Song of the Moment: Yellow Moon

[dimejinky99]

I wonder does ed hang out in Neil young forums talking about lyrics?

I'd say he does

[IlluminEddie]

Well, if the gun is literal, we all know our friend Ed certainly likes to talk gun control, so ummm...

...maybe it's actually about a unintentional murder? The suicide thing seems to be what some "want it to be about". Which is fine. But, if you're honest, there's nothing there to show it's about suicide.

There's a lot there to show it's about a death, to be fair probably by bullet, and an afterlife of sorts.

It's only that the last part is in present tense, as if you're watching the death happen and the moon rise at the time. There's no second character in the song. So I think that's what calls to mind suicide.

There's no first character either, really. The lyrics basically provide a setting for an event. In the event something happens, apparently with a gun to one person. That's about it. He does say "one life, one grave, etc". But, to me, that's indicating one person is moving on. That doesn't mean anything about who held the gun. He's being vague on purpose.

With a lot of these interpretations, I just think some transference is going on, that's all.

It also should be noted that in the first verse he's talking about "we" a lot. Meaning, maybe he's saying this happens to all of us. Hence, why I'm not certain the gun isn't a metaphor for death in general. But, that is without a doubt subjective opinion.

[harmless]

I'm glad that he's brought back Neil as a referent. I was getting bored of nothing but Bono and Springsteen.

[harmless]

Well, if the gun is literal, we all know our friend Ed certainly likes to talk gun control, so ummm...

...maybe it's actually about a unintentional murder? The suicide thing seems to be what some "want it to be about". Which is fine. But, if you're honest, there's nothing there to show it's about suicide.

There's a lot there to show it's about a death, to be fair probably by bullet, and an afterlife of sorts.

It's only that the last part is in present tense, as if you're watching the death happen and the moon rise at the time. There's no second character in the song. So I think that's what calls to mind suicide.

There's no first character either, really. The lyrics basically provide a setting for an event. In the event something happens, apparently with a gun to one person. That's about it. He does say "one life, one grave, etc". But, to me, that's indicating one person is moving on. That doesn't mean anything about who held the gun. He's being vague on purpose.

With a lot of these interpretations, I just think some transference is going on, that's all.

It also should be noted that in the first verse he's talking about "we" a lot. Meaning, maybe he's saying this happens to all of us. Hence, why I'm not certain the gun isn't a metaphor for death in general. But, that is without a doubt subjective opinion.

You're absolutely right. But I never said I was creating an objective story the lyrics were definitely about. I was always speculating for fun and creating my own story. It's the fun thing about PJ, and it adds to my own enjoyment when I can do that for their albums. The lyrics here are metaphorical and imagistic, not narrative.

[Thejambi]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

[harmless]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's a bit annoying that he doesn't say "So tonight to the moon I go", but that's what he means. So yeah, there is a first character in it. It's a first-person character, but still a character.

[Thejambi]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's a bit annoying that he doesn't say "So tonight to the moon I go", but that's what he means. So yeah, there is a first character in it. It's a first-person character, but still a character.

I agree its a "first character". He just refers to the general sense that no one knows when our time is going to come.

[harmless]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's a bit annoying that he doesn't say "So tonight to the moon I go", but that's what he means. So yeah, there is a first character in it. It's a first-person character, but still a character.

I agree its a "first character". He just refers to the general sense that no one knows when our time is going to come.

Yeah, sorry that clarification wasn't to you but I'm just reinforcing it for IlluminEddie, who said it couldn't be about suicide because the shooter isn't in it. It's still not literal, but he's definitely there.

[IlluminEddie]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's "fallen stars" (plural). My opinion is this is referring to deceased people. In near death experiences, people often recount visions of friends/family within the tunnel - so to speak. They are the fallen stars in my opinion.... "who came so far", kinda to greet this person. Alternatively, maybe this means people who came to the funeral. I don't see the fallen starS line indicating anything about suicide though.

[IlluminEddie]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's a bit annoying that he doesn't say "So tonight to the moon I go", but that's what he means. So yeah, there is a first character in it. It's a first-person character, but still a character.

I agree its a "first character". He just refers to the general sense that no one knows when our time is going to come.

Yeah, sorry that clarification wasn't to you but I'm just reinforcing it for IlluminEddie, who said it couldn't be about suicide because the shooter isn't in it. It's still not literal, but he's definitely there.

Never said the shooter isn't in it, actually. I said he sets a scene and apparently something happens with a gun within the scene... and there's no indication who's pulling the trigger. You were implying there is/was.

[harmless]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's a bit annoying that he doesn't say "So tonight to the moon I go", but that's what he means. So yeah, there is a first character in it. It's a first-person character, but still a character.

I agree its a "first character". He just refers to the general sense that no one knows when our time is going to come.

