Sweet Thing by Van Morrison has an atmosphere full of tenderness, wonder and joy. But underneath this there a feeling of transience, a melancholy sense of things coming to an end, and of inevitable change. It was written for his 1968 album Astral Weeks, at a time when the Northern Irish born Van had left his home country and was down-and-out in Boston, USA. We hear how the track has come to mean so much to so many.
Caroline Mellor from Brighton remembers an intense moment of hearing Sweet Thing whilst staying in the mountains of Andalucía, Spain.
Sammy Douglas, Councillor and current High Sheriff of Belfast, reflects on memories of the Troubles and how the song intertwines with the tale of his first love.
Ryan H. Walsh, Bostonian and author of Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968, explains how the seminal album Astral Weeks came about, and John Payne, flautist on Sweet Thing, shares memories of those extraordinary recording sessions with Van Morrison.
And singer-songwriter Alanna Joy from South Africa considers why she opens her live sets with her own rendition of Sweet Thing, and recalls hearing it for the first time through Jeff Buckley's cover.
Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio in Bristol Technical Producer: Ilse Lademann Editor: Emma Harding.
A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
Songs of the Civil Rights Movement
Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part One
Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part Two
Cerys Matthews' Soul Music Mixtape - Part Three
Kraftwerk: Computer World
Boys Don't Cry
Ich Habe Genug
Redemption Song
O Holy Night
Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
You Are My Sunshine
Siegfried Idyll
My Favourite Things
Waterloo Sunset
The Star-Spangled Banner
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Jerusalem
A Change Is Gonna Come, by Sam Cooke
Feed the Birds
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Global News Podcast
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
The Infinite Monkey Cage
You’re Dead to Me
Elis James and John Robins