This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
When I passed you in the doorway
Well, you took me with a glance
I should've took that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance
Now we go steady to the pictures
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
And my father, he's going crazy
He says I'm livin' in a trance
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
It's three o'clock in the morning
And I'm on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I should've been in by ten
Now I won't get out until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
Oh, but it's a habit worth forming
If it means to justify the end
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
And I'm walking home
The last bus has long gone
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (it's caught me in in it's spotlight)
Dancing in the moonlight (dancing in the moonlight)
On this long, hot summer night (it's got me hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (it's caught me alright) (it's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight (alright, alright, alright, alright)
On this long, hot summer night (got so goddamn hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing)
It's caught me in its spotlight (I'm still dancing)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
On this long, hot summer night
Well, you took me with a glance
I should've took that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance
Now we go steady to the pictures
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
And my father, he's going crazy
He says I'm livin' in a trance
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
It's three o'clock in the morning
And I'm on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I should've been in by ten
Now I won't get out until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
Oh, but it's a habit worth forming
If it means to justify the end
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
And I'm walking home
The last bus has long gone
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (it's caught me in in it's spotlight)
Dancing in the moonlight (dancing in the moonlight)
On this long, hot summer night (it's got me hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (it's caught me alright) (it's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight (alright, alright, alright, alright)
On this long, hot summer night (got so goddamn hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing)
It's caught me in its spotlight (I'm still dancing)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
On this long, hot summer night
Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight) song meanings
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i love this song! managed to rally up enough support to have it as our graduation song last friday. walking around school all week i kept hearing everyone humming the intro. was pretty damn cool and very suitable as we were looking for something that tied in with memories, our theme, and also had a very teenage (and irish!) vibe.
That's awesome dude I wish my graduation song was about getting addicted to heroin.
My favourite Thin Lizzy track. I love Phil Lynott!
every time i hear this song it reminds me of all my great summers ive had! i love it so much, one of thin lizzys quality songs.
Great jazzy song about a summer romance.
@Comrade_Liar Thin Lizzy are like, the epitome of late '70s hard rock. It's funny how people think having an instrument from the brass family can turn a song into jazz; as if this were Steely Dan or someone and not Thhin Lizzy. The phrasing utilized by the saxophone is also purely blues-based.
I especially like the part about him getting chocolate stains on his pants. Great song.
haha..."hot summer night" damn i miss the summer
i LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH!
Great Song. oh but it's a habit worth forming If it means to justify the end. It means no matter what difficulty it causes to see her its worth it. The end justifies the means....
i love this song! managed to rally up enough support to have it as our graduation song last friday. walking around school all week i kept hearing everyone humming the intro. was pretty damn cool and very suitable as we were looking for something that tied in with memories, our theme, and also had a very teenage (and irish!) vibe.
I love it too - just read Philomena Lynott's 'My Boy' and she said the song related to Phil's teenage years [except he was living with her and not his Dad]. For me it captures the joy of being in love.