St Louis Blues
Various Artists Lyrics


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I spend my days just mooning,
so sad and blue,
so sad and blue I spend my nights just mooning,
all over you (all over who?)
Oh I'm so full of love, as any fool can see
Cause ages up above, have hung the moon on me
(Why must you go) why must I go on mooning,
so all alone (so all alone)
There would be no (there would be no) more mooning,
if you would call me (I've found a phone)
I'm lying by myself in bed, I cry and give myself the red eye
Mooning over you I'll stay behind
(you'll stay behind) you mooning forevermore (forevermore)
Someday you'll find (someday we'll find)
me mooning at your front door (at my front door)




Oh, everyday at school I want ya, always will until I got ya
Mooning too (there's a moon up tonight)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "St. Louis Blues" are about a person who spends their days and nights pining over someone who has left them. They are so filled with love for this person that they feel as though the moon itself hangs over them, but they are left alone and heartbroken, with nothing to do but moon over the person who has gone. They plead with the person to call them, to end their suffering and put an end to their constant mooning. The song is a lament for lost love, filled with raw emotion and longing.


In the hands of Bessie Smith, "St. Louis Blues" becomes a powerful expression of sorrow and loneliness, with her powerful voice conveying the depth of emotion in the lyrics. For Louis Armstrong, the song becomes a vehicle for his virtuosic trumpet playing, with the mournful melody becoming a canvas for his improvisational skills. Other artists, from Billie Holiday to Nat King Cole, have put their own stamp on the song, each interpreting it in their own unique way.


Overall, "St. Louis Blues" is a song about the pain of lost love, a universal theme that has resonated with audiences for nearly a century. Whether performed as a blues, a jazz standard, or a torch song, the power of the song's lyrics and melody continue to captivate and move listeners today.


Line by Line Meaning

I spend my days just mooning,
I spend my days lost in thought, feeling sad and depressed.


so sad and blue, so sad and blue
My emotions are overwhelmingly negative and I feel hopeless.


I spend my nights just mooning, all over you (all over who?)
During the night, my thoughts are consumed by you, and I can't seem to shake them off.


Oh I'm so full of love, as any fool can see
Despite my sadness, I am filled with a great deal of love towards you.


Cause ages up above, have hung the moon on me
I believe that fate has brought us together and that we are meant to be together.


(Why must you go) why must I go on mooning, so all alone (so all alone)
I am struggling to understand why I am still thinking about you obsessively, despite being alone.


There would be no (there would be no) more mooning, if you would call me (I've found a phone)
If you were to reach out and contact me, my obsessive thoughts about you would likely stop.


I'm lying by myself in bed, I cry and give myself the red eye
I am often reduced to tears from thinking about you so much, which causes me to look tired and upset.


Mooning over you I'll stay behind (you'll stay behind) you mooning forevermore (forevermore)
My obsession with you will likely keep me from moving on and will remain with me for a long time.


Someday you'll find (someday we'll find) me mooning at your front door (at my front door)
I believe that one day we will be reunited and I will be standing at your doorstep, still thinking of you.


Oh, everyday at school I want ya, always will until I got ya Mooning too (there's a moon up tonight)
My desire for you is constant and is present even when I am at school. I am still fixated on you, even during a clear night when the moon is visible.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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