Raise your hand if you ever thought Van Morrison would become the face of the anti-lockdown movement? Put your hand down, you’re lying.

Anyway, with 2020 being as it is, Morrison has already railed against the “pseudo-science” that has shaped the COVID-19 pandemic and promised to release a trio of singles in the coming weeks addressing the issue.

Well, that first one is here.

Titled “Born to Be Free,” the song sounds like something that late-era Morrison would have released — albeit with puzzling lyrics (as you might expect considering the topical matter. With phrases like “don’t need the government cramping my style” and says that psychology “isn’t for the benefit of you and me.”

So there you go.

Earlier in the week, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires mocked Morrison’s stance and shared a cover of “Into the Mystic” — a reminder of simpler times.

Listen to “Born to Be Free” below.

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