Spelling with Van Morrison and John Lee Hooker

G-l-o-r-i-a. That spells "Gloria", and "Gloria" is a classic rock song written by the Northern Irish singer Van Morrison in 1964. It's very easy to play, which is why it is so popular with people learning the guitar. The American humourist Dave Barry once joked that "If you drop a guitar down a flight of stairs, it'll play 'Gloria' on its way to the bottom."

"I watch her come up to my house. / She knocks upon my door, / And then she comes up to my room. / I want to say she makes me feel all right. / G-l-o-r-i-a!" Yes, it's all about teenage lust, but Morrison actually got the girl's name from a hymn, Gloria in excelsis Deo (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest"). Van Morrison, or "Van the Man" as they call him in his hometown of Belfast, was born on 31 August 1945, which means he was 65 on Tuesday. Happy Birthday, big Man! Now, let's do some spelling.