moonbeam
Willy Porter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Such a welcome sight
I've got nothing in my pockets
Walk with me tonight
Old cars in the tall grass
Broken glass and chrome
Down along the railway
Hiding in the sumac
Waiting for a train
Got a penny on the railway
Hello little moonbeam
I forgot your song
Every cross tie tells me
I've been gone too long
Seems to me
That you give your light so freely
Won't you shed your beams on me
I need you, little moonbeam
When I was a young boy
Balanced on this rails
I'd hold my jacket high, lord
Wind would fill my sail
Hello little moonbeam
Balanced on this rail
I'll hold my jacket high, lord
Wind come fill my sail
Hiding in the sumac
Waiting for a train
Got a penny on the railway
The song "Moonbeam" by Willy Porter is a beautiful and nostalgic ode to childhood memories and the simple pleasures of life. The song starts off with the singer addressing the moon, calling it a "welcome sight" and asking it to accompany him on a walk. Through the lyrics, the singer reminisces about his childhood and growing up in a small town with old cars in tall grass, broken glass, and chrome. He talks about the railway that runs behind his parent's home and how he used to hide in the sumac bushes and wait for the train. The singer also mentions how he used to balance on the rails as a young boy, holding his jacket high and letting the wind fill his sail.
The repeated greeting to the moon, "Hello little moonbeam," is both charming and endearing, giving the song an intimate and personal touch. The moon becomes a symbol of the singer's need for guidance and comfort as he faces the uncertainties of life. The summation with the plea to the moon to shine its light on him, so he can still feel hopeful and connected to the simple joys of his childhood, is both poignant and heartbreaking.
Overall, "Moonbeam" is a song that captures the essence of a simpler time and place, and reminds us of the importance of cherishing our memories and keeping our connections to the past alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello little moonbeam
The singer greets the moon
Such a welcome sight
The singer is glad and happy to see the moon
I've got nothing in my pockets
The singer doesn't have anything to offer or give
Walk with me tonight
The singer asks the moon to accompany and walk with him for the night
Old cars in the tall grass
The area has old abandoned cars in the tall grass
Broken glass and chrome
There are broken glass and chrome lying around
Down along the railway
The location is near a railway track
Behind my parent's home
The location is behind the singer's parent's house
Hiding in the sumac
The singer is hiding in the sumac plants
Waiting for a train
The singer is waiting for a train to arrive
Got a penny on the railway
The singer has placed a penny on the railway track
I forgot your song
The singer forgot the song he sang for the moon previously
Every cross tie tells me
The singer notices that every cross tie on the railway tells him something
I've been gone too long
The singer realizes that he has been away from the place for too long
Seems to me
The singer thinks that
That you give your light so freely
The moon provides light for everyone
Won't you shed your beams on me
The singer asks the moon to shine on him
I need you, little moonbeam
The singer expresses that he needs the moon's light
When I was a young boy
The singer recalls his childhood memories
Balanced on this rails
The singer used to balance on the railway tracks
I'd hold my jacket high, lord
The singer would raise his jacket to feel the wind
Wind would fill my sail
The wind makes the singer feel like he's sailing
Balanced on this rail
The singer is currently balancing on the railway track
Wind come fill my sail
The singer is asking the wind to fill his jacket and make him feel like he's sailing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN A. BOOTH, WILLY PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jumpercable wireless
That's a beautiful sounding instrument--Playing is miraculous!
adsu
9 string guitar? I've never seen that before. Awesome!
bwlymoas
Me neither. Blew me away. Only other guitarist I've ever seen that could give Leo Kottke a decent run for his money.
Michael MacLauchlan
Baritone custom.. WP called Gordy in the middle of the night with this inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007959528159
Darryl Thorpe
Absolutely phenomenal Musician !!!!
and lovely human being X
Edwrd Grando
sick guitar... love me some Willie...since the mid 90's..
2alexios
This song is a masterpiece. Never heard a groove like this one!!!
Anthony Miltich
Ah man, Willy. When we met back in the NACA days, I knew you had it in the first few bars. How sweet to run across this (LJ"s tune?). Just blew my mind my friend. Have to check your tour schedule and catch it live.
darienlake
WGN and the Cubs brought me here.... Willie Porter was just now sampled during the Cubs game when they were showing all the Cubs fans in the stands in Milwaukee during the broadcast. this is amazing! Thank you for posting and thanks to Willie for being awesome!
Kloud9Creative
Thanks, @darienlake! That is awesome to here!!!!