A Celestial Longing: Foreigner’s “Girl on the Moon” and the Pursuit of the Unattainable
Foreigner, a band that masterfully blended hard rock with pop sensibilities, offered a slightly different flavor with “Girl on the Moon,” a track from their 1981 album, 4. While not as commercially explosive as some of their other hits like “Hot Blooded” or “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Girl on the Moon” stands as a testament to their versatility and their ability to craft songs that resonate on an emotional level. It reached number 8 on the Billboard Top Tracks chart, a chart that focused on radio airplay of rock songs. In the context of their career, it showed another side to the band that preferred strong guitar riffs and anthemic choruses.
The early 1980s marked a distinct shift in popular music, with synthesizers becoming more prominent and the production values of rock albums reaching new heights. Foreigner embraced this evolution while still retaining their core sound. 4, produced by the legendary Mutt Lange, exemplified this balance, achieving massive commercial success and spawning several hit singles. “Girl on the Moon” offered a counterpoint to these harder-rocking hits, presenting a softer, more introspective side of the band.
“Girl on the Moon” doesn’t tell a literal story about a woman on the lunar surface. Instead, the “girl on the moon” serves as a powerful metaphor for something longed for but just out of reach, an idealized vision of love or happiness that remains perpetually distant. The song uses this celestial imagery to capture the feeling of yearning, of desiring something that seems almost impossible to attain. This theme of longing resonates with listeners who have experienced the bittersweet nature of unrequited love or the pursuit of dreams that seem just beyond their grasp. It speaks to the human tendency to idealize and project our desires onto distant figures or unattainable goals.
The lyrics, while poetic and evocative, leave room for interpretation, allowing listeners to connect with the song on a personal level. The imagery of the moon, a constant presence in the night sky yet forever beyond our reach, perfectly captures the essence of this longing. It’s a powerful symbol that has resonated with artists and poets for centuries, and Foreigner effectively utilizes this imagery to create a song that feels both timeless and deeply personal.
Musically, “Girl on the Moon” is a departure from Foreigner’s typical hard-rocking sound. The song is built around a gentler melody, with a more prominent use of synthesizers and a smoother, more polished production. This sonic landscape enhances the song’s melancholic mood, creating an atmosphere of wistful reflection. This musical approach separates the song from most Foreigner songs by creating a dreamy and atmospheric feeling.
Foreigner in the 1980s established themselves as one of the most successful rock acts of the era, and 4 played a crucial role in cementing this status. The band showed they were more than simple stadium rockers with this album. “Girl on the Moon” is a reminder of their range and their ability to craft songs that touch upon deeper emotions. It’s a song that invites introspection and allows listeners to reflect on their own experiences of longing and the pursuit of the unattainable. It’s a testament to the power of music to evoke emotion and create a lasting connection with audiences, even many years later.