’s used lyrics from an earlier song he wrote titled “Down the Maverick.”

“Down the Maverick” referred to a radical artists’ colony started by Hervey White in Woodstock, New York. The Maverick still exists today as part of the Woodstock Art Colony.

Domino

Don’t want to discuss it
I think it’s time for a change
You may get disgusted
Start thinkin’ that I’m strange

In that case I’ll go underground
Get some heavy rest
Never have to worry
About what is worst and what is best (get it)

Oh oh Domino (all right)
Roll me over Romeo
There you go
Lord have mercy

I said oh oh Domino
Roll me over Romeo
There you go
Say it again

I said oh oh Domino
I said oh oh Domino, dig it

There’s no need for argument
There’s no argument at all
And if you never hear from him
That just means he didn’t call or vice versa
That depends on wherever you’re at
Or and if you never hear from me
That just means I would rather not

Oh oh Domino
Roll me over Romeo
There you go
Lord have mercy
I said oh oh Domino
Roll me over Romeo

There you go
Say it again
Oh oh Domino
I said oh oh Domino.

Hey Mr. DJ
I just want to hear some rhythm and blues music
On the radio
On the radio
On the radio
Uh-uh, all right
Uh-uh, all right
Uh-uh, all right
Uh-uh
Hear the band
One more time

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

19 thoughts on “Van Morrison – Domino”

  1. Definitely one of Van’s best. Never knew it was inspired by Fats Domino… I’ve actually wondered now and then what the reason was he called it that,my best guess was probably just liked the sound of the word!

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      4. Yes lol…Heretic on this one!
        If I had to guess… you liked Petty until Full Moon Fever or you liked that one and didn’t like what came after

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      6. His voice or his music? Let Me Up is considered his weakest album…though I love Jamin’ Me and other songs. Jeff Lynne produced him on Full Moon Fever and his sound changed.

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      7. Both. Both got kinda whiny. He had WAY more soul and depth when he was younger. Listen to “Change of Heart” then, listen to “You Don’t Know How It Feels”. Ocean of difference. “Woman In Love” compared to “Into The Great Wide Open”. Solar System difference. He lost his edge.

        I loved Jeff Lynne in ELO but, he made Petty suck.

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      8. When he was younger his songs had more words and he was spitting them out…he sounded like Roger McGuinn of the Byrds…I do like that era also…he was more laid back later on.
        So you like him pre-Wiburys…

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  4. I like this song, although the album’s a little weak coming off Moondance – I find sometimes people enjoy Astral Weeks and Moondance, then get off the bus with this one. They miss out on lots of great music doing that.

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    1. Of his early to mid seventies albums…from Astral Weeks through to Hard Nose The Highway…I agree…I would put this one right above Hard Nose The Highway on a list…the others above both.

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      2. Yea on Veedon Fleece I liked Bulbs but that was the stand out song to me.

        What did you think of Wavelength? Personally I liked it…it was commercial for him and very accessible…his most commercial since Tupelo Honey…to me anyway.

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      3. I really like Veedon Fleece. I meant that I’d include it in his first phase of studio records. He released seven between 1968 and 1974, then took a break from the studio for three years.

        I enjoy Wavelength a lot, but think Into The Music is even better.

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