I got a home on high, in another land, so far away.....

The quest for musical/spiritual transcendence has been a career-long quest for Van Morrison. On “Astral Weeks” he even claimed that he had reached his destination.

And on "Vanlose Stairway", he indeed comes close. Very close.

The series of events, places and people that make up our lives are often seemingly mundane. But like in Wim Wenders' life-changing and affirming “Wings of Desire,” it is finding joy and meaning in those moments that provide a reason for living.

And for some, the path itself that uses these touchstones as a markers in a search provides enough of that reason to believe.

Morrison’s stairway may be a literal place (for him, a neighborhood in Copenhagen), or a symbol of what is higher, be it physical or spiritual.

A moment. A place. A time.

And as with so much of his music, there is enough mystery here to get lost while maybe even still finding yourself.

He references a pillow, a Bible, a gee-tar, a Hindu text, physical love and a stairway that reaches up to the moon and back to you.

What does all this mean? I don’t know, and you don’t either. And I don’t think Van knows.

More importantly, I think, is the fact that it is all about the search itself. We are all searching, some more than others. Some may think they have found it. Others not.

The music cascades, going into the mystic, and cycling same through just three chords. These chords resolve into each other, again and again, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that simply does not go on long enough.

It is breathtaking.

Wherever Van is trying to get to, I want to go too. Or at least join him in the search.

We may be looking for different places, but we are the same journey, trying to find our own version of home.

Here's a version I especially like (although I haven't heard a bad one yet) that features Georgie Fame with Van yodeling and name checking Little Richard.