They played their farewell concert to a sold-out house at Toronto's Massey Hall on March 30, 2007. Sound board recordings of that and many other shows are available (with permission) at http://rheostaticslive.com. After a string of occasional shows, they released their comeback album, Here Come the Wolves, in 2019.
Crescent Moon
Rheostatics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someday they'll lock the gate
And your crescent moon will fall.
Who will help you to your feet?
Who'll say "Don't give up" again?
They shot the streetlights out;
I wondered if you knew
Their hometown's burned away.
When I saw you at the bay
With your suitcase and your ring.
You found the boat was on the rocks.
Where's the warning sign?
The place where I found you
Was inside the doughnut shop.
Then you heard the whistle blow,
Much louder than my voice.
I heard some kids, they said:
"You can't be born again."
And they had no choice that day--
Their hometown's burned away.
If you never, ever, ever come back, come back to you...
Your crescent moon will fall, again.
In the lyrics of the song "Crescent Moon" by Rheostatics, Dave Bidini describes the desperation and sense of loss that one might experience when facing a difficult situation, particularly when they feel like their hometown or other sources of comfort have been taken away from them. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is struggling to keep going in the face of overwhelming adversity, with lines like "Someday they'll lock the gate and your crescent moon will fall" suggesting that the person's hopes and dreams may be cut off or cut short. Throughout the song, there is a sense of isolation and detachment - the person is alone, with no one to help them or provide guidance, and the world around them seems to be pushing back against them.
There are several layers to the image of the "crescent moon" in the song. On the one hand, it seems to represent something beautiful, fragile, and slightly out of reach. The recurring motif of the moon falling suggests that this beauty and fragility are in danger of being lost. However, the moon could also be seen as a symbol of hope and resilience - even if it falls, it can always rise again. Ultimately, the song is a meditation on the challenges of life, and the importance of finding strength, even in our darkest moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Someday they'll lock the gate
At some point in the future, access will be blocked off, and you will be left stranded.
And your crescent moon will fall.
As a result, you will lose something important to you or a part of yourself.
Who will help you to your feet?
When you inevitably stumble or fall, who will be there to lift you back up?
Who'll say "Don't give up" again?
In those difficult moments, who will be the voice of encouragement to help you persevere?
They shot the streetlights out;
Some kind of destructive event has occurred, which has left the streets in darkness.
I wondered if you knew
I wondered if you were aware of what had happened.
That they had no choice that day--
The people responsible for the destruction felt they had no other option at the time.
Their hometown's burned away.
Whatever sense of home or belonging they had was destroyed.
When I saw you at the bay
The artist observed you near the water.
With your suitcase and your ring.
You had your belongings with you, and something symbolic or sentimental in your possession.
You found the boat was on the rocks.
You encountered an unexpected obstacle or disaster.
Where's the warning sign?
Why didn't anyone alert you to the danger or difficulties ahead?
The place where I found you
The location where the singer discovered you.
Was inside the doughnut shop.
You were in a mundane, everyday location.
Then you heard the whistle blow,
You were confronted by some kind of warning or signal.
Much louder than my voice.
The warning was more urgent than the artist's own attempts to communicate with you.
I heard some kids, they said:
The artist overheard a group of children speaking.
"You can't be born again."
The children expressed a belief that a second chance or fresh start was impossible.
And they had no choice that day--
The children, too, felt trapped or powerless to alter their circumstances.
Their hometown's burned away.
Their sense of place and security was lost in the same disaster as before.
If you never, ever, ever come back, come back to you...
Should you choose to never return, or should circumstances prevent your return, things will not improve or get better.
Your crescent moon will fall, again.
You'll lose something dear to you, again, if you can't come back.
Contributed by Reagan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Davey Wavey
Love this song!!
John Muir
"Someday they'll lock the gate
And your crescent moon will fall.
Who will help you to your feet?
Who'll say "Don't give up" again?
They shot the streetlights out;
I wondered if you knew
That they had no choice that day--
Their hometown's burned away.
When I saw you at the bay
With your suitcase and your ring.
You found the boat was on the rocks.
Where's the warning sign?
The place where I found you
Was inside the doughnut shop.
Then you heard the whistle blow,
Much louder than my voice.
I heard some kids, they said:
"You can't be born again."
And they had no choice that day--
Their hometown's burned away.
If you never, ever, ever come back, come back to you...
Your crescent moon will fall, again."