Circles ’Round the Moon

Song Meaning

“Circles 'Round the Moon” opens with a palpable sense of urban dissatisfaction. The speaker finds city lights “awful,” even suggesting it should be “unlawful” to live where stars are obscured. This immediately establishes a yearning for natural clarity against a backdrop of artificiality. The repeated “circles” hint at a mundane, perhaps stifling, routine. This urban malaise seems intertwined with a distant, struggling connection. The lyrics suggest two individuals “hundreds of miles away” who, despite the distance, “draw the Same lines to conclusions,” implying a shared, perhaps resigned, understanding. There's a hint of giving up, a collective urge to “throw in the towel” on something important. A crucial counterpoint emerges in the chorus: a nearby “forest and a lake.” This natural sanctuary serves as a mental escape, a place the speaker visits when their “brain's too full.” Here, they seek to “un-complicate” the dense meanings hidden in past “letters and phone calls,” suggesting a struggle to decipher true intent from superficial exchanges. Ultimately, the lyrics underscore the frustrating inadequacy of these remote communications. The simple query, “How was your day?”, is “Not enough for us” to convey deeper truths.