Interpretations:Moonbeam Rays

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Sendoff

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

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

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)

More Than Moving On

I really love the Sendoff interpretation, but I think this song actually has a lot less of negative energy than I think it first portrays. "You were warned with my pleas / Like a scold were the pleas / You were warned" clearly gives that vibe of like "Why didn't you listen, we had a good thing going", but I think the tone is more somber. Even Flansburgh himself said its a "sad breakup song". I feel like this isn't just a letter to an ex who you're moving on from, but from any loved one that you miss and wish you could get back, but you know you need to let go.

One my favorite lines in the song is "Haircuts in the mirror now", which I imagine as the narrator staring at himself and envisioning his haircut as a fresh start. He's changed, and he needs to accept it. "You at night by the bonfire blaze / Dancing there in the moonbeam rays" is a beautiful image, watching the one you love dance and enjoy themselves when you know you're growing distant. The narrator isn't dancing with them in the moonbeam rays, they're simply an observer. And no matter how many warnings they gave their partner, how many times they talked about the distance that was growing, they still grew apart. I don't this breakup was the fault of the subject of the song, but instead just a natural thing that happened. "Singing out with cicadas now", the narrator can't hear her anymore, she's just a part of the background noise of cicadas. The narrator has moved on and started a new, and they're both better off for it, but it still sucks.--Robot Parade (talk) 11:35, 10 August 2024 (EDT)

Ex Joined A Cult

This is my friends favourite tmbg song (bit of a noob, he only really listens to Book) and he recons its about someone whose partner joined a cult. I don't necessarily agree with him but it puts an interesting spin on, "you at night by the bonfire blaze, dancing there in the moonbeam rays". I guess, as he sees it, Ex joined some new spiritual group because they thought of it as self improvement, Flan pleaded and warned them but alas they didn't listen so Flan left. The idea of someone being completely consumed by worship to some mysterious god that resides in the moonbeam rays is an interesting thought.

To me this is just a song about someone who was completely dependant, both emotionally and financially, on a partner who did not care for them. The sense of breaking free and embracing the moment, imperfect as it is, is pure magic. I really like this song and either interpretation works.

Ampersand - Best Regrets

I was thinking about the Ex joined a cult interpretation and moonbeam rays symbolising madness and it hit me that this song would actually work perfectly as a connecting piece between Ampersand and Best Regrets. I know tmbg don't really do connected stories but these songs all feel like they're telling a part of a bigger story and what's more Flansburgh actually wrote it in the My murdered remains era but didn't release it due to Linnel's By the time you get this having a very similar opening line.

Both Ampersand and Best Regrets mention talking right through the night and all three songs mention the moon. I imagine the story thuswise:

Ampersand is about a couple meeting and getting together in school, it's about young love and innocence and what have you."Outside corners hidden from the moon and all its beams falling on the town with otherworldly sounds," The two share their nights in a secluded spot safe from the moonbeam rays which symbolise something sinister. "Cicadas taking cover while we stomp around," this line might be throwaway but the cicadas return in moonbeam rays so perhaps it's about how their relationship is so all consuming, as if they were the only people alive, that they don't really care about the world around them. The continued, "dot dot dot," line sort of implies to me that the most exciting part of the relationships is the anticipation of things to come, this is the beginning. You & me...

Then Moonbeam rays is about a hard brake up years later. The magical world the couple shared has shattered, the other has left the safe spot and is now dancing alone in the moonbeam rays. It's agonising but also liberating. Now that the protagonist has left the couples safe space that had become an alter to madness (maybe), they are free to be part of the real world and all its glory. "Singing out the dial spinning round, singing out with cicadas now."

Finally, Best Regrets is about life afterwards. The protagonist can't forget the memory of the other and can't escape the hole they left in their life. "I keep my head low as I enter the square," They live in fear that some day they will meet again. Another potential plot point is that the moonbeam rays could be money, "And what was happening was happening with ten quarters and five dimes," back in the day their love could exist on three dollars, then the other got rich and the protagonist was dependant on them, hence ATMs for a twenty dollar bill after the brake up... maybe. Even though the other ruined the protagonist’s life they can't help but remember how they used to love them when they were young and innocent, untainted by the moonbeam rays. "But we could talk right through the night Under a pitch-black moonless sky."

I don't know if this is true but it would be pretty damn awesome and I feel like there are more ways the story could be imagined, I'd love to hear other interpretations of this idea.

PS if Flansburgh did create a multi part story in 2017 (you've got to admit it's possible) there could be other connected songs. The bright side for instance could fit between Ampersand and Moonbeam rays as it's supposedly about seeing youth through rose tinted glasses, could be the disillusionment face. It doesn't mention the moon but it does mention sunshine like Ampersand and the line, "Half-awake and self-possessed," would be a perfect lead in to, "Half-asleep and brainwashed," from Moonbeam Rays. The bright side also feels like part of a bigger story to me. Who knows

Resentfulapendages8 (talk) 01:47, 30 November 2024 (EST)