?meaning of Cat Stevens' Moonshadow lyrics

[john sayre]

I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.

Does anybody have any ideas? I was thinking the song might be talking
about either death, leprosy, the plague or just misfortune in general.

The chorus goes: "I'm being followed by a moonshadow....Leaping and
hopping on a Moonshadow."

The verses go: "And if I ever lose my legs...I won't have to walk no
more."
"And if I ever lose my hands...I won't have to work no more."
"And if I ever lose my mouth...I won't have to talk no more."
"And if I ever lose my eyes...I won't have to cry no more."

The middle section goes: "'Will it take long to find me?' I ask the
faithful light. 'Will it take long to find me, and are you gonna stay
the night?'"

Thanks,

Jana

[Beeswing]

Jana writes:

>I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
>Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.

>Does anybody have any ideas?

A friend of mine with multiple sclerosis says the song is about MS and the
progression of the disease: "if I ever lose my legs... my hands... my
mouth... my eyes." His interpretation of the song has always made sense to
me.

Bees...@aol.com

[Audrey Isack]

In article <3uu6b4$a...@newsbf02.news.aol.com> bees...@aol.com (Beeswing) writes:
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>From: bees...@aol.com (Beeswing)
>Newsgroups: rec.music.folk,rec.music.makers.songwriting
>Subject: Re: ?meaning of Cat Stevens' Moonshadow lyrics
>Date: 23 Jul 1995 15:01:56 -0400
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>Jana writes:

>>I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
>>Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.

>>Does anybody have any ideas?

I've always hard it as a song of strength. I've taken it to mean that we can
survive anything. Any loss brings some new way of looking at things. Or,
when one door closes another one opens somewhere else.

Audrey

[Brian Rost]

In article <DC8Ds...@lazrus.cca.rockwell.com> nggi...@cca.rockwell.com (Neal G. Gilbertson) writes:
> I don't think it means that much. It's just a song of which
> the words sound good together. It may mean somthing to Cat but
> it has no obvious meaning (to me).

I agree, in fact, the song is more like a children's song or a nursery
rhyme. Boy, I thought people had stopped looking for "meaning" in
Cat's lyrics a long time ago 8^) 8^)
--

Brian Rost
Ascom Nexion
ro...@nexen.com

********************************************************

"Put the money in his hand and the Cubmaster will rock!"

- Cub Koda

********************************************************

[Neal G. Gilbertson]

In article <3utu6c$j...@ixnews4.ix.netcom.com>, jps...@ix.netcom.com (john sayre) writes:
> I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
> Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.
>

> Does anybody have any ideas? I was thinking the song might be talking
> about either death, leprosy, the plague or just misfortune in general.
>
> The chorus goes: "I'm being followed by a moonshadow....Leaping and
> hopping on a Moonshadow."
>
> The verses go: "And if I ever lose my legs...I won't have to walk no
> more."
> "And if I ever lose my hands...I won't have to work no more."
> "And if I ever lose my mouth...I won't have to talk no more."
> "And if I ever lose my eyes...I won't have to cry no more."
>
> The middle section goes: "'Will it take long to find me?' I ask the
> faithful light. 'Will it take long to find me, and are you gonna stay
> the night?'"
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jana

I don't think it means that much. It's just a song of which

the words sound good together. It may mean somthing to Cat but
it has no obvious meaning (to me).

better if it's abstract like it is. Much more staying power.
A good lesson to learn. Sometimes it's better not to say exactly
what you mean, it gives the listener more to think about.
A good example are humorous songs. They have to say what
they mean and thus have no staying power. Once people listen
to it a few times it's over and they can't stand to listen
to it anymore. They GET the joke.
An abstract lyric won't be obvious so it could be fresh
everytime one hears it.

This is my opinion, perhaps you have another or even think you know
what the Moonshadow lyrics are saying. I'll bet opinions differ on
this one quite a bit.

NG

[Rowan Wolf]

In <3utu6c$j...@ixnews4.ix.netcom.com> jps...@ix.netcom.com (john sayre) writes:
>
>I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
>Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.
>
>Does anybody have any ideas? I was thinking the song might be talking
>about either death, leprosy, the plague or just misfortune in general.

I always understood these lyrics to be along koan (zen riddle) lines;
meaning in the end that if there was nothing left of his body he would
truly be himself. I never took it to be about misfourtune, rather
about religous enlightenment, which a lot of his lyrics were about.

BTW, he is still one of my favorite singer/song-writers.

Rowan

[David Dalton]

Isn't it about progressive relaxation in yoga?
--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Dalton - earth science student, music buff --- <dal...@geop.ubc.ca> ---

[r...@crash.cts.com]

In article <3utu6c$j...@ixnews4.ix.netcom.com> jps...@ix.netcom.com (john sayre) writes:

>I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
>Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.

I believe it to be a song about looking at the brighter side of things and
overcoming adversity. Everytime something bad happens to him in that song he
finds some good in it. My 2 cents. -=Robert=-
-=Robert Johnston=-
r...@crash.cts.com
Here's my PGP Public key!
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[michael schreiber]

john sayre (jps...@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat

: Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.

well, it seems to me that his lyrics are poetry-- an art form which
gives full interpretational licsense to the audience-- believe what
you wish-- it's never wrong-- i personally think of the lyrics as a
tale of one persons assention to heavan-- you know, leaving the body
and material concerns, leaving all forms of pain and joining the
light. I thinks it's kind of a nice idea.
-mike

[Stephanie McDonough]

On Tue, 25 Jul 1995 r...@crash.cts.com wrote:

> In article <3utu6c$j...@ixnews4.ix.netcom.com> jps...@ix.netcom.com (john sayre) writes:
>
>

> >I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
> >Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.
>

> I believe it to be a song about looking at the brighter side of things and
> overcoming adversity. Everytime something bad happens to him in that song he
> finds some good in it. My 2 cents. -=Robert=-
> -=Robert Johnston=-

I tend to agree with Robert. First of all I like Cat Stevens Music,
Second 5 years ago I became a parapelegic. Moonshadows kept running
through my head and on my CD player. The song helped my focus on the
things in life I would never have to do again (like arobics) rather on
all the things I could not do. These are my Two bits!

Steph

[jez...@gmail.com]

Hi, I have another take on it....go through the lyrics and imagine a moonshadow is a land mine....fits perfectly, imagine walking through fields with landmines, I'd be shipping and hopping....the injuries also fit...

[Louise]

jez...@gmail.com wrote in
news:2974bc10-1370-4177...@googlegroups.com:

It could be about a minefield, or perhaps being chased by an/the enemy -
and then there's the part about "did it take long to find me?", perhaps
it's about being caught up with/captured, or maybe even rescued.
But the best way to find out is to see what Cat Stevens has to say about
his intention(s) when he wrote the song.
According to wikipedia, Cat Stevens, a city kid who'd never seen much
more light at night than streetlights, was in Spain and actually got to
see his own shadow in the light of the moon...but of course, the rest of
the lyrics were not explained there.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to find that he wrote the tune to be what
I like to call "multi-applicable", relating to many different
circumstances as possible in order to connect with as many listeners as
possible, because that's what I do in my songs.

Ouisie

[harri...@gmail.com]

Having listened to Cat's MoonShadow for decades I find myself just now wondering about the lyrics. I too interpret the lyrics to reflect MS or other progressive disease. I am happy to find your post after so many years..... Thank You :)

[kirst...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, July 23, 1995 at 12:00:00 AM UTC-7, john sayre wrote:
> I've been wondering what the meaning of the song Moonshadow is. Cat
> Stevens wrote the lyrics and the music.
>

> Does anybody have any ideas? I was thinking the song might be talking
> about either death, leprosy, the plague or just misfortune in general.
>

> The chorus goes: "I'm being followed by a moonshadow....Leaping and
> hopping on a Moonshadow."
>
> The verses go: "And if I ever lose my legs...I won't have to walk no
> more."
> "And if I ever lose my hands...I won't have to work no more."
> "And if I ever lose my mouth...I won't have to talk no more."
> "And if I ever lose my eyes...I won't have to cry no more."
>
> The middle section goes: "'Will it take long to find me?' I ask the
> faithful light. 'Will it take long to find me, and are you gonna stay
> the night?'"
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jana

I sat down today and asked this very question. I was sung this story in the fourth grade by a most influential teacher. But as I thought of it again this morning I couldn't help but feel as though it is purely about aging. The dreaded moon shadow of life. As we walk, we are faced with any number of unexpected challenges, but we just keep on walking. Always close behind is that shadow of time. Oh how I love the Cat man.

[cmpmad...@gmail.com]

^^ :)

[Ouisie]

I'm quite a Cat Stevens fan and enjoy covering just about any of his
material, particularly from Tea For The Tillerman, Teaser And The Firecat,
my very favorite, Catch Bull At Four, and Buddah And The Chocolate Box.

The lyrics of "Moonshadow" relate an attitude of a kind of optimism of
sorts - seeing the best parts of the worst situations, i.e. "...and if I
ever lose my __________, etc.(the down side), "...I won't have to _________
(the up side).


Ouisie

> wrote in message
> news:8fc92b5b-1bec-40c5...@googlegroups.com...

> ^^ :)