Even after all his success as a singer, songwriter, and as a record label executive (though not so much as an actor), Johnny decided he wanted to write a full-fledged musical for the stage. He made a first attempt in the 1940s, writing St. Louis Woman, but it didn’t do very well. He continued with a few more attempts that had good runs, but weren’t widely successful. He continued to write songs for movies, and then finally in 1956 saw Li’l Abner hit the stage to great reviews. Johnny finally achieved the Broadway success he’d sought for so many years
 

Still, things were slowing down for the lyricist. Music was changing in the 1950s, rock’n’roll was gaining in popularity and composers were beginning to write the lyrics for movie scores, edging out songwriters like Johnny. Johnny entered a dark period that lasted until he met Henry Mancini. Mancini and Johnny collaborated on a song together, and when Mancini was asked to score Breakfast at Tiffany’s he went to Johnny for lyrics for the theme song.

Mancini had the melody, and Johnny wrote three different lyrics. They talked each one over and settled on the second, called “Blue River.” Johnny then found out a friend already had a song called “Blue River” and wanted to change the word ‘blue’ in the song and title. Again, his childhood in the South came to him, and he started thinking about the Vernon and Back River at Burnside Island. Those were the images he wanted to evoke, but needed a better word. He didn’t have to look very far, after consulting a map he found the Moon River, just across the Georgia-South Caroline border in Bluffton, SC. Thus, a hit was born.

        

Moon River
Wider than a mile:
I’m crossing you in style some day.
Old dream maker,
You heart breaker,
Wherever you’re goin’,
I’m goin’ your way

“Moon River” was a huge success, and Johnny won an Academy Award® for it, once again finding himself in demand. The next year, Johnny and Mancini teamed up again for the title song to Days of Wine and Roses, a movie about how alcoholism destroys a marriage. The two won another Oscar® for this, and Johnny came out of a terrible time in his life as a result.

Vocabulary

Academy Award® – awards given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, considered the highest honor for the movie industry

Evoke – to call forth or bring to mind

Oscar® – the name of the statuette given to Academy Award® winners, the award ceremonies are often referred to as The Oscars®

Teaching Tips

Compare Oscar-winning songs from different decades in the past 100 years. Discuss how music has changed, what new types of music have evolved over the years, such as jazz, blues, swing, rock, rap and country.

Have students pick a type or genre of music they don’t know much about and prepare a short presentation about how it developed, how it affected society, and what performers are best known for that genre.

Media Links

Click here to see Audrey Hepburn singing "Moon River" in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Sources

Philip Furia, Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003), 217-223