"Van Morrison At The Movies" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Van Morrison at the Movies – Soundtrack Hits" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What does “cinematic Van Morrison” sound like when you put decades of movie moments on one disc? This 2007 compilation answers with a time-capsule of scenes: jukebox blasts, love-scene slow burns, end-credit sighs, and a few live curveballs that directors love.

Van Morrison at the Movies – Soundtrack Hits isn’t a typical greatest-hits set — it’s a film-usage anthology. Two early sides from Them (“Gloria,” “Baby, Please Don’t Go”) frame the arc; classic solo cuts (“Brown Eyed Girl,” “Have I Told You Lately,” “Someone Like You,” “Into the Mystic,” “Days Like This”) drop you straight into specific films; and there’s even a left-field closer, a live “Comfortably Numb” with Roger Waters, because Scorsese. The thread that binds it all: how Morrison’s grain and groove keep landing on editors’ timelines whenever a scene needs lived-in heart.

Styles as storytelling: bar-band R&B — youthful charge and gang dynamics; Celtic-soul ballads — intimacy and reconciliation; folk-rock warmth — life’s “ordinary miracles”; live big-band swing — public joy; and one iconic art-rock duet — moral fog with neon edges.

How It Was Made

Conception: A label-curated roundup of previously released recordings that had become film staples, with two previously unreleased versions (notably a fresh “Brown Eyed Girl”) and several live performances used in movies. The digital edition added two bonus cuts tied to film placements.

Release & charts: Issued February 2007 (EMI/Manhattan in various territories), the set debuted Top-20 in the UK and mid-Top-40 in the U.S., proving there’s an audience for “I know that song from that scene.”

Tracks & Scenes

“Moondance” (Live)

Where it plays:

An American Werewolf in London — the famous London-flat love scene. The arrangement’s sway turns lupine horror into a tender, human interlude.

Why it matters:

A director’s cheat code: urbane, romantic, unashamedly cinematic — and instantly evocative.

“Brown Eyed Girl” (new compilation version)

Where it plays:

Born on the Fourth of July — one of several major films to drop the tune into a memory/party beat. The compilation presents an unreleased version cut specifically for this set.

Why it matters:

Universal nostalgia. Three chords, instant flashback; the filmography keeps growing.

“Someone Like You”

Where it plays:

Bridget Jones’s Diary — the soft-focus, quietly ecstatic romantic turn. It’s the emotional “click” in a film that weaponizes pop for feeling.

Why it matters:

Morrison as modern standard; directors reach for this when they need grown-up tenderness.

“Have I Told You Lately”

Where it plays:

One Fine Day — a 90s rom-com glow-up, used to underline reconciliation and end-of-day relief.

Why it matters:

Secular hymn turned cinematic balm; the lyric sits perfectly under reconciliations and credits.

“Into the Mystic” (Live)

Where it plays:

Dream a Little Dream & Patch Adams — a floating, restorative cue for bittersweet transitions; editors love the rolling breath of the chorus.

Why it matters:

That rising “sail into the mystic” hook does quiet magic in reflective scenes.

“Gloria” (Them)

Where it plays:

The Outsiders — teenage heat and turf identity; it crackles like a switchblade opening.

Why it matters:

Garage-band immortality; shorthand for youth running a little too hot.

“Baby, Please Don’t Go” (Them)

Where it plays:

Wild at Heart & Good Morning, Vietnam — needle-drops that turn rooms electric, one dangerous, one defiant.

Why it matters:

Bar-blues voltage; Morrison’s bark sells agitation in seconds.

“Days Like This”

Where it plays:

As Good as It Gets — small mercies montage; the lyric’s modest gratitude fits the film’s thawing misanthrope.

Why it matters:

A director’s shorthand for earned warmth without sap.

“Wonderful Remark”

Where it plays:

The King of Comedy — Scorsese wields it as a wry, bittersweet capstone.

Why it matters:

Grace note as end-title commentary — cynical story, humane exit.

