What Have They Done To The Moon

Song Meaning

In Neil Sedaka's plaintive ballad, "What Have They Done To The Moon," we find a lament for lost innocence, a yearning for the days when imagination reigned supreme. The song isn't literally about the moon; instead, it uses the moon as a powerful symbol. The lyrics express a deep sense of disillusionment with the encroachment of reality upon the realm of fantasy. The 'they' in question—likely representing scientific advancement and the debunking of myths—have, according to Sedaka, stolen the 'stardust and moon dreams,' emptying the 'moonbeams' that once illuminated our world. It's a cultural critique masked as a simple tune. Sedaka's lyrics point to a world where the fantastical has been replaced by the factual, where the magic of childhood is sacrificed at the altar of progress. The lines about taking the clover and stopping the cow from jumping over suggest a disruption of traditional rhymes and stories, a loss of the whimsical narratives that once shaped our understanding of the world. The singer declares that 'they went too far this time,' implying that the relentless pursuit of knowledge has come at the cost of wonder and enchantment. The repetition of 'What have they done to the moon?' serves as a mournful refrain, a constant reminder of what has been lost. Ultimately, the song meaning circles back to the psychological impact of disenchantment. The extended 'da da da' sections can be interpreted as a wordless expression of grief, an attempt to fill the void left by the disappearance of magic. Sedaka isn't necessarily advocating for ignorance; instead, "What Have They Done To The Moon" serves as a reminder to preserve the beauty of imagination, even in the face of scientific advancement. It's a plea to hold onto the moonbeams, to resist the complete emptying of the jar, and to find new rhymes for June that still allow for a little bit of magic in the world.