Them – Mystic Eyes

Van is the man….he made some absolutely classic songs when he started out with Them. Gloria is probably the most famous song they did but they had many more. I discovered them when I was 18 and I had to import an album from the UK to get an album. It’s not like it is now…you had to work for it. It’s pure music with a relentless backbeat.

This powerful song builds up and lead singer Van Morrison takes over. Van’s voice and the bass are hypnotic. It was the first song on the first album by Them…named Angry Young Them released in 1965. It was written by Van Morrison who would in the future use the word Mystic in a few more songs.

The song peaked at #33 on the Billboard 100 and #24 in Canada but didn’t chart in the  UK. I  mentioned earlier that Gloria is their most popular song but the hit version was by Shadows Of Night in 1965. It was a B side with Them to the great song Baby Please Don’t Go.

Van has said the band was improvising in the studio and the song was born.

Van Morrison said the song was inspired by his own experience walking around England’s Nottingham Park when he saw some kids playing by a graveyard. Morrison was struck by the powerful intersection between the “bright lights in the children’s eyes” and “the cloudy lights in the eyes of the dead.”

Mystic Eyes

One Sunday mornin’
A-we went walkin’
Down by, the old graveyard
The mornin’ fog
I looked into
A-yeah, those mystic eyes

Her mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Mystic, eyes
Mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Oh, the mystic eyes
Mystic Eyes

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, 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. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

34 thoughts on “Them – Mystic Eyes”

  3. Happy birthday, Max, and hope you have a great day! 🙂

    I’ve listened to some of Them’s music and generally dig it. There was definitely more to Them than “Gloria”, though that tune will always remain a classic in my book.

    Do you know Them’s version of “Route 66?” I think it’s awesome! In fact, I’d say I now prefer it over the Stones’ great rendition – it’s got more bite!

    Reply

    1. Thanks Man!
      Yes I know that one… also “Here Comes The Night”, Baby Please Don’t Go (my favorite verison), and Mystic Eyes are up there to me. Of course I like Gloria also

      Reply

    1. Thank you! Yes it is. First thing I did this morning was walk out in the front lawn and rolled my ankle lol.

      Reply

      2. It swelled up a bit but I’ll be alright. It’s not feeling too bad now…thank goodness
        I have to travel to Atlanta tomorrow and will be gone until Thursday so hopefully I won’t hobble too much lol.

      4. Yes I was already 10 days ahead so they will be there every day….and I’ll have my phone on me when I can comment.

  9. I’m not familiar with this song, and if you’d ask me to guess who sang it, I might have guessed the early Rolling Stones. I’ve probably said it before, but I hear so much resemblance to the early Rolling Stones and Them. Van’s and Mick’s voices have a lot of similarities, and the blues instrumentation sounds very similar.

    And, Happy Birthday!

    Reply

    1. Van’s early voice does sound like Mick Jagger. He changed after a while but yea…they were really close in sound.
      Thank you!!!!!!

      Reply

  10. I remember trying to track down albums like Stephen Stills’ Manassas and Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard, A True Star.

    I barely know this tune – I have looked it up before. It’s pretty unhinged with that unhinged guitar and harmonica and wild vocal, but it works well.

    Reply
  14. Pingback: Them – Mystic Eyes – MobsterTiger

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