At least I have somewhat of a reason for being late this week....
My introduction to this week's tune was watching the incomparable (i.e., I've had a crush on her since I first saw her) Audrey Hepburn in the classic movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. My re-introduction to it came because my youngest son was fascinated by outer space when he was young (still is to a degree), and liked me to sing him snippets of songs with planets' (including our moon) names in them as I was tucking him in. I wanted to come up with a couple more lyrics to this week's song to sing to him and came across this version on YouTube. That the version I found was by an artist I loved was just icing on the cake....
If you're familiar with this week's tune, you'll know the definitive version is by Andy Williams. I was all set to use his version until I read his Wikipedia bio and found out that although he campaigned for Robert F. Kennedy and was a companion of his wife Ethel after RFK's assassination, he claimed to be a lifelong Republican, reiterated RWNJ talking points about President Obama, and praised Rush Limbaugh. In short, fuck him. Besides, Bobby Darin's version blows his away. Regular readers (all three of you) may recall that I wrote about Darin in Jukebox CCLXXIX, and as Darin has been playing at The Great Rock and Roll Concert in the Sky since 1973, there isn't anything to add.
"Moon River" was written by Henry Mancini (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics) for the aforementioned film. Bobby Darin had recorded it to be used on an album but passed away before it was started. His version was not released until 1999, on the compilation The Unreleased Capitol Sides. Darin's rendition was not released as a single, and near as I can tell, the album did not chart.
Fun Fact(s): "Moon River" won the Academy Award for Best Song in 1961, and Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1962. It was also ranked #4 on AFI's list of the top one hundred songs in American movies.
If ever there was a song written about hope that captures hope better than "Moon River," I've yet to hear it. Mercer has said the song is about the waterways near his boyhood home of Savannah, Georgia, and it certainly grasps the dreams of his youth. The melody is lovely, embodying a lushness that makes the song unforgettable. Darin sings it with a wistfulness that leaves you in wonder and avoids the schmaltziness that mars Williams' version. You'll often hear a song referred to as an American standard, and "Moon River" meets that designation in every conceivable way. Just a beautiful and touching piece of Americana.
[Aside: Regardless of my feelings for her, I would be remiss if I did not note that Audrey Hepburn's version in the movie is a wonder in and of itself and certainly adds to the song's rich history.]
Lyric Sheet: "We're after the same rainbow's end/Waiting 'round the bend/My huckleberry friend/Moon River and me..."
Enjoy:
Fuck Donald Trump
Peace,
emaycee
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