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.


Lyrics submitted by destroying_angel

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress Lyrics as written by Jimmy Webb

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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The Moon's A Harsh Mistress song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    Haven't heard the original but the song's grown on me through jazz versions, notably the Norwegian jazz chanteuse Radka Toneff and the instrumental take by Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny. The latter is devastatingly beautiful, like a mind's eye landscape tinged with moonshine and regret.

    tinderboxon June 13, 2005   Link

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