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.

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.

Technical Producer: Ilse Lademann
Editor: Emma Harding

Produced in Bristol by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2024.