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versions, Joel Whitburn's "Top Adult (Contemporary) Songs" reported the song as a #3 or #1 easy listening hit, due to unpublished charts in Billboard.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 DΔ browska, 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.
Moon River
Morrissey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wider than a mile
I'll be crossing you in style
Someday
Oh, dream maker
You heartbreaker
Wherever you're going
Two drifters
Off to see the world
I'm not so sure the world
Deserves us
We're after
The same rainbow's end
How come it's just around the bend?
It's always just around the bend?
Moon River
Wider than a mile
I'll be crossing you in style
Someday
Oh, dream maker
You heartbreaker
Wherever you're going
I'm going your way
Two drifters
Off to see the world
I'm not so sure the world
Deserves us
We're after
The same rainbow's end
It's just around the bend
It's just around the bend
It's just around the bend
It's just around the bend
Oh!
Ooh...
Moon River
Wider than a mile
I'll be crossing you in style
Someday
Oh, dream maker
You heartbreaker
Wherever you're going
I'm going your way
Two drifters
Off to see the world
I'm not so sure the world
Deserves us
We're after
The same rainbow's end
How come it's just around the bend?
It's always just around the bend?
Moon River
Wider than a mile
I'll be crossing you in style
Someday
Oh, dream maker
You heartbreaker
Wherever you're going
I'm going your way
Two drifters
Off to see the world
I'm not so sure the world
Deserves us
We're after
The same rainbow's end
It's just around the bend
It's just around the bend
It's just around the bend
It's just around the bend
It's just around the bend
What you gonna do?
Morrissey's interpretation of Moon River takes on a melancholic tone as he contemplates crossing the river at some point in the future. He envisions crossing it in style wider than a mile, which suggests he's not taking the journey lightly. He talks about a "dream maker" who is a "heartbreaker" and seems to be convinced that this individual is someone he should follow. His choice of words suggests that he is alternately attracted to and suspicious of this person.
The chorus repeats, reinforcing the notion that Morrissey is insistent on crossing the river eventually. He and another person are the "two drifters" setting off to travel the world together, with no certainty that the world deserves them. Morrissey's sense of uncertainty continues as he looks for the rainbow's end, which is always just around the bend, but never seems to materialize. Overall, this song seems to represent Morrissey's restlessness and his desire to align himself with someone or something that gives his life meaning and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Moon River
Representing a beautiful and serene place that one needs to cross.
Wider than a mile
Emphasizing the vastness and grandeur of Moon River.
I'll be crossing you in style
Conveying the singer's determination and confidence to overcome the challenges that come with crossing Moon River.
Someday
Leaves the time to cross it to the future, as it may not be the appropriate time to cross it now.
Oh, dream maker
Addressing the mysterious force that brings about dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
You heartbreaker
Acknowledging the disappointments, setbacks, and challenges that come with chasing a dream.
Wherever you're going
However practical or unrealistic the dream may be, the singer is willing to follow it, driven by passion and hope.
I'm going your way
Emphasizing the singer's alignment with the dream maker's path, indicating a sense of unity and shared experiences.
Two drifters
Referring to the singer and the dream maker as a pair who roam without a specific destination in mind.
Off to see the world
Their quest for new experiences, adventures, and discoveries motivates them to explore the world.
I'm not so sure the world
Questioning if the world is deserving or appreciative of their journey and what they can offer.
Deserves us
Asserting their uniqueness and value, and expressing disappointment if the world cannot recognize that.
We're after
Highlighting a shared objective that the singer and dream maker have committed to achieving.
The same rainbow's end
Referring to a challenging and elusive goal that they are pursuing and striving to reach.
How come it's just around the bend?
Pondering why the goal seems so close yet unattainable, and what more must be done to reach it.
It's always just around the bend?
A repetition of the previous line, underlining a sense of frustration and skepticism about being able to reach the goal.
What you gonna do?
A rhetorical question that calls for action, determination, and a persistent pursuit of the dream.
Lyrics Β© Tratore
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind