Song Meaning
The lyrics paint a stark, almost cosmic picture of time and perception, contrasting the cyclical nature of the moon with a sense of irreversible change. The "old new moon" casting a beam suggests a familiar, perhaps comforting, light, but the "newest moon, this rock" is defined by its shadow, hinting at something more ominous or simply a different, less illuminating phase. This sets up a feeling of unease, a quiet observation of shifting realities.
The central tension seems to revolve around the inability to escape the past or the present's limitations, no matter the direction or speed of movement. The question "What speed Westward / Can stop her being / Swallowed by the hills?" implies a futile attempt to outrun something inevitable, perhaps a loss or a fading significance. The "fairest sounds" that ultimately cast "anything but memory" reinforce this idea that even beauty and pleasant experiences are destined to become echoes.
The most striking element is the deliberate deflation of the word "Haunted." The narrator dismisses it as "an easy word" for the profound, lingering presence of "all these moons / And every sound below." This suggests a deeper, more pervasive sense of being affected by past moments or celestial cycles than the simple label of being haunted can capture. It’s a more existential weight, a constant hum of what was and what is, rather than a specific spectral visitation.
This lyrical approach works because it grounds abstract concepts in concrete, albeit poetic, imagery like moons, beams, shadows, and hills. The gentle, almost meditative vocalizations juxtaposed with the unsettling observations create a disarming effect. The lyrics invite contemplation on how time and memory shape our present experience, suggesting that we are perpetually accompanied by the echoes of all that has passed, a subtle but persistent force.
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