3 Writers Name-Dropped in Van Morrison’s “Fair Play”

Oscar Wilde The Irish playwright and wit is the first name-check, fitting Morrison’s own Irish roots and the song’s literary tone.

Edgar Allan Poe The American poet and master of the macabre appears next, adding a darker, romantic layer to the lyrics.

Henry David Thoreau The transcendentalist author of Walden rounds out the trio, reinforcing the song’s themes of nature and solitude.