Moonlight Shadow
Mike Oldfield (Compilations) Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The first time ever she saw him
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
He passed on worried and warning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Lost in a riddle that Saturday night
Far away on the other side
He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
And she couldn't find how to push through

The trees that whisper in the evening
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
All she saw was a silhouette of a gun
Far away on the other side
He was shot six times by a man on the run
And she couldn't find how to push through

I stay, I pray
See you in heaven far away
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day

Four a.m. in the morning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
I watched your vision forming
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Stars roll slowly in a silvery night
Far away on the other side
Will you come to terms with me this night
But she couldn't find how to push through

I stay, I pray
See you in heaven far away
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day

Far away on the other side
Caught in the middle of a hundred and five
The night was heavy and the air was alive
But she couldn't find how to push through
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Carried away by a moonlight shadow




Far away on the other side
But she couldn't find how to push through

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Moonlight Shadow" by Mike Oldfield tell a tragic story of a woman who witnessed the death of her lover, who was killed in a fight on a Saturday night. The song opens with the woman, who has never seen the man before, being mesmerized by him as he walks past her during a moonlit night. The man is troubled and warns her, but soon after, he is caught in the middle of a fight, and she cannot find a way to help him.


As the trees whisper and the stars roll slowly, the lyrics convey the woman's despair and longing, as she sees only the silhouette of a gun and the man being shot six times by a man on the run. The lyrics "I stay, I pray, See you in heaven one day" suggest that the woman is struggling with the loss of her lover and is holding onto the hope of being reunited with him in the afterlife.


The song ends with the repetition of the phrase "carried away by a moonlight shadow," which describes the sense of being overwhelmed and helpless in the face of tragedy. The lyrics suggest that no matter how much one may try to push through, it may not always be possible to overcome the pain of loss.


Line by Line Meaning

The first time ever she saw him
The first time the woman ever saw the man


Carried away by a moonlight shadow
The woman became entranced by the moonlight and the man disappeared from sight


He passed on worried and warning
The man looked concerned and gave a warning before leaving


Lost in a riddle that Saturday night
Confused and unsure about what to do on a Saturday night


Far away on the other side
The man was far away and out of reach


He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
The man was stuck in a dangerous and urgent struggle


And she couldn't find how to push through
The woman didn't know how to overcome the obstacles that kept her from the man


The trees that whisper in the evening
The trees that make light rustling sounds at night


Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
The rustling sounds of the trees sounded like a melancholy song


All she saw was a silhouette of a gun
The woman only saw a shadowy outline of a gun


He was shot six times by a man on the run
The man was shot multiple times by a person who was fleeing from authorities


I stay, I pray
I remain and hope


See you in heaven far away
I hope to see the person in heaven after they have passed away


Four a.m. in the morning
It was 4 o'clock in the morning


I watched your vision forming
I saw an image of the person appearing before me


Stars roll slowly in a silvery night
The stars move leisurely in the shiny night sky


Will you come to terms with me this night
Will we find peace between us tonight


Far away on the other side
The person is still far away and out of reach


Caught in the middle of a hundred and five
Stuck in a difficult situation with many factors at play


The night was heavy and the air was alive
The atmosphere was tense and full of energy


But she couldn't find how to push through
The woman still didn't know how to overcome the obstacles keeping her from the man


Carried away by a moonlight shadow
The woman remained entranced by the moonlight and the man remained out of sight




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL GORDON OLDFIELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions