I think this song is definitely about temptation and infidelity. As others have said, the "sun" is his stable current relationship, and the "moon" is his fling, his other woman. In that context, I see the song as sort of a conversation between him and the other woman, except we are only hearing his side of it, and we sort of have to fill in the blanks for her side. Here's my take:
"I want to sink in"
This isn't noted in the lyrics above, but it's whispered at the very beginning of the song. He wants her so much, he just wants to let go and "sink in," to lose himself in her.
"Tonight the moon is playing tricks again
Yeah, I'm feeling seasick again
The whole world could just dissolve
Into a glass of water"
She intoxicates him so much that it's disorienting, almost.
"I've been good
'Cause I know you don't want me to"
This is the beginning of their conversation. He's "been good," he's refrained from straying from his current relationship, even though the other woman doesn't want him to be good - she wants him to be bad with her, I'm guessing. Either that, or by some weird self justification, he considers "being good" to be that she's his only woman on the side, he's staying "faithful" to her by not cheating with multiple women, only that doesn't matter to her, she doesn't care if he has more on the side than her. I can't decide which scenario is most apt. In light of the next part, I'd say the former is most likely, though.
"Do you really want me to
Be blue as you
It's her daylight that gets me through"
Maybe here, she wants him to leave his stable relationship and be with her exclusively, and he's telling her that losing that stability in his life would be bad for him, it'd make him as "blue" as her, as alone, and that the "light," the stability of that stable relationship is what keeps him going. However...
"We've been here before
Last time you scratched at my door
The moon was naked and cold
I was like a two year old
Who just wanted more"
This is an ongoing thing, he can't resist her. She sought him out ("last time you scratched at my door"), but when faced with her, he wants her just as much as she wants him ("I was like a two year old who just wanted more").
"If you wear that velvet dress
If you wear that velvet dress
If you wear that velvet dress
If you wear that velvet dress"
Like others have said, the velvet dress could be literal, but it could also be any number of things about her that pushes him over the edge and seals his fate, makes him lose control.
"Tonight the moon has drawn its curtains
It's a private show
No one else going to know I'm wanting"
He's given in to her, it's a done deal. Sexytime! The "private show" and the drawing of curtains seem to confirm the illicitness of this encounter.
Further, I've listened to this song a bajillion times in the past, and even though all published versions of the lyrics I can find say "I'm wanting," it sounds an awful lot to me like he's saying "I want you." Well, sort of like "I'm want you," which makes no sense at all, I realize. I'm almost positive I've heard him sing "I want you" live, at the very least. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. ;)
"Does it feel good
Sure it's okay
'Cause I dance with you"
This part isn't noted in the lyrics above, but they're whispered over Edge's guitar solo, you can hear it better with headphones. In this part, it's ON, and I think it's a mix of sexy pillow talk, and maybe trying to rationalize their encounter. Whatever the case, freakin' HOT.
"Sunlight, sunlight fills my room
It's sharp and it's clear
But nothing at all like the moon"
The encounter is over, and "sunlight fills my room" perhaps literally, maybe it's morning, but also figuratively, when he's thinking about his stable partner again. The line "it's sharp and it's clear" is very evocative, and shows us what the stable partner brings to his life - clarity. Probably peace and contentment, too. "But nothing at all like the moon," because the moon is dark and alluring and forbidden and irresistible. She brings him something that his stable partner can't, something he doesn't seem able to give up.
"It's okay
The struggle for things not to say"
There are some things that are unspoken between them. Maybe they can't bring themselves to talk about what they're doing. Maybe they love each other but know it's better left unsaid. In any case, he's saying that it's okay that it's difficult to not say these things, to not bring them out into the open.
"I never listened to you anyway
I got my own hands to pray"
In these lines, it strikes me that maybe she is attempting to take the blame for what they're doing, trying to assuage his guilt, and he's telling her that he will deal with the guilt himself, that if he wants forgiveness or redemption, he's "got [his] own hands to pray" for that.
"If you wear that velvet dress
If you wear that velvet dress
If you wear that velvet dress
If you wear that velvet dress"
"Tonight the moon is a mirrorball
Light flickers from across the hall
Who'll catch the star when it falls
If you wear that velvet dress"
"Tonight the moon is a mirrorball," especially beckoning to him, "light flickers from across the hall," calling him, reminding him of her. "Who'll catch the star when it falls," says to me that he knows he's in for a fall if he continues this, but he's helpless to stop, because "If you wear that velvet dress," she'll always be wearing that "velvet dress," possessing the qualities he needs so desperately, so he'll be back, and he knows it.
