Paper Moon
Miner Lyrics
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Sailing over a cardboard sea,
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me.
It is only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree,
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me.
It's a honky-tonk parade.
Without your love,
It's a melody played in a penny arcade.
It's a Barnum and Bailey world,
Just as phony as it can be,
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me.
Without your love,
It's a honky-tonk parade.
Without your love,
It's a melody played in a penny arcade.
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be,
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me.
The song Paper Moon, by Miner, is a romantic, whimsical tune that speaks to the power of belief in a relationship. The opening lines describe a paper moon sailing over a cardboard sea, highlighting the artificial and temporary nature of things. However, the singer argues that these things don't have to be make-believe if the listener just believed in them. This introduces the main theme of the song, which is that love and belief can make even the most mundane or superficial things into something meaningful and real.
Throughout the lyrics, the singer uses various metaphorical images to describe a world that seems false and lacking in substance. The canvas sky and muslin tree, for instance, are both ordinary objects made to seem fantastical by the singer's imagination. Similarly, the honky-tonk parade and melody played in a penny arcade are both cheap and synthetic forms of entertainment that might seem unappealing to some. But again, the singer insists that all of this could be transformed and made real by the belief the listener has in them.
Ultimately, the song is a call to action, urging listeners to embrace their imagination and faith in order to turn the everyday into something magical. It's a message of hope and optimism, and one that is particularly relevant in today's world, where uncertainty and doubt can be all too prevalent.
Line by Line Meaning
It is only a paper moon
The moon we see isn't real, it's just a drawing on paper
Sailing over a cardboard sea
It seems like the moon is floating over a sea, but that sea is actually made of cardboard
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me
However, if you have faith in me, it becomes real and stops being make-believe
It is only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
Just like the moon, the sky we see isn't real, it's just a painting on canvas, and the tree is made of a cheap fabric called muslin
Without your love,
It's a honky-tonk parade
Without the love of whoever the singer is addressing, life isn't worth much, it's like a loud, tacky and low-class parade
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
The tune of life without love is like a cheap and sad melody played in a game arcade for pennies
It's a Barnum and Bailey world,
Just as phony as it can be
The world around us is just as fake and dishonest as the famous circus of Barnum and Bailey
But it wouldn't be make believe
If you believed in me.
However, if the person listening to the song had enough trust and faith in the singer, the world wouldn't seem so artificial anymore
Contributed by Parker S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JZL003
elementary has the best music, I wonder how they found this
@smartalek180
Maybe they've got great researchers. Or maybe -- just maybe -- they've realized they can charge for giving bands exposure, rather than paying for music. (If they haven't, someone out there has, or will soon; it's inevitable, like product placement fees -- such as Microsoft's already paying Elementary's producers.)
@baronsprout4927
smartalek180 or maybe -trippy hippies 🤷🏻♂️😌
@aditir4874
The only show where I wait for the end 😅
@CountingCarp_uK
U like Jim James AEIOU it’s from poison pen also amazing
@ianschmutzler8177
They probably had a bunch of people who just listened to smaller bands and decide which are worth having as outro music. Keaton Henson, Philippe Larue, Gil Scott Heron, they're good artists, and they probably don't charge as much on royalties. Given the relatively lack luster response to Elementary that there was, I'd imagine that was a big concern. It was probably hard to find the good small creators, but when one wants a diamond, one must sometimes resort to digging in a diamond mind.
@patadams5934
forgot to add on previous comment, spent bike riding and hippie days 1966 to 1972 in LA, VENICE, Tujunga, San Fernando, LOVE YOUR BAND's MUSIC, great for a road trip or easy listening.
@balugadiparthi2428
# Elementary -Thank You.
@johnmoturi
The Imperial seal of China brought me here..:)
@sunnymeadbedbreakfast2335
Elementary right??