Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicVan Morrison has announced plans to release three brand-new songs in the coming weeks that reflect his opposition to the lockdown restrictions that the U.K. government has enacted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A message on Morrison’s official website reports that the tunes — titled “Born to Be Free,” “As I Walked Out” and “No More Lockdown” — are protest songs that “question the measures the Government has put in place.”
The post notes that Morrison feels the U.K. government actions are destroying the country’s live-music industry and have “taken away personal freedoms.”
“I’m not telling people what to do or think, the government is doing a great job of that already,” Van says in a statement. “It’s about freedom of choice, I believe people should have the right to think for themselves.”
The 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer believes performance venues should be allowed to open at full capacity, and that if this isn’t allowed before the end of the year, many venues will close for good.
The songs will be available as digital downloads and via select streaming services, with “Born to Be Free” being released on September 25, “As I Walked Out” on October 9 and “No More Lockdown” on October 23.
Van also is planning to debut the new tunes at his upcoming shows at the London Palladium on September 23 and 24.
Last month, Morrison posted another message on his website, which has since been removed, calling on his “fellow singers, musicians, writers, producers, promoters and others in the industry to fight with me” in support of letting venues open again at full capacity. He added, “Come forward, stand up, fight the pseudo-science and speak up.”
By Matt Friedlander
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.