"Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

. It was originally performed by

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

in the 1961 movie '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

. The song also won the 1962

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Record of the Year and

Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to: * Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year * Dove Award for Song of the Year * Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year * Grammis Song of the Year * Grammy Award for Song of the Year * Latin Grammy Awa ...

. The song has been recorded by many other artists. It became the theme song for

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

, who first recorded it in 1962 (and performed it at the Academy Awards ceremony that year). He sang the first eight bars of the song at the beginning of each episode of his eponymous television show and named his production company and venue in Branson, Missouri, after it; his autobiography is called ''"Moon River" and Me''. Williams' version was never released as a single, but it charted as an LP track that he recorded for Columbia on a hit album of 1962, ''

Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes ''Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes'' is the ninth studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams and was released on March 26, 1962 by Columbia Records and covered film songs that were mostly from the previous decade. The album made ...

''. In 2022, Williams' rendition of the song was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress. The song's success was responsible for relaunching Mercer's career as a songwriter, which had stalled in the mid-1950s because rock and roll had replaced

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive lis ...

s as the popular music of the time. The song's popularity is such that it has been used as a test sample in a study on people's memories of popular songs. Comments about the lyrics have noted that they are particularly reminiscent of Mercer's youth in the southern United States and his longing to expand his horizons. Robert Wright wrote in '' The Atlantic Monthly'', "This is a love sung /nowiki>''sic''">sic.html" ;"title="/nowiki>''sic">/nowiki>''sic''/nowiki> to wanderlust. Or a romantic song in which the romantic partner is the idea of romance." An inlet near Savannah, Georgia, Johnny Mercer's hometown, was named Moon River in honor of him and this song.

Versions

Original

Mercer and Mancini wrote the song for

to sing in the film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's''. The lyrics, written by Mercer, are reminiscent of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, including its waterways. As a child, he had picked huckleberries in summer, and he connected them with a carefree childhood and Mark Twain's '' Huckleberry Finn''. 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 the song, accompanying herself on the guitar while sitting on the fire escape outside their apartments. Cryer, Max
"The story behind the song: Moon River"
'' The Telegraph'', October 7, 2008, accessed January 6, 2016 There was an eruption of behind-the-scenes consternation when a

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

executive, Martin Rackin, suggested removing the song from the film after a tepid Los Angeles preview. Hepburn's reaction was described by Mancini and others in degrees varying from her saying, "Over my dead body!" to her using more colorful language to make the same point. An album version was recorded by Mancini and his orchestra and chorus (without Hepburn's vocal) on December 8, 1960. It was released as a single in 1961 and became a number 11 hit in December of that year. Due to unpublished charts in ''Billboard'', Joel Whitburn's ''Top Adult (Contemporary) Songs'' variously reported the song as a number 3 or number 1 easy listening hit. Mancini's original version was also featured in the film '' Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989). In 1993, following Hepburn's death, her version was released on an album titled ''Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn''. In 2004, Hepburn's version finished at number 4 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

Early recordings

"Moon River" was a hit single for Jerry Butler in late 1961. Released simultaneously with Mancini's, it reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 3 Easy Listening in December, two weeks before Mancini's recording reached the same chart ranking. British singer Danny Williams had a hit version of the song that reached number one in the UK in the final week of 1961. Although

never released the song as a single, his LP ''

'' (1962), was certified gold in 1963 for selling one million units. The album reached number 3 on the ''Billboard'' Top 200, eventually selling more than two million copies by 1967. In 2002, a 74-year-old Andy Williams sang the song at the conclusion of the live NBC special telecast celebrating the network's 75th anniversary. In 2022, Andy Williams' recording of the song was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Chart history

;Henry Mancini & Orchestra ;Jerry Butler ;Danny Williams

Later versions

Hundreds of versions of the song have been recorded and it has been featured in many media. Mercer recorded the song in 1974 for his album ''

My Huckleberry Friend ''"...My Huckleberry Friend": Johnny Mercer Sings the Songs of Johnny Mercer'' is an album by singer/composer Johnny Mercer, released in 1974. Recorded just two years before his death, ''...My Huckleberry Friend'' features, by and large, updated ...

''. In 2007, saxophonist Dave Koz recorded a version from his standards music album, ''At the Movies'', sung by

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...

. In 2013, Neil Finn and Paul Kelly performed the song on their Goin' Your Way Tour, during which their performance at the

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architect ...

was recorded for the live album, ''

Goin' Your Way ''Goin' Your Way'' is a live album collaboration recorded by Neil Finn and Paul Kelly during a performance at the Sydney Opera House on 10 March 2013. It was released on 8 November as a stand-alone 2× CD, Blu-ray or DVD; or in a Limited Editi ...

'', released the same year. The title of the album comes from a phrase in the song's chorus: "Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way". Lawrence Welk's 1961 instrumental version was featured in ''Mad Men'' season 6, episode 13, "In Care Of" (2013). A version of the song was featured in Asif Kapadia's documentary film, ''

Amy Amy is a female given name, sometimes short for Amanda, Amelia, Amélie, or Amita. In French, the name is spelled ''"Aimée"''. People A–E * Amy Acker (born 1976), American actress * Amy Vera Ackman, also known as Mother Giovanni (1886– ...

'' (2015), about Amy Winehouse. Winehouse's version, sung at age 16 with the

National Youth Jazz Orchestra The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) is a British jazz orchestra founded in 1965 by Bill Ashton. In 2010. Mark Armstrong took over as Music Director of the flagship performing band, and Artistic Director of the organisation; Bill Ashton becam ...

in 2000, is the opening song in the film. '' The Telegraph'' listed, among prominent covers of the song, those by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, Judy Garland,

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano singer, actress and dancer. Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, ...

and Chevy Chase (in the comedy film '' Fletch''). Other stars who have covered the song include

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

in '' Fly Me to the Moon... The Great American Songbook Volume V'' (2010), which charted at No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' 200, Barbra Streisand in '' The Movie Album'' (2003), a Grammy-nominated gold album, and Frank Ocean, who released a cover on Valentine's Day 2018 that debuted in the Top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B chart. Diffuser.fm named these the "Top 5 Alt-Rock" versions of the song:

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

, Glasvegas, R.E.M., The Killers and Josh Ritter. Jacob Collier's ''a capella'' cover won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1960s ballads 1960s jazz standards 1961 singles 1961 songs Andy Williams songs Aretha Franklin songs Barbra Streisand songs Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songs Christmas number-one singles in the United Kingdom Danny Williams (singer) songs Film theme songs Frank Sinatra songs Grammy Award for Record of the Year Grammy Award for Song of the Year Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Jerry Butler songs Judy Garland songs Louis Armstrong songs Number-one singles in New Zealand Perry Como songs Pop ballads RCA Victor singles R.E.M. songs Rod Stewart songs Songs about rivers Songs about the Moon Songs about Georgia (U.S. state) Songs with lyrics by Johnny Mercer Songs with music by Henry Mancini Songs written for films The Killers songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles United States National Recording Registry recordings Vee-Jay Records singles Westlife songs