“Comfortably Numb” (Live with Roger Waters)

Where it plays:

The Departed — the Berlin-Wall concert performance drops like a cold fog over Boston morality.

Why it matters:

Not a Morrison original, but his vocal timbre plus Waters’ architecture = perfect noir atmosphere.

Notes & Trivia

• The set mixes studio originals with live takes that made it onto movie soundtracks (e.g., “Caravan” from The Last Waltz, “Moondance” live, “Into the Mystic” live).
• Two tracks were previously unreleased here, including a new version of “Brown Eyed Girl.”
• The U.S. digital edition swapped in extra songs tied to films (e.g., “These Are the Days,” used in Nine Months).
• Charted Top-20 UK and cracked the Billboard 200 on release — strong for a catalog concept.
• Producer credits are a who’s-who across eras: Dick Rowe (Them sides) to Robbie Robertson (for the Last Waltz cut) to Roger Waters.

Reception & Quotes

Contemporary reviews framed it as an unusually coherent film-usage anthology rather than a generic best-of, with praise for sequencing and the “scenes you can see while you listen” effect.

“A smartly sequenced primer on why filmmakers keep calling him.” AllMusic (summary)

“Not just hits — movie hits — and that makes all the difference.” Label/press copy digest

Interesting Facts

• Two lives for one song: “Someone Like You” doubled as a charting soundtrack cut and a perennial wedding staple thanks to its film exposure.
• Garage to gala: The tracklist jumps from sweaty club floors (“Gloria”) to tuxedo-level end titles (“Wonderful Remark”) without whiplash.
• Director kryptonite: “Into the Mystic” has become an editor favorite for reflective montages across decades.
• Scorsese crossover: The set ends with Morrison fronting Pink Floyd’s signature on Waters’ Berlin concert — later repurposed for The Departed.
• iTunes era tweak: Early digital storefronts carried an alternate running order with two extra film-tied tracks.

Technical Info

• Title: Van Morrison at the Movies – Soundtrack Hits
• Year: 2007 (UK: Feb 12; US: Feb 13)
• Type: Compilation — songs as used in films (studio & live recordings)
• Artist: Van Morrison (plus Them; guests include The Band and Roger Waters on specific tracks)
• Labels: EMI (world); Manhattan/EMI (U.S. issue)
• Notable film pairings: “Moondance” — An American Werewolf in London; “Brown Eyed Girl” — Born on the Fourth of July; “Someone Like You” — Bridget Jones’s Diary; “Have I Told You Lately” — One Fine Day; “Into the Mystic” — Dream a Little Dream, Patch Adams; “Gloria” — The Outsiders; “Baby, Please Don’t Go” — Wild at Heart, Good Morning, Vietnam; “Wonderful Remark” — The King of Comedy; “Comfortably Numb” (live with Roger Waters) — The Departed.
• Editions: Standard CD (19 tracks); digital edition with two bonus tracks tied to film usages.
• Chart notes: UK Albums peak No. 17; U.S. Billboard 200 peak No. 35.

Questions & Answers

Is this a greatest-hits album?

Sort of — it’s a film-usage anthology. Every track earned its spot via a notable placement in a movie.

Are the Them tracks really on here?

Yes. “Gloria” and “Baby, Please Don’t Go” appear (as used in films), representing Morrison’s pre-solo years.

Why is “Comfortably Numb” included if it’s a Pink Floyd song?

Because Morrison sings the Berlin concert performance featured in The Departed — it’s a legit soundtrack moment.

Does the digital version differ from the CD?

Early iTunes editions swapped in two film-tied bonuses (e.g., “These Are the Days”) and adjusted one slot.

What’s the big “movie moment” most people recognize first?

Either “Moondance” in An American Werewolf in London or “Someone Like You” in Bridget Jones’s Diary — depends on your era.

Key Contributors

Sources: Official Van Morrison discography; Wikipedia (album page; song pages for film uses); AllMusic album entry; Billboard/Official Charts summaries; Amazon/retail metadata; film credits & soundtrack listings.

November, 20th 2025