Yeah, sorry that clarification wasn't to you but I'm just reinforcing it for IlluminEddie, who said it couldn't be about suicide because the shooter isn't in it. It's still not literal, but he's definitely there.

Never said the shooter isn't in it, actually. I said he sets a scene and apparently something happens with a gun within the scene... and there's no indication who's pulling the trigger. You were implying there is/was.

That's because I think there is / was. You don't agree, which is fine.

[stupidmop]

Id say its about dying, and the yellow moon on the rise represents the new happy life/pleasant memories/afterlife as per the neil young song. Or oblivion/ becoming one of the stars mentioned later whilst remembering the pleasant things.

It could be a metaphorical death. Then the grave and headstone would have to be metaphorical though. The part that makes me think the narrator chooses 'death' is 'tonight, the moon I go' line, it sounds like he's choosing to 'go to the moon' or whatever, if not at the very least he's resigned about the fact.

[Thejambi]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's "fallen stars" (plural). My opinion is this is referring to deceased people. In near death experiences, people often recount visions of friends/family within the tunnel - so to speak. They are the fallen stars in my opinion.... "who came so far", kinda to greet this person. Alternatively, maybe this means people who came to the funeral. I don't see the fallen starS line indicating anything about suicide though.

I see it working that way in combination with the rest of the lyrics.
"The sky grows dark with fallen stars" does not line up with the transcendent descriptions I've read about near death experiences. The referral to someone as a "fallen star" just screams tragedy to me, not of those who have just passed on.

[IlluminEddie]

Lyrics

Spoiler: show

YELLOW MOON
Here, far away
One could feel the Earth vibrate

Moon changing shape and shade
As we all do under its gaze

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

Round we go
Where we stop yeh no one knows
So tonight the Moon I go

Yellow Moon on the rise

An echo that rings
A bullet unchained
One life, one grave
Joins the parade

That sky grows dark
With fallen stars
Who'd come so far
A headstone engraved
The colors turns grey
The black and white fades

Yellow Moon on the rise
Yellow Moon on the rise

I'm on board with the suicide interpretation. The song speaks of a changing of mentality through a journey. He isolates himself. The character is overwhelmed/exhausted by the questions and takes fate into his own hands. He leaves "to the moon". Literal or not the bullet line is meant to be an impact or defining moment. It echoes, the bullet is "unchained". The bullet could be literal or it could describe the person setting himself free. It is not an unassisted journey into the tunnel. I see it as suicide based on the previous lyrics describing a change in mood and self assertiveness as well as the following lyrics of someone being a "fallen star".

It's "fallen stars" (plural). My opinion is this is referring to deceased people. In near death experiences, people often recount visions of friends/family within the tunnel - so to speak. They are the fallen stars in my opinion.... "who came so far", kinda to greet this person. Alternatively, maybe this means people who came to the funeral. I don't see the fallen starS line indicating anything about suicide though.

I see it working that way in combination with the rest of the lyrics.
"The sky grows dark with fallen stars" does not line up with the transcendent descriptions I've read about near death experiences. The referral to someone as a "fallen star" just screams tragedy to me, not of those who have just passed on.

I would think it would have to scream lots of tragedies, since it's plural.

For me, the description makes complete sense. The person is letting go - all goes black... (the sky grows dark)... but, then flashes of memories come (with fallen stars)... and of course the light (Yellow Moon).

[lowlight79]

I don't know what to think of this track yet. it seems so out of place with the rest of the record.

[stip]

The suicide read has really opened this up in a very powerful way for me. A dignified exploration of the final moments of a life, before a universe that doesn't care but somehow still manages to honor the moment

[harmless]

The suicide read has really opened this up in a very powerful way for me. A dignified exploration of the final moments of a life, before a universe that doesn't care but somehow still manages to honor the moment

[IlluminEddie]

The suicide read has really opened this up in a very powerful way for me. A dignified exploration of the final moments of a life, before a universe that doesn't care but somehow still manages to honor the moment

So, you basically ignore the fact that he's quoting Neil Young in your interp?

[stip]

The suicide read has really opened this up in a very powerful way for me. A dignified exploration of the final moments of a life, before a universe that doesn't care but somehow still manages to honor the moment

So, you basically ignore the fact that he's quoting Neil Young in your interp?

What, the yellow moon lyric? I suspect he likes the image.

[IlluminEddie]

The suicide read has really opened this up in a very powerful way for me. A dignified exploration of the final moments of a life, before a universe that doesn't care but somehow still manages to honor the moment

So, you basically ignore the fact that he's quoting Neil Young in your interp?

What, the yellow moon lyric? I suspect he likes the image.

I don't think he'd just use the exact line "yellow moon on the rise" from the Neil Young song as a repetitive chorus if it was just the image of a yellow moon that he liked.