He first made it big in the jazz world with the famous vibraphonist Gary Burton. Throughout the late 70's, 80's, and 90's, Metheny established himself as one of the leading jazz guitar players in the world. Famous for his tasteful midwestern style and tone, he also has an incredible facility with the guitar. His compositions have earned him acclaim in the jazz world as well.
He has played with such greats as: Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Ornette Coleman, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden, Jim Hall, John Scofield, Bill Stewart, Brad Mehldau and Jaco Pastorius. Similar artists include Mike Stern, Bill Frisell, and John McLaughlin.
Pat Metheny has won 17 Grammy awards and holds the record for winning Grammys in the most categories.
You will find Pat Metheny also on following artist pages:
Jaco
Pat Metheny Group
Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays
John Scofield & Pat Metheny
Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny
Jim Hall & Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny & Ornette Coleman
Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman
Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau
Metheny Mehldau Quartet
Pat Metheny with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins
Pat Metheny & Dave Holland & Roy Haynes
Pat Metheny Trio
Anna Maria Jopek & Friends with Pat Metheny
Pat Metheny Unity Group
(incomplete list).
Diskographie:
Pat Metheny discography, sorted by years with last fm links:
01. - 1974 - Ring - Gary Burton
02. - 1974 - Jaco - Jaco Pastorius & Pat Metheny with Paul Bley and Bruce Ditmas
03. - 1975 - Dreams So Real - Gary Burton Quintet
04. - 1976 - Passengers - Gary Burton Quartet with Eberhard Weber
05. - 1976 - Bright Size Life - Pat Metheny with Jaco Pastorius and Bob Moses
06. - 1977 - Watercolors - Pat leads. With Lyle Mays, Eberhard Weber and Danny Gottlieb
07. - 1978 - Pat Metheny Group - Pat Metheny Group
08. - 1979 - New Chautauqua - Pat Metheny
09. - 1979 - The Search for Solutions -
10. - 1979 - American Garage - Pat Metheny Group
11. - 1980 - Shadows and Light - Joni Mitchell with Metheny, Mays, Pastorius, Brecker & Alias
12. - 1980 - 80/81 - Pat Metheny with Redman, Haden, Brecker, and DeJohnette
13. - 1981 - The Song Is You - Chick Corea with A. Braxton, J. DeJohnette, L. Konitz, M. Vitous
14. - 1981 - As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls - Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays
15. - 1982 - Offramp - Pat Metheny Group
16. - 1983 - Under Fire - with Jerry Goldsmith
17. - 1983 - Travels - Pat Metheny Group
18. - 1984 - Rejoicing - Pat Metheny with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins
19. - 1984 - Fandango - Unreleased soundtrack with Lyle Mays & Naná Vasconcelos
20. - 1984 - First Circle - Pat Metheny Group
21. - 1984 - Works - Pat Metheny
22. - 1985 - Encontros E Despedidas - Milton Nascimento (Pat plays only on "Vidro e Corte")
23. - 1985 - Contemplación - Pedro Aznar's Sondtrack with Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays and Dan Gottlieb
24. - 1985 - The Falcon and the Snowman - Soundtrack by Pat Metheny Group
27. - 1986 - Story Of Moses - Bob Moses with Metheny, Okoshi, Strickland, Quintero & Harris
28. - 1986 - Day In - Night Out - Mike Metheny
29. - 1986 - Song X - Ornette Coleman, Metheny, D. Coleman, DeJohnette and Haden
30. - 1987 - Michael Brecker - Michael Brecker with Metheny, Kirkland, Haden and DeJohnette
31. - 1987 - Still Life (Talking) - Pat Metheny Group
32. - 1988 - Works II - Pat Metheny
33. - 1989 - Reunion - Gary Burton with Pat Metheny, Will Lee, Peter Erskine and Mitchel Forman
34. - 1989 - Letter from Home - Pat Metheny Group
35. - 1989 - Electric Counterpoint - Steve Reich.
36. - 1990 - Reunion - Gary Burton
37. - 1990 - Parallel Realities - Jack DeJohnette with Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock
38. - 1990 - Tell Me Where You're Going - Silje Nergaard
39. - 1990 - Question and Answer - Pat Metheny & Dave Holland & Roy Haynes
40. - 1992 - Toys - (on "Let Joy And Innocence Prevail")
41. - 1992 - Till We Have Faces - Gary Thomas, Metheny, Murphy, Cox, Howard, Carrington, Moss.
