I Wished On The Moon
Billie Holiday W/ Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra Lyrics

The lyrics of "I Wished on the Moon" are a poetic expression of yearning for something intangible and unattainable, an unfulfilled desire that persists despite its elusive nature. The opening line "I wished on the moon for something I never knew" captures this sense of longing for an unknown and mysterious object of desire, a yearning that cannot be satisfied by anything tangible or visible. The repetition of "wished on the moon" in the second line conveys a sense of obsession or fixation, as if the singer is unable to think of anything else.

The second verse continues this theme of yearning, with the singer "begging on the stars to throw [her] a beam or two" and asking for a dream or two. The use of celestial imagery emphasizes the otherworldly nature of the singer's desires, as if they are beyond the reach of ordinary earthly means. The refrain "I wished on the moon for you" brings the focus of the song towards a specific person, as if the singer's vague and abstract yearning has now been filled with a concrete object of desire. However, the final line is still tinged with a sense of bittersweet yearning, as if even this fulfilled wish is not enough to completely satisfy the singer's longing.