Songs About or Inspired By The Moon
The Moon has inspired mankind from the beginning of our existence. Although the word “moon” can represent any natural satellite that orbits a planet, when we talk about “The Moon” we are speaking of the only Earth orbiting celestial body, sometimes called “Luna”. The Moon is about 384,500 kilometers (238,930 miles) from the Earth and has a diameter of 3,476 kilometres (2,160 miles).
It has a synchronous rotation with Earth, which means that one side of the Moon (the "near side") is permanently turned towards Earth. The other side is of course, “The Dark Side of The Moon”. I think we’re all familiar with the album of the same name by Pink Floyd, which also has the distinciton of being the album that has spent the most time on the Billboard charts. It has been on the “The Billboard 200” chart for over 25 years and it continues to sell about 8000 copies every week! The power of the moon is a mysterious power indeed.
The fascination with the Moon started long before Pink Floyd. It has been the inspiration for poetry, paintings, songs and even whole religions over the history of man. Every human that’s ever lived has looked upon the moon and pondered it, as well as our own existence. Many believe that a 5,000 year old rock carving found at Knowth, Ireland represents the Moon, in which case, it is the earliest depiction yet discovered. Most certainly, songs were sung even then about this mysterious object in the sky.
Some ancient lunar dieties include Selene, Phobe, Artemis, Luna, Diana, Nana, Thoth, Tsuki-yomi and Tecciztecati. There is much folklore associated with the Moon including that it’s responsible for insanity. Thus the words “lunatic” or “loony”.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - HW Saxton
There are soooooooo many songs about the
moon and/or that use it in song titles.
Here's a few more to add to the list:
Link Wray -Other Side Of The Moon
C.C.R. - Bad Moon Rising
Joe Simon - Moonwalk
Bobby Womack - Fly Me To The Moon
Joe Ely - Cornbread Moon
Elton John - Bad Side Of The Moon
Bo Diddley - Moonman
The Capri's - There's A Moon Out Tonight
That's a few more anyway. I can think of
many more but don't see a need to keep
listing them honestly.
2 - Ken Boff
Fly Me to the Moon - Tony Bennett
3 - DrPat
Moon Over Miami - Eddy Duchin. (Duchin also wrote "I Cover the Waterfront," used so effectively in the movie Joe Versus the Volcano.
4 - Al Barger
You missed perhaps the most obvious song about the moon, "Song About the Moon" by Paul Simon, from the criminally underappreciated Hearts and Bones album. It is advice for aspiring songwriters who find themselves stuck. Well, write a song about the moon.
Also, "Moonlight Mile" by the Rolling Stones
5 - DrPat
Oh, and Moonlight Becomes You - Jimmy Van Heusen. Bing Crosby performed this classic as his signature piece.
6 - DrPat
Plus, Howling at the Moon - The Ramones.
7 - HW Saxton
ALSO:
Hank Williams - Howling At The Moon
Little Richard -
By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
Bill Monroe - Blue Moon Of Kentucky
Leon Redbone - Shine On Harvest Moon
Jonathan King -
Everyone's Gone To The Moon
Howling Wolf - Coon On The Moon
8 - Eric Berlin
Moonlight Drive - The Doors... great great tune
Man on the Moon - REM
Fly Me to the Moon was played at my wedding when I took my wife for a spin... nice song.
9 - godoggo
And let's not forget that it can also be used as a verb.
10 - HW Saxton
Here are a couple more Moon songs that
came to mind:
Rolling Stones: Child Of The Moon
Charlie Patton - Moon Going Down
The Cramps - Rock On The Moon
Dr Feelgood & The Interns - Mr Moonlight
(This is where The Beatles got the tune)
Jimi Hendrix Experience- And The Moon
Pulls The Tides Gently,Gently Away
NRBQ - RC Cola & A Moon Pie
Jimmy Reed - The Moon Is Rising
Dead Kennedys - Moon Over Marin
Symarip - Skinhead Moonstomp
Carl Perkins - Look At That Moon
Les Paul & Mary Ford - How High The Moon
Jimmie Rodgers - Mississippi Moon
Television - Marquee Moon
Martin Denny - Moon Over Mankoora
Cramps - Blue Moon Baby
Moon Mullican - Moon's Rock
That's a few more for the lunar list.
11 - Eric Olsen
Goog God, people, have we really forsaken Starbuck's "Moonlight Feels Right"?
12 - Eric Olsen
another great theme Robert, thanks!
