The Whole of the Moon - wikipedia The Whole of the Moon Not to be confused with 1997 New Zealand film The Whole of the Moon. `` The Whole of the Moon '' Single by The Waterboys from the album This Is the Sea B - side `` Medicine Jack '' ( 7 `` ) `` The Girl in the Swing '' / `` Spirit '' / `` Medicine Jack '' ( 12 `` ) Released 14 October 1985 ( UK ) November 21, 1985 ( US ) April 2, 1991 ( Re-issue ) Format 7 `` / 12 '' Recorded May 1985, Livingstone Studios ( London ) and Amazon Studios ( Liverpool ) Genre Rock Length 4 : 58 Label Ensign Songwriter ( s ) Mike Scott Producer ( s ) Mike Scott The Waterboys singles chronology `` The Big Music '' ( 1984 ) `` The Whole of the Moon '' ( 1985 ) `` Fisherman 's Blues '' ( 1989 ) `` The Big Music '' ( 1984 ) `` The Whole of the Moon '' ( 1985 ) `` Fisherman 's Blues '' ( 1989 ) Audio sample file help `` The Whole of the Moon '' is a song by the Waterboys which was released as a single from their album This Is the Sea in 1985. It is a classic of the band 's repertoire and has been consistently played at live shows ever since its release. Written and produced by Mike Scott, the subject of the song has inspired some speculation. The single was not a big success when initially released in 1985, only making the lower ends of the chart. Subsequently it became one of The Waterboys ' best - known songs and their most commercially successful. It is arguably the band 's signature song and was the Ivor Novello Award winner `` Best Song Musically and Lyrically '' in 1991. Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Music 3 Releases 4 Personnel 5 Covers 6 References 7 External links Lyrics The subject of the lyrics has inspired speculation, some of which has been rebutted by the writer. The song apparently began as a `` scribble on the back of an envelope on a wintry New York street '', after Scott 's girlfriend asked him if it was difficult to write a song. Like The Waterboys ' first single `` A Girl Called Johnny '', the song is a tribute to an inspirational figure or figures. In each line, the singer describes his own perspective and immediately contrasts it with that of the song 's subject, summarizing the difference with the line `` I saw the crescent / You saw the whole of the moon ''. Allmusic instead suggests that its subject is a number of people who inspired Scott, including writer C.S. Lewis and the musician Prince. Scott himself says that he `` could n't have written '' the song without having read Mark Helprin 's novel Winter 's Tale, but goes on to state that the song is not about Helprin. The official Waterboys website 's Frequently Asked Questions clarifies that Scott has said that the song 's subject is `` a composite of many people '', including C.S. Lewis, but explicitly states that it is not about Prince. Musician Nikki Sudden, with whom Scott had collaborated before forming The Waterboys, has claimed that the song was written about himself. Music The band members at the time were Mike Scott himself, Anthony Thistlethwaite, Karl Wallinger, and Roddy Lorimer. Drummer Kevin Wilkinson had left the band by the time `` The Whole of the Moon '' was recorded and drums were played by session player, Chris Whitten. Demo 'd but not finished at the beginning of the recording sessions, the song was eventually completed in May 1985. 1991 alternate sleeve A feature of `` The Whole of the Moon '' is the trumpet work on the recording, courtesy of the classically trained Lorimer. Lorimer spent three days with Scott working on the song 's arrangement and `` went home with a tape of the song and thought about a more classical approach. After a while sitting at the piano I came up with the idea of antiphonal trumpets. A piccolo trumpet on the left answered a piccolo on the right and then the same again, growing by adding a Bb trumpet below each side of the stereo picture. Mike loved it, except the slightly jazzy chords I had used on the run down at the very end, which he simplified. I