Great songwriters understand that they should be seeking inspiration wherever they can find it. In the case of Jimmy Webb and his classic song “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress”, he found it in the works of a favorite science-fiction author.
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The song that Webb wrote had little to do with the book title that inspired it. Instead, he used that title as a jumping-off point for a touching song about loneliness and sorrow.
To the “Moon” and Back
Jimmy Webb gravitated to the works of some of the finest science fiction authors from when he was young. While many people focus on the daring ideas behind the works of sci-fi writers, Webb found himself captivated by their nimble use of language. That type of wordplay influenced him when he began his career as a songwriter.
One of those brilliant writers, Robert A. Heinlein, wrote the novel The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress in 1966. While Webb loved the book as a whole, he found the title to be particularly evocative and mesmerizing. He thought of writing a song using that same title.
To make sure he wasn’t stepping on any toes from a legal standpoint, he contacted Heinlein’s representatives. Once he received word that there were no problems, he got to it. From that title, he extracted a tale that had little to do with brave new worlds and everything to do with trying to make one’s solitary way through the world we’re given.
Many artists have recorded the song through the years, including Joe Cocker (with Jimmy Webb accompanying him on piano), Linda Ronstadt, and Glen Campbell, perhaps the most prolific and expert interpreter of Webb’s songs. Although “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” was never a big hit, it now has the feel of an American Songbook classic that was accidentally transplanted to the rock era.
Exploring the Lyrics of “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” by Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Webb has spoken in interviews about how he was likely evoking his struggles to maintain a viable career in music when writing “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress”. But the song works as an exemplification of the nature of striving for something that’s always eluding us, whether that something is romantic love, happiness, success, or something undefined.
The narrator begins by painting an alluring picture of the moon. “See her how she flies,” he muses. “Golden sails across the sky.” But, from experience, he knows how damaging the celestial body can be. “Though she looks as warm as gold,” he warns. “The moon’s a harsh mistress/The moon can be so cold.”
In the second verse, he moves on to how the presence of the moon coincided with a downturn in his own life. “The moon, a phantom rose,” he poetically explains. “Through the mountains and the pine/And then the darkness fell.” And then, again, a warning: “The moon’s a harsh mistress/It’s hard to love her well.
When he gets to the final verse and sings about a “her” whose affections have escaped from him, we can’t tell if he’s still referring to the moon or to an actual lost love. “I tripped and missed my star,” he explains. “I fell and fell alone.” “The sky is made of stone,” he coldly proclaims.
In the final moments, Jimmy Webb renders one last judgment on the unfeeling orb above him. “The moon’s a harsh mistress,” he says. “She’s hard to call your own.” Maybe sci-fi was how the song got started. But “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” ultimately enthralls us because of how well it elucidates the melancholy of the human condition right here on Earth.
Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum
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