42. - 1992 - Secret Story - Pat Metheny Group
43. - 1993 - Wish - Joshua Redman album with Charlie Haden, Billy Higgins
44. - 1993 - Yin and the Yout - Paul Wertico Pat plays guitar on "Don't Look Back" only
45. - 1993 - Parallel Realities live... - Mellon Jazz Festival 1990, DeJohnette, Metheny, Hancock & Holland
46. - 1993 - The Road to You - Pat Metheny Group
47. - 1994 - Noa - Achinoam Nini
48. - 1994 - I Can See Your House from Here - John Scofield & Pat Metheny
49. - 1994 - Zero Tolerance for Silence - Pat Metheny
50. - 1995 - We Live Here - Pat Metheny Group
51. - 1996 - Pursuance - Kenny Garrett album with Brian Blade, and Rodney Whitaker
52. - 1996 - Passaggio per il paradiso - Soundtrack by Pat Metheny
53. - 1996 - The Sign of 4 - with Derek Bailey, Gregg Bendian, and Paul Wertico
54. - 1996 - Passaggio per il paradiso - Pat Metheny
55. - 1996 - Quartet - Pat Metheny Group
56. - 1997 - Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories) - Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny
57. - 1997 - Imaginary Day - Pat Metheny Group
58. - 1998 - Like Minds - Gary Burton with Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Roy Haynes, & Dave Holland
59. - 1998 - The Sound of Summer Running - Marc Johnson with Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, & Joey Baron
60. - 1998 - Dreams - Philip Bailey
61. - 1998 - Babe: Pig in the City - with E.G. Daily (on "A Heart That's True")
62. - 1999 - Traveling Miles - Cassandra Wilson
63. - 1999 - The Elements: Water - Dave Liebman with Pat Metheny, Billy Hart, and Cecil McBee
64. - 1999 - Simply Said - Kenny Garrett. Pat plays on "Sounds Like Winter" & "Simply Said".
65. - 1999 - Time Is of the Essence - Michael Brecker. Pat plays guitar and wrote "Timeline" & "As I Am".
66. - 1999 - Jim Hall & Pat Metheny - Jim Hall
67. - 1999 - A Map of the World - Pat Metheny
68. - 2000 - Trio -> Live - Pat Metheny Trio with Pat Metheny, Bill Stewart & Larry Grenadier
69. - 2000 - Trio 99 -> 00 - Pat Metheny Trio with Pat Metheny, Bill Stewart and Larry Grenadier
70. - 2001 - Nocturne - Charlie Haden. Pat plays on "Noche de Ronda (Night of Wandering)".
71. - 2001 - Reverence - Richard Bona. Pat plays on track number 6.
72. - 2001 - The Move To The Groove Session (feat. Jimmy Heath) - Pat Metheny & The Heath Brothers
73. - 2002 - Upojenie - Anna Maria Jopek
74. - 2002 - Speaking of Now -
75. - 2003 - Portrait of Jaco: The Early Years, 1968-1978 Disc 1 - Interview and live
75. - 2003 - Portrait of Jaco: The Early Years, 1968-1978 Disc 2 - with J. Pastorius & B. Moses
76. - 2003 - One Quiet Night - Pat Metheny
77. - 2004 - Rarum IX / Selected Recordings -
78. - 2005 - Sueña La Alhambra - Enrique Morente album, renowned Spanish flamenco singer.
