Moon River – English Lyrics

• By: Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a captivating journey, and 'Moon River' offers a perfect starting point. Its simple yet profound English lyrics, filled with evocative imagery of dreams and journeys, provide a gentle introduction to poetic language. The song's timeless melody and heartfelt emotion make the learning process not just educational, but deeply moving.

[English]

[guitar plays]

♪ moon river ♪

♪ wider than a mile ♪

♪ I'm crossin' you in style ♪

♪ someday ♪

♪ oh, dream maker ♪

♪ you heartbreaker ♪

♪ wherever you're goin' ♪

♪ I'm goin' your way ♪

♪ 2 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 ♪

Hi.

Hi.

What you doin'?

Writing.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
moon /muːn/ A1	noun - the natural satellite of the Earth
river /ˈrɪvər/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water
wider /ˈwaɪdər/ A2	adjective - having a greater width
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to imagine or hope for something
heartbreaker /ˈhɑːrtˌbreɪkər/ B2	noun - a person who causes emotional pain to others
drifter /ˈdrɪftər/ B2	noun - a person who moves from place to place without a fixed home
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples
same /seɪm/ A1	adjective - identical; not different
waiting /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ A2	verb - to stay in one place until something happens
friend /frɛnd/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and has a bond of mutual affection

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm crossin' you in style.

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ Uses the verb 'to be' + verb ending in '-ing' to describe an action happening at the moment or in a temporary context.

• Wherever you're goin' you I'm goin' your way.

  ➔ Determiner 'wherever' + clause of location; future intention with 'goin''

  ➔ Indicates that the action or desire applies regardless of location, expressing a sense of commitment or shared journey.

• My huckleberry friend.

  ➔ Possessive pronoun 'My' + noun phrase

  ➔ Shows possession or association with the noun 'friend,' indicating a close or personal relationship.

• Waitin' round the bend.

  ➔ Gerund 'waitin'' + prepositional phrase 'round the bend'

  ➔ Uses a gerund to indicate an ongoing action or state, combined with a prepositional phrase to specify location or timing.

• There's such a lot of world to see.

  ➔ Existential there + adjective phrase

  ➔ Uses 'there is/are' construction to indicate existence, combined with an adjective phrase emphasizing quantity or extent.

• We're after the same rainbow's end.

  ➔ Be after + noun phrase indicating pursuit or desire

  ➔ The phrase 'be after' is used to indicate pursuit, desire, or aim for something.