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The ghost who walks, she’s on the prowl
- “On the prowl” is used generally for predators or hunters, as with a lion or shark. Searching for a victim.
For the man she loved, he cut her down
- This is an artistic or lyrical way of speaking and is not common in regular speech. “For” means “because” here. “Because the man she loved cut her down.” She could also be on the prowl for this man, so it has a bit of double meaning. “He cut her down” is a lighter way of saying he killed her.
It was an ordinary night in June
When he drove her to the lake so they could watch the full moon
The ghost who walks she’s on the prowl
For the man she loved, he laid her down
- Sometimes, saying “lay” referring to a person has a sexual meaning. “He laid with her last night.” It’s a bit old-fashioned though. “Laid” here probably uses both sensual and physical meanings.
In the tall grass he kissed her cheek
But with a knife in his hand he plunged it in deep
She looked at him with pleading eyes
- “Pleading eyes” are associated with a victim begging not to be attacked or killed.
He softly spoke, My dear, the love has died
And then he muffled her desperate cries under the moonlight
The ghost who walks, she’s on the prowl
Wanders in the moonlight, she’s crying to herself
- *She wanders in the moonlight…
Because his eyes never looked cruel
But the moon in the blade, it shimmered like a jewel
She looked at him with pleading eyes
He softly spoke, My dear, the love has died
And then he muffled her deadly cries under the moonlight
Under the moonlight
Under the moonlight
Under the moonlight
The lyrics are written in a very literary, poetic way. Karen wants the song to sound old-fashioned on purpose, since the story sounds like an old ghost mystery tale. Instead of singing about feelings or partying, she tells a story of a woman who was taken by her man to a field, seemingly a nice and innocent guy. He was never cruel to her before, but he “snaps” and kills her, admitting that their love has died, or ended. The only witness of the murder was the moon above. Her ghost floats around trying to find the man who murdered her. Kind of dark, but it’s an interesting change of pace to most current song lyrics.
Watch here:
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