used the same classical approach later in the song, mixing two classical - type trumpets behind a later verse. '' Lorimer also contributes falsetto background vocals to the song, while Thistlethwaite, another brass section member, performs a saxophone solo near the end. Wallinger provided synthesizer, synth bass and backing vocals. Releases It was first released as a seven and 12 - inch single, which reached number 26 on the United Kingdom singles chart. The single also contained a live recording of `` The Girl in the Swing '', from The Waterboys, the band 's first album, an extended mix of `` Spirit '', and a song titled `` Medicine Jack ''. Following various sell - out tours by the band from 1986 - 90 the song appeared on the group 's greatest hits package The Best of the Waterboys 81 -- 90 in 1991. That year, this song was re-released as a single ( 7 ``, 12 '' and CD ) from the album and was a big hit, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and receiving an Ivor Novello Award as `` Best Song Musically and Lyrically '' in 1991. The second single release had different B sides from the 1985 version. `` Golden Age '' was on the 7 '' B side and the 12 '' had `` The Golden Age Medley '', which included `` A Golden Age '', `` Higher In Time '' ( fast ), `` High Far Soon '' and `` Soon As I Get Home ''. Including the 2004 remastered album, the song has been officially released four times and appears on the following Waterboys albums : This Is the Sea ( 1985 ) The Best of The Waterboys 81 -- 90 ( 1991 ) The Whole of the Moon : The Music of Mike Scott & The Waterboys ( 1998 ) This Is the Sea - special remastered 2CD edition ( 2004 ) Karma to Burn ( live ) ( 2005 ) Personnel Max Edie - backing vocals Chris Whitten - drums, percussion Martin Ditcham - percussion Anthony Thistlethwaite - saxophone Karl Wallinger - synthesizer, bass ( synthesizer ), backing vocals Roddy Lorimer - trumpet Mike Scott - vocals, piano, guitar Mick Glossop - mixed Covers `` The Whole of the Moon '' was covered by Jennifer Warnes on her 1992 album The Hunter, by Mandy Moore on her 2003 album Coverage, by the band Human Drama on the compilation album New Wave Goes to Hell, by folk singer - songwriter Peter Mulvey on his 1995 release Rapture and Terry Reid on his album The Driver. Steve Hogarth of Marillion has included it in his solo `` h natural '' shows. It was also a hit on the Balearic dance scene in the 1980s and has appeared on numerous other compilations. The song was also performed in an episode of Father Ted by Father Noel Furlong ( played by Graham Norton ). Prince covered the song at Ronnie Scott 's Jazz Club during his 2014 Hit & Run tour, and again at the Paisley Park Studios during a Dance Rally for Peace in May 2015. Susan McFadden performed the song on the Celtic Woman album Destiny. Mike Scott included a live solo version of the song as a bonus track on his 1995 single `` Building the City of Light ''. U2 has played the song as the band enters the stage during The Joshua Tree Tour 2017. References ^ Jump up to : `` Discography '' mikescottwaterboys.com. Retrieved 17 November 2008. ^ Jump up to : Mick Fitzsimmons. `` Must Have Waterboys ''. BBC : Critical List. Archived from the original on January 15, 2005. Retrieved October 22, 2005. Jump up ^ `` The Waterboys '' wikimusicguide.com. Retrieved 17 November 2008. ^ Jump up to : Scott, Mike ( 2004 ). `` Recording Notes ''. This Is the Sea. EMI. p. 5. Jump up ^ Dodd, Philip ( 2005 ). The Book of Rock : From the 1950s to Today. Thunder 's Mouth Press. p. 480. ^ Jump up to : `` Review of The Whole of the Moon ''. Allmusic. Retrieved October 24, 2005. Jump up ^ `` FAQ ''. mikescottwaterboys. Retrieved October 23, 2005. Jump up ^ Nikki Sudden. `` A Few Mike Scott stories ''. Excerpts from Nikki Sudden 's Autobiography. Retrieved October 23, 2005. Jump up ^ `` Roddy Lorimer ''. Kick Horns Line Up. Retrieved October 31, 2005. Jump up ^ `` Discogs ''. