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What’s This Song Mean, Dammit? “Everyone’s Gone To The Moon”
By Mister D
December 9, 2023
The song “Everyone’s Gone To The Moon” by Jonathan King has been interpreted in different ways. It captures a sense of disconnection that many people feel and encourages us to confront our pain head-on, rather than trying to hide or escape from it.
Some interpretations suggest that it is a satire on the “Dylan school” of meaningful lyrics, as Jonathan King made a practice of this in his early career.
Others see it as a lament about the soulless and sheep-like state of the average person during the 1960s. The song’s lyrics evoke a feeling of loneliness and detachment from the world. Overall, the meaning of the song can be open to individual interpretation. Of course, I see it in this latter mode.
Video: Everyone’s Gone To The Moon – Bette Midler – Art or Bust 1984
Everyone’s Gone To The Moon (Jonathan King) Performed by Bette Midler Streets full of people All alone Roads full of houses Never home Church full of singing Out of tune Everyone’s gone to the moon Eyes full of sorrow Never wet Hands full of money All in debt Sun disappears In the middle of June Everyone’s gone to the moon Long time ago Life has begun And everyone went to the sun Cars full of motors Painted green Mouths full of chocolate Covered cream Arms that can only Lift a spoon Everyone’s gone to the moon Everyone’s gone to the moon Everyone’s gone to the moon
A songwriter and a poet myself, I think “Everyone’s Gone to the Moon”… could mean not looking out for others very much encased in their ideas and beliefs. “Church full of singing. Out of tune.” This is what I get from the opening verse. Of course, we haven’t all gone to the moon but it is another way of saying I’m all good. The rest of the song says pretty much the same things. I particularly like and think the line “Arms that can only lift a spoon” refers to the thalidomide children of the time and the struggles it took to receive proper recognition.
Thanks for your input Tony. Very interesting.
The last stanza loses me. Before that it was quite poignantly poetic.