13 Of The Best Songs About The Moon: Lunar Playlist

Written by Dan Farrant
Last updated

The universe is infinite, with thousands of planets and galaxies still undiscovered. While we can’t visit space and the moon, music allows listeners to feel closer to the final frontier.

Many songs have used the moon as a muse to talk about love, loneliness, and longing. Songs like these have comforted us and encouraged us to unleash our love and emotions.

The moon has served as an endless inspiration for these hits. Check out our list of 13 of the best songs about the moon and see how many you know!

1. “Fly Me To The Moon” By Frank Sinatra

It would be ridiculous not to start this list with Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.” The single was released in 1964 as part of his It Might as Well Be Swing album.

In this timeless song, he sings about being head over heels in love. “Fly me to the moon” is a romantic way of saying how happy he is with her. He uses celestial bodies such as Jupiter and Mars to convey his romance.

In the latter part of the song, the singer gets more straightforward. He tells her how much he wants her to hold his hand and kiss him. He also pleas to “please be true,” meaning to be faithful in their relationship.

2. “Man On The Moon” By R.E.M.

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what goes on in the head of songwriters when they pen lyrics. Case in point: why would American rock band R.E.M. call their song “Man on the Moon” when it doesn’t talk about the 1969 moon landing?

Listen to the song and notice one name that keeps popping up: Andy. The band is referring to comedian Andy Kaufman, who became their inspiration for this particular song. There is a line that says, “Andy, did you hear about this one?” It is followed by his passions, such as doing Elvis Presley impersonations.

So what’s the connection between the title and Andy Kaufman? Conspiracy theories. Many were wondering if Kaufman was really dead the same way some were asking whether the moon landing really took place.

3. “There’s A Moon In The Sky (Called The Moon)” By The B-52s

One of the songs with “moon” in the title is “There’s a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon).” This track by the B-52s is quirky and talks more about loneliness and feeling out of place.

Lines like “Don’t feel out of place/ ’cause there are thousands of others like you” touch on how no human experience is unique. Whatever feeling you have, thousands of people are out there feeling the same way. It begs listeners to never worry about this.

The song references space, the beautiful moon, and all the other planets. But it also seems to reach out and talk about human nature, feelings, and how closely related we all are.

4. “Blue Moon” By The Marcels

The moon certainly has captivated people to pen love songs. The Marcels‘ “Blue Moon” is a case in point. Released in 1961, it goes from someone singing from sadness to ending on a note of gratitude. He feels fulfilled due to his answered prayers.

The singer shares how he prayed to the moon, asking for love. He sings, “Without a dream in my heart/without a love of my own.” In the end, he proudly declares that he is “no longer alone.”

“Blue Moon” can be interpreted differently, as is the case with most songs. Blue moons are rare in occurrence, so this love the singer found is his one true love. “Blue” could also signify the singer’s sadness at being alone.

5. “Mr. Moonlight” By The Beatles

When there’s a bright moonlight, it turns us into romantics. We imagine being with the one we love and perhaps even kissing under the moon. The Beatles came up with “Mr. Moonlight” in 1964 as their contribution to the growing list of songs about this celestial body.

Basically, the song reflects one’s gratitude to the moon for hooking him up with his lover. He credits “Mr. Moonlight” with sending love to both of them.

However, it is not clear why suddenly “I am on my knees begging if you please.” It sounds like the person is upset. It could mean there is trouble in paradise, and the man is asking Mr. Moonlight to fix the problem with his “beam.”

6. “Moon Is Up” By The Rolling Stones

Released in 1994 by the Rolling Stones, “Moon Is Up” is another love song, though a depressing one at that. The singer feels so disconnected from his love that he says it feels as though they are “worlds apart.”

A song with “moon” in the lyrics, it begins with the lines, “Moon is up/ the sun is down.” This reflects the duality of nature. The sun and the moon cannot be in the sky at the same time. Just like the couple, who may be facing circumstances that made their togetherness impossible.

The singer urges reconciliation but he doesn’t know how to do it yet. Even at the end of the song, there is no happy ending for both of them.

7. “Song About the Moon” By Paul Simon

Here is one of the songs that mention “moon,” from its title to the lyrics. Paul Simon instructs in his “Song About the Moon” how one should write about this celestial beauty.

