Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: power-pop
Song Meaning of “Mood Indigo” by Joe Jackson
Mood Indigo by Joe Jackson tells the story of someone who is trying to break free of a relationship that is slowly draining them of all their joy and happiness. The narrator recognizes that the relationship is no longer serving them, and they are desperate to reclaim a sense of emotional freedom and control. The main refrain of the song summed up this optimistic outlook of the narrator perfectly: “Mood indigo, times are changing for me, time to move out of the rain, out of the darkening sky”. The narrator is acknowledging that in order to reclaim their sense of joy and freedom, they will have to do away with the relationship they are in and look to the future with an optimistic outlook.
The narrator expresses their determination to break free of the emotional oppression they feel by repeatedly singing “Give me the power to fly”. These lyrics serve as an embodiment of the narrators desire to break out of the cycle of emotional insecurity that their relationship has caused and soar to emotional freedom.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the narrator realizing that they can escape their situation and reclaim joy and control in their life. The uplifting ending of the song encapsulates the entire message of the song beautifully, with the narrator singing “hello sunshine, I’m yours to keep, this time I’m gonna stay away from that old mood indigo”.