What is “Moon River”?

04 November 2014

The Short Answer (TSA)

            Well, let’s get right to the point.  “Moon River” is the name of a song and two rivers. The popular song, “Moon River,” has a colorful history.  Seldom does a simple song manage to cause so much commotion. 

Audrey Hepburn Sings "Moon River"

            “Moon River” is the creation of Henry Mancini, who composed the music, and Johnny Mercer, who wrote the lyrics.  The original song wasn’t named “Moon River.”  Rather, the name was “Blue River.”  But another song writer was had already titled another song “Blue River,” so Mancini and Mercer changed the name of their song to “Moon River.”

            “Moon River” was written for the 1961film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which was based very loosely on a short story by writer Truman Capote.  This romantic comedy had an all-star cast with George Peppard cast opposite the lead, Audrey Hepburn playing the character Holly Golightly.  

            Mancini had carefully written the melody for Hepburn keeping it within her vocal range.  So, “Moon River” was written to be sung by Hepburn in the film, and it was.  But Hepburn’s version of the song appeared only in the film and, strangely, nowhere else.

Audrey Hepburn in the Breakfast at Tiffany's

            Again, Hepburn sings the “Moon River” in the film, but only an instrumental version of song was played over the film’s introductory credits.  After the film was screened to good reviews, a studio executive strongly suggested that Hepburn’s film performance of the song be cut from the film entirely.        

            There had been no other criticism of Hepburn’s performance.  So, she objected, and her version of the song remained in the film.  But her performance of “Moon River” disappeared from the soundtrack album to be replaced with an instrumental version.

            Not only was “Moon River” well received, but won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.  Still, South African singer Danny Williams refused to record “Moon River” because he said that Johnny Mercer’s lyrics were “nonsensical.’   Then, Williams saw the film and emerged from the theatre saying that, after seeing the film, he loved both the song and its lyrics.  Williams recorded “Moon River.”  His version reached #1 on the U.K. charts in 1961.
 

Johnny Mercer & Henry Mancini

            Jerry Butler’s version of “Moon River” reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart as did the Henry Mancini’s instrumental version.  Unaffected by the conflicted opinions about “Moon River’s” lyrics, Andy Williams knew a good song when he heard it.  He did more than just record the song.  He grabbed it and used it as his theme song.  In 2004, Moon River was fourth in the American Film Institute’s ranking of Most Memorable Songs in Hollywood History.

Andy Williams Sings "Moon River"

            What ever happened to Audrey Hepburn’s version of “Moon River?”  In 1993, it was finally released in an album of her songs several months after her death. 

            Now, what about those lyrics?  Mercer revealed in his autobiography that the lyric "My huckleberry friend" was a reference to a boyhood friend with whom he used to pick huckleberries, and was not intended to refer to Mark Twain’s, Huckleberry Finn.

            And was there really a Moon River?  Well, as some tell it, the song’s lyrics celebrate Mercer’s fond memories of growing up in Savannah, Georgia.  His boyhood home, it is said, overlooked the Moon River.

            Actually, Mercer’s boyhood home overlooked the Back River.  But, if the residents of Savannah love anything more than the song “Moon River,” it’s their native son, Johnny Mercer.  Shortly after the song started winning awards, the Back River name was changed to “Moon River.”  So, now, the Moon River does flow past Johnny Mercer’s boyhood home.  

 

Georgia's Moon River (formerly Back River)

            And, by the way, there’s another Moon River.  Ontario, Canada’s Moon River (a river and not a song) flows from Lake Muskoka to empty into Georgian Bay.  Sadly, it suffers by comparison with the other Moon River.  Not being associated with the popular song, it is less . . .  celebrated. 

            Not only is the story naming of this Moon River less than glamorous, but the river seems to have been named “Moon” by mistake.  The members of the native Ojibwa tribe called the river, “moonz-ziibi,” which actually means Moose rather than Moon River.   But the name “Moon River” stuck, so it’s a bit late to change it now.   
             This lack-luster name history is really a shame, because Ontario's Moon River is honest beautiful and well worth the time and trouble to visit.   

 Ontario's Moon River

M Grossmann of Hazelwood, Missouri & Belleville, Illinois

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