THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

45-Danny Williams-Moon River.

1961-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 2.14. Even though Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics to fit the films story, they are actually semi autobiographical.

‘Moon River’ was written for the 1961 movie ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where it was performed in the film by Audrey Hepburn, (1929-1993) her recording wasn’t made commercially available until after her death in 1993, when it was issued on ‘Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn.’

‘Moon River’ was written by Henry Mancini, (1924-1994) (music) and Johnny Mercer (1909-1976) (lyrics.) Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini on April 16th, 1924, in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, he died of pancreatic cancer on June 14th, 1994, at the age of 70. Mancini was a composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist, and is remembered as one of the greatest composers in film. He wrote music that was heard in approximately 100 films between 1952-1993, which included ‘The Pink Panther,’ (1963) and he also wrote around 24 Television Themes that include ‘Peter Gunn’ (1958.)

Johnny Mercer (see also best songs 934 and 281) was born John Herndon Mercer on November 18th, 1909, in Savannah, Georgia, United States, he died on June 25th, 1976, from an inoperable brain tumour, at the age of 66. Mercer was a lyricist, a writer of music, a singer, record producer and the co-founder of ‘Capital Records’ in 1942. As well as the three songs he has in this ‘1000 best songs list,’ of the more than 1,500 song lyrics he wrote, they also include, ‘That Old Black Magic,’ (1942) and ‘One for My Baby (and One for the Road’) (1943.)

‘Moon River’ has probably been covered on hundreds of occasions. It became the signature tune of Andy Williams, (1927-2012) (see also best songs 914 and 112) who although he never released his version as a single, he would always open his television show which ran from 1962-1967 with a short burst of the song. The track was only originally available on Williams 1962 Album ‘Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes,’ which went on to sell in excess of 1 million copies by 1963. Henry Mancini released an instrumental version which made Number 11 on Billboard in 1961, where simultaneously the American Soul singer Jerry Butler also released a version, which also peaked at Number 11 on Billboard.

In the UK ‘Moon River’ was even more successful when covered by Danny Williams, who became the first African to have a UK Number 1 single when ‘Moon River’ reached the top of the chart in the final week of 1961. Danny Williams was born on January 7th, 1942, in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa, he died on December 6th, 2005 of lung cancer at the age of 63. Danny Williams came to the UK in 1959 as part of a touring show, and would live in the United Kingdom for most of his life, earning himself the nickname ‘Britain’s Johnny Mathis.’ Danny Williams released 12 studio Albums between 1961-1977, and 39 singles between 1959-1980. In the UK four of his singles made the top 40, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart his only hit was ‘White on White,’ which reached Number 9 in 1964.

When Johnny Mercer was a boy he would look at the river which overlooked his home in Savannah, Georgia, it was called the ‘Back River.’ Mercer would dream of crossing the river to start out on his life’s journey, to which there would be no going back. The line ‘My Huckleberry friend’ is a reference to a childhood friend who Mercer would go picking Huckleberries with. The ‘Back River’ has since been renamed ‘Moon River’ in honour of the song, and Mercer’s childhood home along the river has become known as the ‘Moon River House.’

‘Two drifters off to see the world, there’s such a lot of world to see.We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waitin’ ’round the bend,my Huckleberry friend, moon river, and me.’