Under blue moon, I saw you
So soon you'll take me
Up in your arms, too late to beg you
Or cancel it, though I know it must be
The killing time
Unwillingly mine

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin

He will wait until
You give yourself to him

In starlit nights, I saw you
So cruelly, you kissed me
Your lips, a magic world
Your sky, all hung with jewels
The killing moon
Will come too soon

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him

Under blue moon, I saw you
So soon you'll take me
Up in your arms, too late to beg you
Or cancel it, though I know it must be
The killing time
Unwillingly mine

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him
You give yourself to him

La
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him
You give yourself to him

La, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him

Fate
Up against your will
Through the thick and thin
He will wait until
You give yourself to him

La, la, la, la
La, la, la, la

Overall Meaning

The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen is a song full of mystery and longing. It begins with the line “Under blue moon, I saw you,” which sets a dreamlike tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics describe a deep desire for someone, despite knowing that it may not end well. The line “So soon you’ll take me up in your arms, too late to beg you or cancel it” suggests a sense of inevitability, as if the singer knows that they will be seduced by this person but cannot resist. The reference to the “killing time” and “the killing moon” hints at a sense of danger or foreboding, as if this person is a predator coming to claim their prey.

The chorus of the song offers a sense of resignation to fate, with the repeated lines “Fate, up against your will, through the thick and thin, he will wait until you give yourself to him.” The singer seems to believe that their fate is sealed, that they are powerless to resist the pull of this person, and ultimately they will succumb to them.

Overall, The Killing Moon is a song that captures the bittersweet feelings of desire and longing, combined with a sense of inevitability and danger. The melody and lyrics work together to create a haunting feeling that stays with the listener long after the song has ended.

Line by Line Meaning

Under blue moon, I saw you
The singer saw the person he's singing to under the light of the moon

So soon you'll take me
The singer is certain that the person he's singing to will take him soon

Up in your arms, too late to beg you
The singer will be in the embrace of the person he's singing to and it will be too late for him to beg for anything

Or cancel it, though I know it must be
The singer regrets that he must go through with whatever is going to happen, even though he knows he should cancel it

The killing time
The time of death or destruction

Unwillingly mine
The singer doesn't want to be associated with the killing time or the events that are going to happen

Fate
Destiny or predetermined course of events

Up against your will
The person the singer's singing to has no control over fate

Through the thick and thin
Whatever happens, this person will have to face it

He will wait until
This person must wait until something specific happens before they can move forward

You give yourself to him
The person the singer's singing to has to give themselves completely to fate, regardless of their personal desires

In starlit nights, I saw you
The singer saw the person he's singing to in the light of the stars

So cruelly, you kissed me
The person the singer's singing to kissed him with cruelty and malice

Your lips, a magic world
Despite the cruelty of the kiss, the person's lips are magical to the singer

Your sky, all hung with jewels
The person's sky (world) is full of beautiful things, despite the cruelty of the kiss

The killing moon
The moon shining down on the events to come

Will come too soon
The events the singer isn't looking forward to will happen sooner than expected

La
A nonsensical syllable used for poetic effect

Lyrics © Tratore, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ian Stephen McCulloch, Leslie Thomas Pattinson, Peter Louis Vincent De Freitas, William Alfred Sergeant

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind