Everybody Loves the Moon

We spend a lot of time on the astrological Moon here, but it wasn’t that Moon that originally hooked me. The one that stole my heart a long time ago was the real Moon ~ the one we tell our secrets to and wish on, the one thing in God’s blue heaven that seems to understand everything about us and can actually be trusted with our secrets. Who doesn’t love the Moon? Ever heard anyone say, “I can’t stand that Moon up there!” Probably not. Everybody loves the Moon.

I came across A Song about the Moon by Simon and Garfunkel a while back and was saving it for another post, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. Poets say things better than anyone, and there’s no denying Paul Simon is a poet. There’s nothing deep here, unless understanding humanity is deep. The tune is simple; so are the words. Together, they’re magic. And a lovely tribute to that little orb above and all the feelings she’s walked us hand-in-hand through.

I hope you enjoy it. It’s recorded from vinyl (hallelujah!) so there’s no video. The lyrics are below the song if you want to read along.

Song about the Moon by Paul Simon

If you want to write a song about the moon
Walk along the craters of the afternoon
When the shadows are deep
And the light is alien
And gravity leaps like a knife off the pavement
And you want to write a song about the moon
You want to write a spiritual tune
Then nah nah nah
Presto!
Song about the moon

If you want to write a song about the heart
Think about the moon before you start
Because the heart will howl
Like a dog in the moonlight
And the heart can explode
Like a pistol on a June night
So if you want to write a song about the heart
And it’s ever-longing for a counterpart
Then nah nah nah
Write a song about the moon

The laughing boy
He laughed so hard
He fell down from his place
The laughing girl
She laughed so hard
The tears rolled down her face

If you want to write a song about a face
That you really can’t remember, but you can’t erase
Wash your hands in dreams and lightning
Cut off your hair and whatever is frightening
If you want to write a song about a face
If you want to write a song about the human race
Then nah nah nah
Write a song about the moon

If you want to write a song about the moon
If you want to write a spiritual tune
Nah nah nah
Then do it!
Write a song about the moon