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Prince watch : his Hit and Run tour stops by at Ronnie Scott 's Music ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Paisley Park DANCE RALLY 4 PEACE. Saturday May 2, 2015. Starts at NINE THIRTY ''. Prince.org. 2015 - 05 - 02. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Mike Scott -- Building The City Of Light ''. Discogs. Retrieved 30 June 2017. External links Video directed by Irish filmmaker Meiert Avis, and shot at the Lyceum Theatre, London in November 1985. Mike Scott sings live over an amended version of the record, on which fiddle and acoustic guitar were added at Wessex Studios, London. Lu Edmonds of Public Image Ltd. mimes the bass in the video. The Waterboys Mike Scott Steve Wickham Trevor Hutchinson Roddy Lorimer Richard Naiff Anthony Thistlethwaite Karl Wallinger Kevin Wilkinson Marc `` Archie '' Arciero Colin Blakey Jay Dee Daugherty James Hallawell Katie Kim Ralph Salmins Sharon Shannon List of Waterboys members Studio albums as The Waterboys The Waterboys ( 1983 ) A Pagan Place ( 1984 ) This Is the Sea ( 1985 ) Fisherman 's Blues ( 1988 ) Room to Roam ( 1990 ) Dream Harder ( 1993 ) A Rock in the Weary Land ( 2000 ) Universal Hall ( 2003 ) Book of Lightning ( 2007 ) An Appointment with Mr Yeats ( 2011 ) Modern Blues ( 2015 ) Out of All This Blue ( 2017 ) Studio albums as Mike Scott Bring ' Em All In ( 1995 ) Still Burning ( 1997 ) Live albums The Live Adventures of the Waterboys ( 1998 ) Karma to Burn ( 2005 ) Compilations The Best of the Waterboys 81 -- 90 ( 1991, recorded 1982 to 1990 ) The Secret Life of the Waterboys 81 -- 85 ( 1994, recorded 1981 to 1985 ) The Whole of the Moon : The Music of Mike Scott & the Waterboys ( 1998, recorded 1982 to 1996 ) Too Close To Heaven : The Unreleased Fisherman 's Blues Sessions / Fisherman 's Blues Part 2 ( 2001, recorded 1986 to 2001 ) Kiss the Wind ( download only ) ( 2008, recorded 1991 to 2006 ) In a Special Place : The Piano Demos for ' This Is The Sea ' ( 2011, recorded 1985 ) Fisherman 's Box ( 2013, recorded 1986 to 1988 ) Related articles World Party The Big Music Ivor Novello Awards -- Best Song Musically and Lyrically 1960s She 's Leaving Home ( 1968 ) 1970s Where Do You Go To ( My Lovely ) ? ( 1970 ) Something ( 1971 ) Do n't Let It Die ( 1972 ) Without You ( 1973 ) Daniel ( 1974 ) Streets of London * ( 1975 ) Do n't Cry for Me Argentina ( 1978 ) Baker Street ( 1979 ) 1980s The Logical Song ( 1980 ) Woman in Love ( 1981 ) Memory ( 1982 ) Have You Ever Been in Love ( 1983 ) Every Breath You Take ( 1984 ) Against All Odds ( 1985 ) Nikita ( 1986 ) Do n't Give Up ( 1987 ) Something Inside So Strong ( 1988 ) They Dance Alone ( 1989 ) 1990s The Living Years ( 1990 ) Sacrifice ( 1991 ) The Whole of the Moon ( 1992 ) Why ( 1993 ) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You ( 1994 ) Think Twice ( 1995 ) Common People ( 1996 ) Too Much Love Will Kill You ( 1997 ) Paranoid Android ( 1998 ) Believe ( 1999 ) 2000s Strong ( 2000 ) Babylon ( 2001 ) Walk On ( 2002 ) The Other Side ( 2003 ) Leave Right Now ( 2004 ) Dry Your Eyes ( 2005 ) Suddenly I See ( 2006 ) Elusive ( 2007 ) Love Is a Losing Game ( 2008 ) One Day Like This ( 2009 ) 2010s The Fear ( 2010 ) Becoming a Jackal ( 2011 ) The A Team ( 2012 ) Next to Me ( 2013 ) Strong ( 2014 ) Take Me to Church ( 2015 ) Was n't Expecting That ( 2016 ) * Awarded as The Best Song Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Whole_of_the_Moon&oldid=800940232 '' Categories : 1985 singles 1980s ballads 1991 singles The Waterboys songs Jennifer Warnes songs Mandy Moore songs Human Drama songs Music videos directed by Meiert Avis 1985 songs Rock ballads Songs written by Mike Scott ( musician ) Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Polski Edit links This page was last edited on 16 September 2017, at 17 : 32. 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Question: what is the meaning of the song the whole of the moon
Answer: a number of people who inspired Scott