The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Ruth Cameron Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

See her how she flies
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
Once the sun did shine
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

Overall Meaning

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Ruth Cameron is a beautiful song that uses the metaphor of the moon as a woman who can be both captivating and unforgiving. The song tells the story of trying to love someone who always seems out of reach, someone who is unattainable like the moon.


The first verse describes the moon as a beautiful golden object that is seemingly within reach but warns against trying to grasp it as it will only prove to be a harsh mistress. The second verse expands on this metaphor by recounting the memory of the sun shining and how it felt so good, but then the darkness fell, and the moon took over. The moon is depicted as a phantom who rises above the mountains and the pines, creating a sense of mystery and enchantment. However, the darkness that comes with it can make it difficult to love its harshness.


Line by Line Meaning

See her how she flies
Look at the moon flying across the sky


Golden sails across the sky
The moon's color looks like gold and is moving across the sky


Close enough to touch
The moon looks close although it's really far away in space


But careful if you try
It's dangerous to try to touch or get closer to the moon


Though she looks as warm as gold
The moon appears warm and welcoming like the color gold


The moon's a harsh mistress
The moon is not a peaceful or friendly object


The moon can be so cold
The moon is actually very cold


Once the sun did shine
There was a time when the sun was shining


Lord, it felt so fine
It was a great time when the sun was shining


The moon a phantom rose
The moon appeared like a ghostly image rising over the mountains and pines


Through the mountains and the pines
The moon was visible through the trees and mountains


And then the darkness fell
Nighttime arrived and everything became dark


It's so hard to love her well
It's difficult to have a positive relationship with the moon


I fell out of her eyes
The singer lost interest in the moon's beauty


I fell out of her heart
The singer lost affection for the moon


I fell down on my face
The artist fell down and suffered disappointment


Yes, I did, and I, I tripped and I missed my star
The artist failed to reach their goal


God, I fell and I fell alone, I fell alone
The singer felt isolated in their experience


The sky is made of stone
The dark sky feels cold and unfeeling


She's hard to call your own
It's difficult to claim ownership of the moon due to its distant and indifferent nature




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY WEBB

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions