Moonlight Shadow

Mike Oldfield

The last that ever she saw him
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
He passed on worried and warning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Lost in a riddle that Saturday night
Far away on the other side
He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
And she couldn't find how to push through

The trees that whisper in the evening
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
All she saw was a silhouette of a gun
Far away on the other side
He was shot six times by a man on the run
And she couldn't find how to push through

I stay, I pray
See you in Heaven, far away
I stay, I pray
See you in Heaven one day

Four A.M. in the morning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
I watched your vision forming
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Stars move slowly in a silvery night
Far away on the other side
Will you come to terms with me this night?
But she couldn't find how to push through

I stay, I pray
See you in Heaven, far away
I stay, I pray
See you in Heaven one day

Far away on the other side

Caught in the middle of a hundred and five
The night was heavy and the air was alive
But she couldn't find how to push through

Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Far away on the other side
But she couldn't find how to push through


Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by raidenwarrior

Moonlight Shadow Lyrics as written by Michael Oldfield

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Moonlight Shadow song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    Hi. To me this song was always about the emotions of losing a loved one. The "lost in a riddle" part describes the not knowing what happened to that person after he died. The "shot 6 times by a man on the run" line is just a way of describing how the woman was powerless to prevent what happened and how impossible to deal with it seems. The "desperate fight" part refers to an illness. Her being full of regret for things said or not said, not being able to forget or move on (push through) because of the manner of the death (he passed on worried and warning) and wishing to be able to be with that person again.

    "The tree's that whisper in the evening/ sing a song of sorrow and grieving" part also refers to the woman constantly thinking about the man and how everything reminds her of him. People remember the details of the day someone so important to them dies, what they were doing at the time, things that were said etc. "The night was heavy but the air was alive" makes me think of a storm, which meant to me that the night was both heavy and charged in terms of emotions and the weather. Lastly, the "Carried away by a moonlight shadow" parts are describing the woman remembering that precise moment over and over again, and how that is more powerful than and interrupts whatever else she might be thinking or doing at that time. The lines "carried away by a moonlight shadow" interrupt the rest of the lyrics in a similar way.

    petegreenon June 17, 2009   Link

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