Moonlight Shadow
Mike Olfield Feat. Maggie Reilly Lyrics


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The last that 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 AM in the morning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
I watched your vision forming
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Stars move slowly in a silvery night
Far away on the other side
Will you come to talk to 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
Far away on the other side

Overall Meaning

"Moonlight Shadow" by Mike Olfield feat. Maggie Reilly tells the story of a woman who has lost her lover, who was killed on a Saturday night while caught in the middle of a fight. The chorus speaks to her grieving and her longing to see him again in heaven one day. The song speaks to the transformative power of the moonlight shadow that appears to be carrying the man away in death, echoing her grief and sorrow as the trees whisper in the evening. The song's haunting melody and reflective lyrics speak to the universal themes of loss and grief, and the hope of a reunion with loved ones in the afterlife.


Line by Line Meaning

The last that ever she saw him
It was the last time she ever saw him


Carried away by a moonlight shadow
He disappeared into the night


He passed on worried and warning
He left her feeling concerned and warned her of something


Lost in a riddle that Saturday night
He was caught up in a mysterious situation that Saturday night


Far away on the other side
He was in a distant place and she couldn't reach him


He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
He was stuck in the middle of a serious fight


And she couldn't find how to push through
She couldn't find a way to break through and reach him


The trees that whisper in the evening
The trees that talk softly in the night


Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
The trees sing a sad song


All she saw was a silhouette of a gun
All she could see was an outline of a gun


He was shot six times by a man on the run
He was shot multiple times by a person fleeing from the law


I stay, I pray, see you in heaven far away
I remain and hope to see you in a distant heaven


Four AM in the morning
It was four o'clock in the morning


I watched your vision forming
I saw your image appear


Stars move slowly in a silvery night
The stars move slowly in a shining, silver night


Will you come to talk to me this night
Will you appear to me and speak tonight?


Far away on the other side
He was in a far-off place and unreachable


Caught in the middle of a hundred and five
He was trapped in a difficult situation


The night was heavy and the air was alive
The night was oppressive and full of energy




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@kobishami6917

האמת שלפני שנה כתבתי נוסח עברי
אחד השירים האהובים עלי של מייק והאחות

כשפגש בה אז בחצות ליל
בליל לבנה
בודדה בגשם
ניגש בחרש ולחש לה
אני לך כתף
אהיה לך שמש
לא עוד תשאי בכאב לבדך
הר וים עבורך אחצה
את ליבי אתן לך וגם .מחסה
אך היתה היא עמוק ביגונה

והגשם המשיך עוד להכות שם
וכך הדמעות
בודדה בגשם
שר לה שיר
מצחיק וקיטשי
רק שתצחק
בודדה בגשם
לפתע חייכה
ואור גדול זרח
את זאת לנצח
היא לא תשכח
את האיש בגלימה השחורה שלחש
והפעים את ליבה מחדש

מי זה? איך זה?
מי ישיב אותו אל חיי
כעת
מי זה? איך זה?
הוא מלאך גן עדן שאותה שומר

...

https://youtu.be/ktHi3OKfgqc
By the moonlight shadow



All comments from YouTube:

@pattiodors8296

Love it. It is a timeless hit.
Has all the parts to the equation for it to be a timeless classic.
Great catchy melody.
Great storyline lyrically.
Beautiful airy bang on the note vocals.
And perfectly suited instruments integrated perfectly.
It is a gorgeous track.

@paulkelly5788

Well said

@Tsumefan2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIuMPLrme2k this is the better one in my opinion

@GeekBoyMN

I was in the US Navy in 1983 and my ship was either near Greece or Lebanon when I heard this on the radio one night. Finally 20 years later I searched what I could remember of the lyrics and have been enjoying it since.

@racha889

What was the US navy doing in my country?!? I’m Lebanese!

@GeekBoyMN

@@racha889 The US was part of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force at the time, 1982-1984. My ship took Marines to Beirut.

@melyruiz

Nice story 😊❤

@BandOfHarjaps

​@@racha889I remember watching news reports as a kid. Cray times.

@patriciasoebagio1035

Such a beautiful song, & what a sweet, mellifluous voice singing it

@classifiedtopsecret4664

Guitar and vocals are sublime ❤

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