It became the theme song for Andy Williams, who first recorded the song in 1961 and performed it at the Academy Awards ceremonies in 1962. He sang the first eight bars of the song at the beginning of his television show; he also named his production company and venue in Branson, Missouri after Moon River. Williams' version was vetoed by Cadence president Archie Bleyer, who believed it had little or no appeal to teenagers. Williams' famous version never charted, except as an LP track, which he recorded for Columbia in a hit album of 1962.
The success of the song was responsible for relaunching Mercer's career as a songwriter, which had stalled in the mid-1950s because rock and roll replaced jazz standards as the popular music of the time. An inlet near Savannah, Georgia, Johnny Mercer's hometown, was named Moon River in honor of him and this song. The popularity of the song is such that it has been used as a test sample in a study on people's memories of popular songs.
The original version
Mercer and Mancini wrote the song for Audrey Hepburn to fit her vocal range. Initially the lyrics started, "I'm Holly, like I want to be / like Holly on a tree back home...", however they were later changed to fit the theme to the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Although an instrumental version is played over the film's opening titles, the lyrics are first heard in a scene where Paul 'Fred' Varjak (George Peppard) discovers Holly Golightly (Hepburn) singing them, accompanied by her guitar, on the fire-escape outside their apartments.
There was much behind-the-scenes consternation which erupted when a Paramount Pictures executive suggested deleting the song from the film immediately after a very successful San Francisco preview. Hepburn's reaction has been described by Mancini and others in degrees varying from her saying "over my dead body" to her using somewhat more colorful language to make the same point.
Hepburn's version was not included in the original score album to Breakfast at Tiffany's. Instead, an album version recorded by Mancini and his chorus was released as a single and became a #11 hit. In different versions, Joel Whitburn's "Top Adult (Contemporary) Songs" reported the song as a #3 or #1 easy listening hit, due to unpublished charts in Billboard. Only months after Hepburn's death in 1993, her version was released on an album entitled Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn.
Other recordings
"Moon River" was released by South African singer Danny Williams, and reached #1 in the UK. Shortly thereafter, Andy Williams recorded the song and made it his theme song. It was a hit for Jerry Butler in 1961, reaching #11 in the Billboard charts. Other artists that have covered the song are The Afghan Whigs, Benny Anderssons Orkester, Paul Anka, Blake, Louis Armstrong, Vince Guaraldi, Beru Revue, Mary Black, Sarah Brightman, Liz Callaway, Perry Como, Ray Conniff, Bobby Darin, Ania Dąbrowska, Dr. John, Dump, Billy Eckstine, The Four Freshmen, Connie Francis, Bill Frisell (instrumental), Emi Fujita, Judy Garland, Karel Gott, Grant Green (instrumental), Patty Griffin, The Innocence Mission (although this version is sometimes incorrectly cited as being performed by Milla Jovovich), Bradley Joseph (instrumental), Kim Yoo-jin, James Last, Joey McIntyre, Johnny Mathis, Brad Mehldau, Jane Monheit, Morrissey, Patsy Ann Noble, Jim Reeves, John Barrowman, R.E.M., Mia Riddle, Andrea Ross, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, Nan Vernon, Kid Koala, Westlife, Victoria Williams, The Divine Comedy, and Tata Young.
Mercer himself recorded the song in 1974 for his album (appropriately named) My Huckleberry Friend.
Moonriver
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
Louis Armstrong's classic tune 'Moon River' was written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, with Armstrong performing a cover that went on to become a timeless hit. The song is an emotional and romantic ode to the iconic Moon River in Savannah, Georgia, which has since become a landmark that draws tourists from all over.
The first verse sets the tone with "Moon river, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style someday." This line represents a poignant longing that is accentuated through the use of 'someday,' indicating that the singer wants to cross Moon River in a grandiose manner but hasn't quite reached it yet. This desire is connected to the second verse where "Two drifters, off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see" suggests that this crossing of Moon River is a personal and metaphoric journey that these drifters have embarked upon. There's a sense of romanticism that accompanies this journey as "we're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend, my huckleberry friend, Moon River and me." In these lines, the journey has come full circle, and the singer finds a companion in Moon River, someone they can identify with.
Line by Line Meaning
Moon river, wider than a mile
The river being referred to as 'Moon river' is vast and has a width that extends beyond a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
One day, I will stylishly and confidently cross the river or obstacle in my path represented by 'Moon river'
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
The singer refers to 'Moon river' as a symbol of the aspirations and hopes ('Dream maker') they have, but also recognizes that it can be an obstacle ('Heart breaker') in achieving those dreams
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
The artist is committed to following their dreams represented by 'Moon river' and is willing to go wherever it takes them
Two drifters, off to see the world
Two aimless wanderers set out to explore the world around them
There's such a lot of world to see
The world is vast and full of opportunities and experiences to discover
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
The two wanderers are chasing the same goal or dream, which is compared to the elusive end of a rainbow that always seems just out of reach
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me
The artist affectionately refers to their wanderer companion as their 'huckleberry friend' and reaffirms their commitment to continue their journey together, symbolized by 'Moon river'
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world