First, he tells us that we should take a walk along the craters in the afternoon. One needs to apply imagination here, to think of actually walking along these “craters.” He also suggests that if we want to write about the heart and a face, we should start with writing a song about the moon.

As we know, the moon remains largely unknown despite the discoveries made. Thus, it requires our imagination to be able to “write a song about the moon.”

8. “Child Of The Moon” By The Rolling Stones

Another great ballad about the moon by the Rolling Stones is “Child of the Moon,” released in 1968. This song was on Side B of the popular Jumpin’ Jack Flash release.

Unfortunately, the song had little in the way of lyrics, and there isn’t just one way to decipher its meaning. On the other hand, you’ll find a lot of imagery in “Child of the Moon.”

If you listen to the lyrics, you’ll notice that it is a transition from night to day. From another perspective, this could symbolize melancholy to happiness. The title itself seems to point to the singer singing about himself. He also expresses his joy at the coming of the sun, meaning coming out of a gloomy situation.

9. “Talking To The Moon” By Bruno Mars

When you’re going through heartbreak, you might find yourself “Talking to the Moon,” as Bruno Mars‘ song shows. It’s a power ballad talking about heartache and loneliness.

The song opens up with Mars crying for the woman he lost. He’s going through hard days as he lives without her. When nighttime comes, he’s “talking to the moon,” as we all sometimes do when we wish for the other person to hear what we want to say.

It can get emotional listening to this ballad. Breaking up is such a tough experience, especially when regret and missing the other person comes into play. It just makes you wish you can move on fast.

10. “Drunk On The Moon” By Tom Waits

Released in 1974, “Drunk on the Moon” is a jazz song that recounts a man’s experiences and observations on a night out. This came from Tom Waits‘ album The Heart of Saturday Night.

From the lyrics, we see how the singer laments that he is “drunk on the moon.” This could mean he is drunk literally, as the other lines pertain to him spending the night out drinking.

This is further strengthened by the line, “I’m blinded by the neon.” Neons refer to the signs outside of bars. He also observes that “the moon’s on the wane,” which might pertain to the hour getting late.

11. “Shame On The Moon” By Bob Seger

Listen to this Bob Seger song and you might like its lyrical message of human nature. “Shame on the Moon” came out in 1982 from the album The Distance.

The song is divided into three verses and a chorus. The first verse tells women about how men find it hard to show their feelings. The second verse addresses men about having a relationship with a woman. The last verse warns people of things that could destroy a relationship.

The chorus carries the line “shame on the moon.” It means that there are ways to deal with the success or failure of a relationship. It also means that some things are not meant to be. You just have to accept it and move on.

12. “Moonlight Serenade” By Glenn Miller

This classic song only proves that the moon has been captivating musicians since time immemorial. “Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller, sung by Frank Sinatra, is proof of that.

As you guessed, this dreamy ballad is a love song. It represents someone longing for his love and expressing that at night under the moon.

Serenades don’t happen these days as often as they did in the old days. But imagine having a man serenade you with a song. He sings about you and him spending days and nights together. Can there be anything more romantic than this?

13. “Walking On The Moon” By The Police

Being in love leaves you with that feeling of giddiness. That’s why you feel like you’re “walking on the moon.”

The Police‘s “Walking on the Moon” is simply a love story. It begins with the line, “Giant steps are what you take.” It reflects how lovers behave when in love. You’re ready to make even big decisions.

The phrase “walking on the moon” can leave one weak in the knees. The singer probably feels like he’s floating with his love for her. With the absence of gravity on the moon, it certainly feels like floating. Specifically, “Feet they hardly touch the ground.” Isn’t that how one feels when he’s on cloud nine?

Summing Up Our List Of Moon Songs

The moon is a thing of beauty that deserves all songs written out there about it. Not only that, it can be used as a metaphor for many things.

Without a doubt, more and more artists will think to write just one more song about the moon. After all, there can never be too many moon songs.

We hope you enjoyed the songs above and that they helped you appreciate the beauty of the moon. But with or without this jewel in the sky, these tracks are still perfect for listening on any night.

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Dan Farrant, the founder of Hello Music Theory, has been teaching music for over 15 years, helping hundreds of thousands of students unlock the joy of music. He graduated from The Royal Academy of Music in 2012 and then launched Hello Music Theory in 2014. He plays the guitar, piano, bass guitar and double bass and loves teaching music theory.