79. - 2005 - Song X: Twentieth Anniversary - Pat Metheny & Ornette Coleman incl. 6 unrel. records
80. - 2005 - The Way Up - Pat Metheny Group
81. - 2006 - Metheny Mehldau - Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau
82. - 2007 - Pilgrimage - Michael Brecker with Metheny, Mehldau, Hancock, Patitucci, and DeJohnette
83. - 2007 - Metheny Mehldau Quartet - Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard
84. - 2008 - Day Trip - with Antonio Sanchez & Christian McBride
85. - 2008 - Tokyo Day Trip - with Antonio Sanchez & Christian McBride (live)
86. - 2009 - Quartet Live! - ECM
87. - 2009 - Mourning Becomes Electra - New Group Theater off-Broadway production
88. - 2010 - Orchestrion - Pat Metheny
89. - 2011 - What's It All About - UK chart peak: #164[1]
90. - 2012 - Unity Band - Pat Metheny with Chris Potter, Ben Williams and Antonio Sanchez
91. - 2012 - The Orchestrion Project - Pat Metheny
92. - 2013 - La noche más larga - Concha Buika
93. - 2013 - Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels | Vol. 20 - with Antonio Sánchez - composed by John Zorn
94. - 2014 - Kin (<-->) - Pat Metheny Unity Group
The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Pat Metheny Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 Is A Harsh Mistress" by Pat Metheny is a hauntingly beautiful song that delves into the complexities of a relationship using the metaphor of the moon. The lyrics suggest that while the moon may appear stunning and alluring from a distance, it can also be unforgiving and cold. This represents the dichotomy often found in love and relationships – the enticing beauty and the harsh realities.
The first verse sets the stage by describing the moon's mesmerizing presence and how it seems within reach. However, it warns against being too hasty, as beneath its captivating exterior lies a cold and unforgiving nature. This can be seen as a cautionary message about falling for someone solely based on appearances without considering the potential challenges and difficulties that may come with loving them.
The second verse explores the fleeting nature of love and the contrast between light and darkness. It refers to a time when things seemed perfect when the sun shined bright. However, as darkness fell, the moon's true nature unraveled. It emphasizes how love can quickly turn from blissful to challenging, leaving one struggling to navigate the complexities of a relationship, much like trying to love the harsh mistress that is the moon.
The subsequent lyrics express the singer's personal experience of falling out of love and feeling lost and alone. The mention of falling out of her eyes and heart suggests a loss of connection and a feeling of abandonment. The line "tripped and missed my star" illustrates a missed opportunity or unfulfilled ambition, emphasizing the disappointment and isolation felt. Here, the moon represents the harsh reality of failed love, of falling alone without the support or comfort of the beloved.
The last line, "The moon's a harsh mistress, she's hard to call your own," encapsulates the overarching theme of the song. It highlights the struggle of holding onto a difficult and unpredictable love, underscoring the challenges faced in claiming ownership over it. In this way, the lyrics convey the message that love is not always easily attainable or consistent, much like the moon, which remains elusive and resistant to being possessed.
Overall, "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" explores the complexities and unpredictability of love through the metaphor of the moon. It sheds light on the contrasting aspects of relationships – the allure and beauty alongside the difficulties and coldness. The lyrics offer a poignant reflection on the challenges and intricacies of navigating love and the emotional turmoil associated with it, ultimately showcasing the poignant and thought-provoking nature of Metheny's musical storytelling.
Line by Line Meaning
See her how she flies
Observe the graceful movement of the moon as it travels through the sky
Golden sails across the sky
The moon appears radiant and majestic as it glides across the heavens
Close enough to touch
Although the moon seems within reach, one must be cautious in attempting to interact with it
But careful if you try
Exercising caution is necessary when seeking to engage with the moon
Though she looks as warm as gold
Despite its inviting appearance, the moon's nature is not as comforting or nurturing as it seems
The moon's a harsh mistress
The moon is a relentless and unforgiving entity
The moon can be so cold
The moon's influence can be emotionally distant and unfeeling
Once the sun did shine
There was a time when the warmth of the sun illuminated everything
Lord, it felt so fine
It was a delightful and joyous experience
The moon a phantom rose
The moon's presence emerged mysteriously, ephemeral like a ghost
Through the mountains and the pines
The moon traveled silently over majestic landscapes
And then the darkness fell
However, darkness eventually enveloped everything
It's so hard to love her well
It is challenging to fully embrace and truly love the moon
I fell out of her eyes
I lost the affection and connection I once had with the moon
I fell out of her heart
The moon's hold on my emotions and love weakened
I fell down on my face
I stumbled and experienced a painful downfall
Yes, I did, and I, I tripped and I missed my star
In my pursuit, I stumbled and failed to reach my desired goal
God, I fell and I fell alone, I fell alone
I experienced a lonely and solitary descent without support
And the sky is made of stone
The sky, in contrast to the moon, appears cold and unyielding
She's hard to call your own
It is difficult to claim the moon as a possessive and intimate connection
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind