Moonlight Shadow
Reilly Maggie 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

The song "Moonlight Shadow" by Reilly Maggie is a tale of loss and longing for a loved one who has passed away. The song is told from the perspective of a woman who never got the chance to say goodbye to her lover who was taken from her in the middle of a fight. The opening lines set the scene of how he was taken away by a "moonlight shadow" which is a metaphor for something that is beyond our control. The sadness in the lyrics is palpable as the woman struggles to come to terms with the loss, and the impossibility of ever getting him back. The imagery of the trees whispering in the evening, singing a song of sorrow and grieving adds to the melancholy tone of the song.


Throughout the song, the woman reminisces about her lover- how she never got to say goodbye, how she hopes to see him one day in heaven, and how she watched his vision forming at four in the morning. She is consumed by sadness and the longing to be reunited with him. The song ends on a poignant note as the woman is unable to find how to push through and is still carried away by a moonlight shadow.


Line by Line Meaning

The last that ever she saw him
The last time she saw him


Carried away by a moonlight shadow
He disappeared in the moonlight


He passed on worried and warning
He left with concern and caution


Lost in a riddle that Saturday night
Confused and perplexed on that Saturday night


Far away on the other side
Distant and beyond reach


He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
He was stuck in a dangerous battle


And she couldn't find how to push through
She couldn't find a way to overcome the obstacles


The trees that whisper in the evening
The trees that rustle gently in the night


Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
Make a mournful melody


All she saw was a silhouette of a gun
All she could see was a shadowy shape of a weapon


He was shot six times by a man on the run
He was wounded six times by a fleeing attacker


I stay, I pray, see you in heaven far away
I will remain and pray to see you again in the distant afterlife


I watched your vision forming
I witnessed your image materializing


Stars move slowly in a silvery night
The celestial bodies move leisurely in the shimmering dark evening


Will you come to talk to me this night
Can you visit me now?


Four AM in the morning
Four o'clock in the morning


Far away on the other side
Remotely located on the other side


Caught in the middle of a hundred and five
Trapped amidst a multitude of people


The night was heavy and the air was alive
The night was oppressive and the atmosphere was charged




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

@pluma1111

She and her voice honestly MAKE this song. No other version compares.

@michaelrobshaw4345

I agree

@niwathansaward4425

@markusweissenbock6337

Still, it is incomplete...

@rawstarmusic

yeah I agree. When she's not there it doesn't fly. Special voice. Lucky on the original recording. What is Oldfield thinking about the other singers, can he not hear the difference? I came here looking for her.

@ziomalZparafii

I was not aware until now there are other versions than original.

26 More Replies...

@gregsaltis1661

Wow. The voice is still great. Listening to this woman now in her 60's sing this has a special poignancy. It's as if she is talking about something that happened long ago in her youth and she still bears the weight of that incident and it comes through in her voice and face. Wonderfully done.

@darrenmiles-morland8038

She would have been in her early 20s when John Lennon got shot. The lyrics of the song are based on John Lennon's shooting.

@joostdriesens3984

@@darrenmiles-morland8038 Oldfield himself denies this, suggesting that he was influenced by it, but not more. The details of the song also do not match the details of the Lennon murder.

@eliassandgren3132

This new version stuns me - it has the exact same sentimental feel to it as the original. You know, one shouldn’t look back too much, but sometimes it makes me feel at peace to know that some things remain the same, in a world that keeps on changing.

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