Moonshine
Mike Rutherford Lyrics
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Do you feel it burning in my blood
Burning in my blood like it's setting me fire.
And I feel like a cloud is closing in, I know it is
As I slip into a hazy crazy world, I know I am
Sooner or later moonshine in my brain
Turning me around till there's madness in the air.
Turning water into wine, till there's nothing left to burn
Courage deserted me tonight.
And in the moments that I have when peace is all around
I can see clearly now, and what I see
There's your world and there's mine
There's so little in between
But listen my love
We will never know which one of us has got it right.
Coz baby the things I do are hurting everyone
I know they are. I've got to try to find the door
Sooner or later it will turn me inside out
Begone all those who would torment me
I've an answer for you now.
And I'm glad it's not late to give it up, I know it's not
All I need's a year or two to rearrange, to rearrange
I can feel it burning in my blood
Turning me around till there's madness in the air.
Turning water into wine, till there's nothing left to burn
Courage deserted me tonight.
And in the moments that I have when peace is all around
I can see clearly now, and what I see
There's your world and there's mine
There's so little in between
But listen my love
We will never know which one of us has got it right.
Turning water into wine, till there's nothing left to burn
Courage deserted me tonight.
Turning water into wine, till there's nothing left to burn
Courage deserted me tonight.
The song "Moonshine" by Mike Rutherford depicts a constant feeling of being lost and trapped in one's own thoughts, often leading to a sense of helplessness and desperation. The opening lyrics suggest the singer's awareness of impending darkness that he feels is slowly taking over him. He addresses the feeling of a burning desire within him that feels as if it is setting him on fire. The following lines describe the feeling of being detached from the real world as he falls into a hazy and crazy state of mind. The constant repetition of "moonshine" alludes to the idea of self-delusion or the act of consuming something to escape reality. The singer admits to turning to alcohol, attempting to turn water into wine, but in reality, it only leads to foolishness as all rationality is lost.
The song deals with his struggle to cope with the day-to-day pressure of life events that often lead him to take wrong decisions that he regrets later. In moments of peace, he can see things clearly and admits the stark difference between reality and the distorted perception of his moonshine-altered mind. The lyrics suggest that sometimes, people can get so engrossed in their struggle that they might end up losing all scope of rational thinking as the same happens with the singer. He recognizes his mistakes and decides to find a solution to his problems.
Line by Line Meaning
And I feel like the night is closing, I know it is
I have the feeling that the night is coming to an end and I'm aware of it.
Do you feel it burning in my blood
Can you sense the intense feeling within me?
Burning in my blood like it's setting me fire.
The feeling is burning within me like flames of fire.
And I feel like a cloud is closing in, I know it is
I'm aware that a cloud of emotions is engulfing me.
As I slip into a hazy crazy world, I know I am
I'm losing touch with reality and entering a strange, confusing world.
Sooner or later moonshine in my brain
Eventually, I'll lose control of my thoughts and emotions.
Turning me around till there's madness in the air.
My emotions will be so intense that they'll cause chaos around me.
Turning water into wine, till there's nothing left to burn
Trying to find meaning in everything until there's nothing left to ponder.
Courage deserted me tonight.
I'm feeling weak and have no strength to face my fears.
And in the moments that I have when peace is all around
During brief moments of tranquility,
I can see clearly now, and what I see
I gain clarity and understanding.
There's your world and there's mine
We each have our own way of viewing the world around us.
There's so little in between
The differences between our perspectives are minuscule.
But listen my love
However,
We will never know which one of us has got it right.
We can never determine whose perspective is more accurate.
Coz baby the things I do are hurting everyone
My actions are hurting others around me.
I know they are.
I'm aware that my actions are causing pain.
I've got to try to find the door
I need to find a way out of this situation.
Sooner or later it will turn me inside out
My emotions will get the best of me eventually.
Begone all those who would torment me
I want to be rid of anyone who causes me trouble.
I've an answer for you now.
I have a response to those who've wronged me.
And I'm glad it's not late to give it up, I know it's not
I'm happy that it's not too late to make a change.
All I need's a year or two to rearrange, to rearrange
I just need some time to sort things out.
Turning water into wine, till there's nothing left to burn
Trying to find meaning in everything until there's nothing left to ponder.
Courage deserted me tonight.
I'm feeling weak and have no strength to face my fears.
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stephen Andrew Harris, Kenneth Victor Montgomery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@richarddavis5542
After all these years the bridge part still gives me chills. Fantastic.
@paulcarfantan6688
Absolutely, it is both beautiful and eerie at the same time.
@susietaylor2468
My late husband loved this album..he told me his funeral was not to be miserable so I did as requested and played tracks from this album.
@AntGeezer
Well played Susie. Iām sure you did him proud
@pauljordan8033
Has anyone said "masterpiece" about this masterpiece of a masterpiece? I mean what an absolute masterpiece.
@ancienbelge
A much underrated album that Mike seems to have disowned for some reason. It's never been reissued digitally AFAIK.
@jankafka7330
I bought this when it came out. A few minutes into the first play, my then-girlfriend asked, "Where is the music?" I felt the same and put the album away for years. Every so often (such as now) I try to listen to it again. I always end up asking, "Where is the music?"
I see a few comments here are of the nature, "Sounds like Genesis...". Yep. The absolutely shitty post-WIND AND WUTHERING Phil Collins version of Genesis. This isn't a "much underrated album", this is crap.
@kbrewski1
Its been released on cd several times. Fantastic album. Arguably the best Genesis solo album, and that includes Gabriel and Hackett.
@davidconti3255
Just discovered this album. Glad I did
@greg-warsaw4708
Today, on 2th of October, it's Mike's birthday. Of all YT, where could be a better place to say Happy Birthday, great stalwart prolific and accomplished musician! Happy Birthday and carry on in good health and luck.