"Ro Ro Rosey" is a song written by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

that was written and recorded for Bang Records owner and producer Bert Berns and released on his 1967 album ''

Blowin' Your Mind! ''Blowin' Your Mind!'' is the debut studio album by Northern Irish musician Van Morrison, released in 1967. It was recorded 28–29 March 1967 and contained his first solo pop hit " Brown Eyed Girl". It was included by ''Rolling Stone'' as one ...

''. It was also released as the follow-up single to " Brown Eyed Girl."

Writing and recording

"Ro Ro Rosey" was written and recorded for Bang Records owner and producer Bert Berns on 28 March 1967 using the same musicians who recorded "Brown Eyed Girl."

Lyrics and music

The subject of the lyrics of "Ro Ro Rosey" is a 16 year old girl. Morrison biographer Clinton Heylin believes that this is the same teenage girl who is idealized in other of Morrison's 1960s songs such as " Cyprus Avenue." In this song, the singer can remember when she was "the apple of iseye" but he no longer can see her much as she now lives "way up on the avenue of trees." When he now does get a chance to see her he becomes tongue-tied, only able to say "oh uh uh uh uh." The music uses a three chord structure and has a

Latin music Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and ) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America, which encompasses Music of Latin America, Latin America, Music of Spain, Spain, Mu ...

feel, similar to other songs Morrison recorded for Berns.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic Matthew Greenwald believes that the

riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...

imitates that of

Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died i ...

' hit single " La Bamba." Morrison biographer Erik Hage describes the song as incorporating "psychedelic fuzz guitar." Morrison also plays

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica incl ...

on the song.

Reception

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described the single as "an infectious folk rocker that should spiral up the charts in short order." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that it's a "potent, funky foot-stomper" that should be "another winning item" for Morrison after the success of "Brown Eyed Girl." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said "A diddley beat rolls here as Van goes for another click, and he'll make it—big." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' critic

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born ) is an American music critic and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has published num ...

described "Ro Ro Rosey" as being "remarkably erotic in the best

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

tradition. On the other hand, Hage describes it as being "an unremarkable rocker brimming with sexual

double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...

s." Greenwald describes it as a "fun track" but states that it is obvious that Morrison was already capable of writing better ones. Music critic

Johnny Rogan John Rogan (14 February 1953 – 21 January 2021) was a British author of Irish descent best known for his books about music and popular culture. He wrote influential biographies of the Byrds, Neil Young, the Smiths, Van Morrison and Ray Davies. ...

describes it as an "innocuous rock-blues piece." The song was released as the follow-up single to Morrison's hit " Brown Eyed Girl." The b-side of the single was a track that was not included on ''Blowin' Your Mind'' called "Chick-A-Boom," which Morrison biographer

Clinton Heylin Clinton Heylin (born 8 April 1960) is an English author. Heylin has written extensively about popular music, especially on the life and work of Bob Dylan. Education Heylin attended Manchester Grammar School. He read history at Bedford College ...

disparaged for silly lyrics such as "I'm going away but I'm coming back/With a ginger cat/What d'ya think of that." The single version of "Ro Ro Rosey" differed from the album version by overdubbing female singers. The "Ro Ro Rosey" single did not replicate the chart success of "Brown Eyed Girl." The song has been re-released on many of Morrison's

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

s, particularly those documenting his Bang Records recording sessions.

References

{{Van Morrison singles 1967 songs Van Morrison songs Songs written by Van Morrison Song recordings produced by Bert Berns 1967 singles Bang Records singles