13 - Tan Hoang
"Dancing In The Moonlight" by King Harvest... not Van Morrison
14 - Al Barger
"Moonlight on Vermont" by Captain Beefheart. That should break up your Van Morrison romantic revelry.
15 - Eric Olsen
Van is "Moondance" - King Harvest is "Dancing In the Moonlight"
16 - El Bicho
How about a bit of the old Ludwig Van?
Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2 "Moonlight"
Who Killed Mr. Moonlight - Bauhaus
Holiday on the Moon - Love and Rockets
Earth, Sun, Moon - Love and Rockets
That concludes my David J.-related songs.
Black Moon Creeping - The Black Crowes
Bowie - Moonage Dream
Porno for Pyros - Under a Tahitian Moon
Aargghhh!! brain...locked...power...routed...to...trivia...search...all...other...systems........Daisy, daisy, give me your answer true/I'm half crazy------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17 - HW Saxton
There is also "Moonshine Sonata" by the
group Black Oak Arkansas.
18 - wallybangs
Let me guess, the next list will be on songs about June, and then spoon. Am I right? :)
19 - Al Barger
Noting local showers today, we could start that next list with the Kinks' classic "Rainy Day in June."
20 - Eric Berlin
"Earth & Sun & Moon" - Midnight Oil
Great song.
21 - JR
Moon Crazy - Blue Oyster Cult
Under a Violet Moon - Blackmore's Night
Shadow of the Moon - Blackmore's Night
Moonchild - Iron Maiden
Some previously mentioned standards with their composers:
Blue Moon - Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart
Fly Me to the Moon - Bart Howard
How High the Moon - Nancy Hamilton/William Lewis
It's Only a Paper Moon - Billy Rose/E.Y. Harburg/Harold Arlen
Moon River - Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer
Moonglow - Will Hudson/Eddie De Lange/Irving Mills
Moonlight In Vermont - J. Blackburn/K. Seussdorf
Old Devil Moon - Burton Lane/E.Y. Harburg
Polka Dots and Moonbeams - Johnny Burke/Jimmy van Heusen
22 - Victor Plenty
I must second Al on "Song About the Moon" and indeed the entire album of Hearts and Bones. Some of Paul Simon's most evocative poetic imagery is found therein.
"If you want to write a song about the moon
Walk along the craters in the afternoon
When the shadows are deep and the light is alien
And gravity leaps like a knife off the pavement . . ."
In trying to find out whether I'd heard these lyrics correctly (because most of the Web's "lyrics sites" seem to have them wrong), I found an interesting excerpt from an out-of-print book where Simon talks about his songwriting process, which I hope some of you might enjoy.
23 - Duane
As the Moon Speaks to the Waves of the Sea --- Captain Beyond
Lunar Sea --- Camel
Mad Man Moon --- Genesis
24 - Sasha
Claire de Lune- Claude Debussy
Song to the Moon from Rusalka- Antonin Dvorak
Moonlight Sonata (Claro de Luna)- Beethoven
Me and the Moon- Something Corporate
The Killing Moon- Echo and the Bunnymen
Honey and the Moon- Joseph Arthur
25 - Bob A. Booey
How could you all forget the ultimate song about the moon (well sort-of)?
Dean Martin - That's Amore Lyrics
(In Napoli where love is King)
(When boy meets girl)
(Here's what they say)
When the moon hits your eye
Like a big-a pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine
Like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells'll ring
Ting-a-ling-a-ling
Ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts'll play
Tippi-tippi-tay
Tippi-tippi-tay
Like a gay tarantella
When the stars make you drool
Joost-a like pasta fazool
That's amore
When you dance down the street
With a cloud at your feet, you're in love
When you walk in a dream
But you know you're not dreamin', signore
'Scusami, but you see
Back in old Napoli, that's amore
(When the moon hits your eye)
(Like a big-a pizza pie, that's amore)
That's amore
(When the world seems to shine
(Like you've had too much wine, that's amore)
That's amore
(Bells will ring)
(Ting-a-ling-a-ling)
(ting-a-ling-a-ling)
(And you'll sing "Vita bella")
(Vita bell-vita bella)
(Hearts will play)
(Tippi-tippi-tay, tippi-tippi-tay)
(Like a gay tarantella)
Lucky fella
When the stars make you drool just like pasta fazool
That's amore (that's amore)
When you dance down the street
With a cloud at your feet, you're in love
When you walk in a dream
But you know you're not dreaming, signore
'Scusami, but you see
Back in old Napoli, that's amore
That is all.