Van in a Brawl, 1971

Did anyone catch the book by Ted Templeman, producer of Tupelo Honey? Says he and Van were in fact "attacked by two thugs who took me for a mug and threw me down on the ground" as he sings about later in 1999s Golden Autumn Day. The description of how Van fought his way out and even scared the offenders despite a height difference only adds to the notion of Van as a mythic folklore figure.