In a 2009 interview, Cat Stevens (by then Yusuf Islam) is quoted as saying: “I was on holiday in Spain. I was a kid from the West End of London--I never got to see the moon on its own. In the dark, there were always streetlamps. So there I was on the edge of the water on a beautiful night with the moon glowing, and suddenly I looked down and saw my shadow. I thought that was so cool; I’d never seen it before.”
The song is about finding hope in any situation, of being present and joyful. With the simplicity and joy of a child, Stevens writes about seeing life as it is in the moment, without comparing it to others’ lives or other times in an individual’s life.
Moonshaw is a beautiful song expressing the idea that every moment in life is rich and unique. Whether we are aware of it or not, Stevens is saying, we are always “leaping and hopping on a Moonshadow” every second of our existence. He cautions against being too wrapped up in our worries and concerns about what could be or what has been, and consequently missing the richness of life as it is.
Here’s my cover played in the artist’s style.
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