The Moon's A Harsh Mistress
Michael Feinstein Lyrics
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Golden sails across the sky
Close enough to touch
But careful if you try
Though she looks as warm as gold
The moon's a harsh mistress
The moon can be so cold
Lord, it felt so fine
The moon a phantom rose
Through the mountains and the pines
And then the darkness fell
And the moon's a harsh mistress
It's so hard to love her well
I fell out of her eyes
I fell out of her heart
I fell down on my face
Yes, I did, and I -- I tripped and I missed my star
God, I fell and I fell alone, I fell alone
And the moon's a harsh mistress
And the sky is made of stone
The moon's a harsh mistress
She's hard to call your own.
The Moon's A Harsh Mistress is a song written by Jimmy Webb and made popular by artists such as Joe Cocker and Glen Campbell, but Michael Feinstein's interpretation stands out due to the emotional depth he brings to the lyrics. The song is a metaphor for an unattainable love or a difficult relationship, represented by the moon. It tells the story of a person who falls for the moon's beauty, but soon realizes that behind the golden sails and apparent warmth, the moon is a "harsh mistress" that can be "so cold." The moon shines like a "phantom rose" and can be "close enough to touch," but warns to be "careful if you try."
The lyrics also mention a time when the sun shined and everything felt fine, but then darkness fell, and the moon turned out to be difficult to love. The person expressing these feelings is trying to reach out to the moon, but falls and misses their star, indicating a misaligned connection between the two. The final lines reaffirm that the moon is a hard mistress that is "hard to call your own."
Line by Line Meaning
See her how she flies
The moon can be seen in the sky
Golden sails across the sky
The color of the moon is golden and it looks like it is sailing across the sky
Close enough to touch
The moon looks so close to touch
But careful if you try
But one should be careful if they try to touch it as it is out of our reach
Though she looks as warm as gold
Though the moon looks warm, like gold
The moon's a harsh mistress
It is difficult to have a relationship with the moon
The moon can be so cold
Sometimes the moon can appear cold
Once the sun did shine
Once the sun was shining
Lord, it felt so fine
It felt great
The moon a phantom rose
The moon seemed to rise like a ghost
Through the mountains and the pines
It could be seen through the trees
And then the darkness fell
When the sun set and darkness fell
It's so hard to love her well
It is difficult to have a relationship with the moon
I fell out of her eyes
I fell out of love with the moon
I fell out of her heart
I lost my connection with the moon
I fell down on my face
I was unsuccessful in my attempt
Yes, I did, and I -- I tripped and I missed my star
I fell down while trying to reach the stars
God, I fell and I fell alone, I fell alone
I was unsuccessful in my attempt and felt lonely
And the moon's a harsh mistress
It is difficult to have a relationship with the moon
And the sky is made of stone
The sky appears hard and unyielding
She's hard to call your own
It is difficult to possess the moon
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind