Grant Lee Buffalo has an Americana-tinged sound, clearly influenced by the likes of Neil Young and elements of old-fashioned country music, and often tackled political and social issues in their lyrics (for example, "Lone Star Song" from Mighty Joe Moon references the infamous Waco siege). They toured with major bands of the early-to-mid 1990s such as R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins.
Mighty Joe Moon
Grant Lee Buffalo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fix your eyes on the green of the map oh no
Where the Appalachians rise oh no
Oh no
Have you tasted the finest of trout oh no
Half-asleep in a log-burning house oh no
With your feet flopping over the couch oh no
Like Mighty Joe Moon there is no controlling him
Drive off a bridge if he choose to swim
Mighty Joe Moon can't prevent what is heaven sent
Joe can't control where his money goes
He's Mighty Joe
Have you been to the Cumberland Gap oh no
The air is sweeter than oranges now oh no
Oh no
And Mighty Joe Moon there is no controlling him
Drive off a bridge if he choose to swim
Mighty Joe Moon can't prevent what is heaven sent
Joe can't control where his money goes
He's Mighty Joe
The song "Mighty Joe Moon" by Grant Lee Buffalo is a narrative that transports the listener to the Appalachian Mountains. The story begins with an invitation to visit the Cumberland Gap, a mountain pass that marks the intersection of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The lyrics then move on to describe a scene of leisure and tranquility, with images of catching trout and relaxing in a log-burning house. However, the regular repetition of the phrase "oh no" suggests a note of implied danger or concern lurking beneath the surface of the narrative.
The chorus of the song returns to the titular character, Mighty Joe Moon, who is portrayed as an unpredictable force that cannot be controlled. The line "drive off a bridge if he choose to swim" suggests that Joe is capable of taking wild and dangerous risks, and that any efforts to try and influence his behavior are ultimately futile. The final line of the chorus, "Joe can't control where his money goes," also ties into this theme of unpredictable behavior that defies easy explanation or control. Overall, "Mighty Joe Moon" is a song that speaks to the power of the natural world to inspire awe and wonder, but also to the unpredictability and uncontrollable nature of human behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you been to the Cumberland Gap oh no
Have you ever been to the place where the mountains meet, where the rivers flow and the air is fresh and clean. No, you haven’t
Fix your eyes on the green of the map oh no
Imagine the beauty of nature, the greenery and landscapes that are marked in maps, but you haven’t seen them with your own eyes
Where the Appalachians rise oh no
In the land of the Appalachians, where the mountains rise high and proud. Unfortunately, you haven't been there
Oh no
Sadly, you haven't experienced these things
Have you tasted the finest of trout oh no
Have you ever tasted the freshest and most delicious trout? No, you haven't
Half-asleep in a log-burning house oh no
Imagine being in a cozy log house with a warm fire burning, almost asleep in comfort. Sadly, you haven't felt this
With your feet flopping over the couch oh no
Relaxing with your feet up and flopping on a comfortable couch, imagine the laziness that comes with it. However, you haven't experienced this luxury
Oh no
Unfortunately, you haven't experienced any of these things
Like Mighty Joe Moon there is no controlling him
Mighty Joe Moon is someone who can't be controlled and does whatever he pleases, without any constraints
Drive off a bridge if he choose to swim
He can take the most dangerous risks like diving off a bridge if he felt like it, even when doing so would be fatal
Mighty Joe Moon can't prevent what is heaven sent
Even if someone like Mighty Joe tried to control his life, he couldn't prevent good things from happening to him as fate would have it
Joe can't control where his money goes
Joe is someone who can't even control where his money goes or how he spends it, he may be able to make the right decisions someday, but not anytime soon
He's Mighty Joe
Regardless of what happens and how he lives his life, he'll always be Mighty Joe
Have you been to the Cumberland Gap oh no
Once again, Have you ever been to the place where the mountains meet, where the rivers flow and the air is fresh and clean. No, you haven't
The air is sweeter than oranges now oh no
The air in the Cumberland Gap smells as sweet as oranges now, and thankfully, you missed this
Oh no
Thankfully, you missed this overly-sweet fragrance
And Mighty Joe Moon there's no controlling him
Still, Mighty Joe Moon is someone who can't be controlled and does whatever he wants, without any limits
Drive off a bridge if he choose to swim
He would even dive off a bridge if it struck his fancy, regardless of the consequences
Mighty Joe Moon can't prevent what is heaven sent
Joe can't prevent destiny from taking its course and making things happen, no matter how hard he tries
Joe can't control where his money goes
Joe is someone who is unable to control his finances, where it comes from and where it goes, despite his attempts at constraint
He's Mighty Joe
Regardless of his struggles and the direction his life takes, he'll always be Mighty Joe
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daytrader For Life
00:00 - 1. Lone Star Song
04:36 - 2. Mockingbirds
09:17 - 3. Its the Life
12:14 - 4. Sing Along
16:40 - 5. Mighty Joe Moon
19:30 - 6. Demon called Deception
22:21 - 7. Lady Godiva and Me
27:24 - 8. Drag
30:30 - 9. Last days of Tecumseh
31:32 - 10. Happiness
34:35 - 11. Honey don't think
37:19 - 12. Side by side
44:13 - 13. Rock of Ages
And to all those people who downvoted this "video": Get a life 😀😉
Aldritch Lachman
LONE STAR SONG
There's a bullet in the heart tonight in the heart of Texas
Shout it to the Dallasites we are rolling home
They shot an angel in mid-flight and now she won't protect us
Shout it to the bedlamites we are westward ho
Pray the holy war is ending
Like in the films of Hollywood
And the angels are descending (important important)
Like Koresh had said
They would before too long
Sing a Lone Star song
They had him nailed up to a T with a T for Texas
His disciples with artillery they held the fort inside
And by the time the story broke down at Dealey Plaza
We've already caught the smoke read the TV guide
Pray the holy war is ending (ending)
Like the films of Hollywood
And the choppers are descending (easy words easy words)
Like MA Reno said
They would before too long
Sing a Lone Star song
Lone Star song of the south
Words that can't help
But escape my mouth
When they bring down the house
Day upon day
Day upon day
Day upon day
Ooh ooh ooh
Pray the holy war is ending (ending)
Like the films of the Hollywood
And the trumpet's blast is blending
With the crack of burning
Wood before too long
Sing a Lone Star song
Lone Star song
Lone Star
Lone Star song
Sing a Lone Star song
Lone Star easy words come on come on......
Patrick McCallum
In Rolling Stone Magazine's top 100 albums of the 1990's this album has no mention. This is an enormous mistake. This is a masterpiece of an album that belongs in the company of the very best of not only that decade, but of all rock music.
Austin J. Hall
@KC Ignik This album makes me weep
KC Ignik
For me this album represented inner peace & an awareness that only one can experience in an early morning drive of 1994. For myself this album is so up there in my cloud of musical joyness.
Trevor Garford
a shocking and glarring omission
Rod Hall
Listening this April morning in the CURSED YEAR OF OUR LORD 20&21. It still resonates deep in my soul-at least what's left of it...
Michele Bravin
You mentioned Rolling Stone Mag, so its self-explanatory why...😏
Chris Collins
"Probably the greatest album ever made." - Aristotle
Manuel Scarponi
I agree , one of the best
Damian Storm
im sure it is.
Wasko Maleducado
We are fortunate. " - Peace!