Moon Songs
There’s just something about that mystical orb.
I was driving down the road today when “End of the Day” by One Direction came on shuffle from my phone’s overcrowded music library. I moved my hand to skip to the next song in the randomized queue, but some nostalgia-induced trance compelled me to turn up the volume instead.
One Direction’s album Made in the A.M. came out my freshman year of high school, and I can still remember sitting beside my best friend in art class as we discussed our mutual favorite line from “End of the Day,” our mutual favorite song from the album:
“Just me, her, and the moon”
When I sang along to the lyrics today, I realized that it still enraptures me nearly seven years after its release. The syncopation of the sounds mixed with the intimacy of the words… There must be a reason why this lyric has stuck with me for all of these years.
A few minutes (and miles) later, fate chose the song “Moon” by Bachelor, Jay Som, and Palehound to play next. The sound was distorted as it echoed through the speakers on the left side of the car — the right ones haven’t been working for quite some time now — but the uneven distribution of sound waves in the air did nothing to detract from the feeling of the song.
When the lyric, “Slept on your side of the bed again / Talked to the moon just to have a friend,” came on, I kicked myself for forgetting that a song this good ever existed.
And that got me thinking.
If a lyric talks about the moon, chances are I will love it.
So, naturally, I spent the rest of my drive disrupting fate’s choice of shuffled music as I instructed Siri to play every song I could possibly think of that mentioned that beloved celestial body. A moon marathon, if you will.
Below are some of my favorite moon lyrics that I could think of on the way to my destination.
“The fridge light washes this room white / The moon dances over your good side”
Harry Styles — “Two Ghosts”
This has been one of my favorite Harry Styles songs since he began to release solo music. It has also been one of my favorite Harry Styles lyrics of all time — and after today’s discovery about my infatuation with the moon in music, it’s beginning to make sense why.
“Oh, moon, full moon / Won’t you come home soon? / For the night is so dark / and the stars are so lonesome without you”
Caamp — “Full Moon Song”
If you know me, you know how much I love Caamp. Any song by them is filled with imagery of a simple life, simple love, and a yearning for youth. This song, in particular, makes me want to light up a campfire and become one with the stars.
“I knew sunshine, I knew moonsmoke / I knew long laughs, I knew good jokes”
Caamp — “Moonsmoke”
Another Caamp song. This is one of the first (and only) songs I learned (and forgot) how to play on guitar. Any song written by Taylor Meier will find a special place in my heart, but this one has found its way into my soul. And the calluses on my fingertips from those long-untouched guitar strings.
“I stalk the streets alone now/ Just me, my gibberish, and the moon”
Field Medic — “M.M.G.A.T.M.”
I didn’t know who Field Medic was until I bought tickets to see The Neighbourhood back in 2018. My friend and I sat outside in the burning July sun for twelve hours to get the best spot possible, which paid off because:
- We got spots at the barricade.
- We met Field Medic, the opener, as he pulled up to the venue and let himself into the side gate. We even scored a picture with him before he disappeared inside.
This song takes me back to watching him perform on stage with a guitar in his hands, a cassette player hooked up to an amp, and a harmonica rigged around his neck. But it’s those last few lines that keep me coming back for more.
“I’m so tired / I wish I was the moon tonight”
Neko Case — “I Wish I Was the Moon”
And finally, this gem that I know by the recommendation of my friend, Ariane Malfait.
I listen to this song quite often now, and I think of you every time.
Please leave your favorite moon songs — and lyrics — below. My head and my heart are dying for more.
Thanks to Terry Barr, Ariane Malfait, and Kevin Alexander for giving me a chance here on The Riff.