If you listen closely to the line "who'll catch the star when it falls," I'm almost positive it's not "when IT falls," it's "when HE falls." Again, I know he's sung it like this live.
I think this song is definitely about temptation and infidelity. As others have said, the "sun" is his stable current relationship, and the "moon" is his fling, his other woman. In that context, I see the song as sort of a conversation between him and the other woman, except we are only hearing his side of it, and we sort of have to fill in the blanks for her side. Here's my take:
"I want to sink in"
This isn't noted in the lyrics above, but it's whispered at the very beginning of the song. He wants her so much, he just wants to let go and "sink in," to lose himself in her.
"Tonight the moon is playing tricks again Yeah, I'm feeling seasick again The whole world could just dissolve Into a glass of water"
She intoxicates him so much that it's disorienting, almost.
"I've been good 'Cause I know you don't want me to"
This is the beginning of their conversation. He's "been good," he's refrained from straying from his current relationship, even though the other woman doesn't want him to be good - she wants him to be bad with her, I'm guessing. Either that, or by some weird self justification, he considers "being good" to be that she's his only woman on the side, he's staying "faithful" to her by not cheating with multiple women, only that doesn't matter to her, she doesn't care if he has more on the side than her. I can't decide which scenario is most apt. In light of the next part, I'd say the former is most likely, though.
"Do you really want me to Be blue as you It's her daylight that gets me through"
Maybe here, she wants him to leave his stable relationship and be with her exclusively, and he's telling her that losing that stability in his life would be bad for him, it'd make him as "blue" as her, as alone, and that the "light," the stability of that stable relationship is what keeps him going. However...
"We've been here before Last time you scratched at my door The moon was naked and cold I was like a two year old Who just wanted more"
This is an ongoing thing, he can't resist her. She sought him out ("last time you scratched at my door"), but when faced with her, he wants her just as much as she wants him ("I was like a two year old who just wanted more").
"If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress"
Like others have said, the velvet dress could be literal, but it could also be any number of things about her that pushes him over the edge and seals his fate, makes him lose control.
"Tonight the moon has drawn its curtains It's a private show No one else going to know I'm wanting"
He's given in to her, it's a done deal. Sexytime! The "private show" and the drawing of curtains seem to confirm the illicitness of this encounter.
Further, I've listened to this song a bajillion times in the past, and even though all published versions of the lyrics I can find say "I'm wanting," it sounds an awful lot to me like he's saying "I want you." Well, sort of like "I'm want you," which makes no sense at all, I realize. I'm almost positive I've heard him sing "I want you" live, at the very least. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. ;)
"Does it feel good Sure it's okay 'Cause I dance with you"
This part isn't noted in the lyrics above, but they're whispered over Edge's guitar solo, you can hear it better with headphones. In this part, it's ON, and I think it's a mix of sexy pillow talk, and maybe trying to rationalize their encounter. Whatever the case, freakin' HOT.
"Sunlight, sunlight fills my room It's sharp and it's clear But nothing at all like the moon"
The encounter is over, and "sunlight fills my room" perhaps literally, maybe it's morning, but also figuratively, when he's thinking about his stable partner again. The line "it's sharp and it's clear" is very evocative, and shows us what the stable partner brings to his life - clarity. Probably peace and contentment, too. "But nothing at all like the moon," because the moon is dark and alluring and forbidden and irresistible. She brings him something that his stable partner can't, something he doesn't seem able to give up.
"It's okay The struggle for things not to say"
There are some things that are unspoken between them. Maybe they can't bring themselves to talk about what they're doing. Maybe they love each other but know it's better left unsaid. In any case, he's saying that it's okay that it's difficult to not say these things, to not bring them out into the open.
"I never listened to you anyway I got my own hands to pray"
In these lines, it strikes me that maybe she is attempting to take the blame for what they're doing, trying to assuage his guilt, and he's telling her that he will deal with the guilt himself, that if he wants forgiveness or redemption, he's "got [his] own hands to pray" for that.
"If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress If you wear that velvet dress"
"Tonight the moon is a mirrorball Light flickers from across the hall Who'll catch the star when it falls If you wear that velvet dress"
"Tonight the moon is a mirrorball," especially beckoning to him, "light flickers from across the hall," calling him, reminding him of her. "Who'll catch the star when it falls," says to me that he knows he's in for a fall if he continues this, but he's helpless to stop, because "If you wear that velvet dress," she'll always be wearing that "velvet dress," possessing the qualities he needs so desperately, so he'll be back, and he knows it.
If you listen closely to the line "who'll catch the star when it falls," I'm almost positive it's not "when IT falls," it's "when HE falls." Again, I know he's sung it like this live.