La chanson ferait référence au film Houdini le grand magicien (Houdini est magicien dans une petite troupe foraine. Ayant rencontré une jeune étudiante dont il tombe amoureux, il en fait sa partenaire, devient très célèbre et défie la mort jour après jour, dans des numéros extraordinaires et dangereux.).
Sortie en mai 1983, elle doit beaucoup à la mélodie chantée par l'Écossaise Maggie Reilly, qui était une des collaboratrices de Mike Oldfield depuis 1980. Moonlight Shadow est une chanson à succès de Mike Oldfield, sortie initialement en 1983 sur l'album Crises.
Elle marque le point culminant de la carrière de Mike Oldfield.

The first time ever she saw him
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
He passed on worried and warning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Lost in a riddle that Saturday night
Far away on the other side
He was caught in the middle of a desperate fight
And she couldn't find how to push through

The trees that whisper in the evening
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Sing a song of sorrow and grieving
Carried away by a moonlight shadow

All she saw was a silhouette of a gun
Far away on the other side
He was shot six times by a man on the run
And she couldn't find how to push through

I stay, I pray
See you in heaven far away
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day

Four a.m. in the morning
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
I watched your vision forming
Carried away by a moonlight shadow

Stars roll slowly in a silvery night
Far away on the other side
Will you come to terms with me this night
But she couldn't find how to push through

I stay, I pray
See you in heaven far away
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day

Far away on the other side
Caught in the middle of a hundred and five
The night was heavy and the air was alive
But she couldn't find how to push through
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Carried away by a moonlight shadow
Far away on the other side
But she couldn't find how to push through