Save a Secret for the Moon
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics


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I know all the names of your tears
And numbers of these lonely years
I know all the someones somedays
Don't believe them anyway

when you love someone
You can't always tell the sun
It will be twilight soon
Save a secret moon
In a darkened room
Write it on a black balloon
Then watch it fade from view
Save a secret for the moon

I can show you sadder poetry
Than you ever dreamed there could be
I know all the saddest people
Most of them are dead now

when you love someone
You can't always tell the sun
It will be twilight soon
Save a secret moon
In a darkened room
Write it on a black balloon




Then watch it fade from view
Save a secret for the moon

Overall Meaning

The Magnetic Fields's song, "Save a Secret for the Moon," is a melancholic ballad about love and secrets. The opening lines, "I know all the names of your tears / And numbers of these lonely years," suggest deep familiarity with the person's pain and history, perhaps a result of a long-standing romantic relationship or close friendship. The second line's specific reference to "lonely years" implies a shared experience of absence, solitude, and longing.


The following lines, "I know all the someones somedays / Don't believe them anyway," communicate a sense of cynicism towards external advice or reassurance in matters of the heart. Despite the existence of other people and their opinions, the singer seems to hold on to their own knowledge and understanding of the person and their feelings.


The chorus, "when you love someone / You can't always tell the sun / It will be twilight soon / Save a secret moon," suggests a need for secrecy and retreat when it comes to expressing and protecting love. The "sun" symbolizes the outside world, whose glare and intensity might expose or exploit the vulnerabilities of love. Rather than risking that exposure, the singer advises the person to "save a secret moon" in a "darkened room," figuratively and literally away from the sun and its harmful effects.


The verse about sadder poetry and the saddest people adds another layer of melancholy to the song. The singer claims to know about deep sadness and loss, and yet still encourages the person to hold on to love and its secrets.


Overall, "Save a Secret for the Moon" is a poignant piece of music that captures the bittersweetness of love and the intimate, private nature of human emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

I know all the names of your tears
I understand the emotions and reasons behind all the tears you've cried.


And numbers of these lonely years
I am aware of how long you've been lonely and struggling with your emotions.


I know all the someones somedays
I know you have loved some people in the past, but you don't know if they love you back, or if they will one day.


Don't believe them anyway
I don't think it's worth trusting people who could potentially deceive you.


when you love someone
When you are in a romantic relationship,


You can't always tell the sun
You can't always be open and honest with your partner about your deepest secrets and feelings.


It will be twilight soon
The relationship is coming to an end or changing in some way.


Save a secret moon
Keep your secrets hidden and safe, away from the light of day.


In a darkened room
In a private and quiet space where nobody else can see or hear you.


Write it on a black balloon
Put your secrets down in writing in a way that nobody else can read it.


Then watch it fade from view
Watch your secrets disappear, and don't hold onto them too tightly.


Save a secret for the moon
Keep your innermost thoughts and feelings hidden away, only sharing with the moon and the night sky.


I can show you sadder poetry
I can share with you writing that is even more melancholy and depressing than you could imagine.


Than you ever dreamed there could be
You might not realize how sad and dark some writing can get.


I know all the saddest people
I am acquainted with the most emotionally troubled and depressed individuals.


Most of them are dead now
Many of those troubled people are no longer living; their sadness consumed them and ultimately led to their demise.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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