Interpretations:Moonbeam Rays

From This Might Be A Wiki

Sendoff[edit]

Seems like a pretty straightforward sendoff to an ex, a somewhat weary "f you" to someone who was generally unfaithful ("All of those times that I missed you / But you weren't missing me", dancing with strangers at night around a bonfire, getting trendy new haircuts, and covering peepholes from prying eyes). The narrator tried to keep the other person from doing this ("You were warned"), but was roundly ignored, and even fed lies like "Baby, don't worry, this is just a period of self-improvement!" So now he's off on a new adventure, and sounding downright happy about it.

I kinda like that the opening stanza could actually seem to be from the perspective of an actual beam of moonlight, though obviously that idea falls apart as the song goes on. --MisterMe (talk) 13:23, 11 November 2021 (EST)

Running Away[edit]

I interpret the song as it being sung in the perspective of someone, perhaps a kid or teenager, running away. They make several pleas to their parents, but they don't listen, so the singer runs away. The last two lines of the first stanza could be saying that after the singer had ran away, they occasionally miss their parents while believing that their parents aren't missing them. The fourth stanza could be describing the singer preparing to run away, as they have the "hallway bulbs and peepholes covered up," so that they aren't caught collecting things like money and trying out new haircuts to disguise themselves. This song could be being sung in the perspective of a spouse or significant other running away, but I see it to be in the perspective of a kid or teenager.

Poverty[edit]

Part of the story of this song seems to be about losing income/going into poverty.

Haircuts in the mirror now/ATMs for a twenty-dollar bill

The singer describes someone (possibly himself, possibly his lover) who can no longer afford to go to a salon for haircuts, and has resorted to cutting their own hair at home "in the mirror". The line "ATMs for a twenty-dollar bill" might be describing how they now need to withdraw only small amounts of money from the ATM. For many people, it would be almost pointless to use an ATM for just $20, but to them this amount of money is precious, and all that they can afford to withdraw at a time.

24.2.202.128 13:17, 16 September 2022 (EDT)