The song that survived three different sets of lyrics to become a standard
In short: Most people know the romantic ache of "Blue Moon," but the song was nearly a prayer for a movie star, a gritty subway scene, and a nightclub number. It took three distinct lyrical identities and a studio head's intervention to forge the ballad we recognize today.
The journey of "Blue Moon" began in 1933 when Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart were commissioned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to write for the film Hollywood Party. One early iteration was a song titled "Prayer (Oh Lord, make me a movie star)" intended for Jean Harlow. However, the film was released without Harlow, and the song remained unpublished. Hart later attempted to fit the melody into the 1934 film Manhattan Melodrama with lyrics about rushing into subways, but that version was also cut before release.
The melody persisted until Jack Robbins, head of MGM's publishing company, decided it was commercially viable but lacked romance. He persuaded a reluctant Hart to write a third set of lyrics. This final version was licensed to the radio program Hollywood Hotel as its theme. The first official recording by Ted Fio Rito and Muzzy Marcellino appeared in October 1934, eventually reaching number one on the Variety Top Ten in early 1935. This transition from functional film music to a commercial standard established the song's enduring structure.
The song's legacy is defined by its versatility across genres. In 1961, the doo-wop group The Marcels turned it into an international number-one hit, even incorporating a "bomp-baba-bomp" introduction from a different song called "Zoom." It has since been interpreted by icons ranging from Elvis Presley to the Beatles. While some folklore suggests the lyrics created the "blue moon" trope of loneliness, the song's history reveals a complex evolution of studio demands and artistic compromise.
Even its authorship has faced scrutiny. In 2018, a claim surfaced alleging the song was actually written by Edward W. Roman and sold for $900 to buy a car. Nevertheless, the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization's head of creative content rejected this idea as unlikely. Despite such rumors, the song remains a cornerstone of the Great American Songbook, appearing in everything from the Fallout: New Vegas video game to the anthem of Manchester City.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Blue Moon (1934 song)
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