Moon River and Me

“Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness.” This quote is exclaimed by Paul Varjak in the last scene of the classic movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. His expression of love to the dynamic character, Holly Golightly, is foreshadowed earlier in the film when Paul listens to her sing the sweet melody of “Moon River” on her tiny New York balcony. The song “Moon River,” lasting only a minute and a half, touches my heart every time I hear the lyrics. Through repetition and analyzation, this song has become more than my favorite lullaby and ear worm, but an inspiration when thinking about my future.

One might ask how I came to love a song that most teenagers of my generation have never had the pleasure of listening to. Music has had an impact on my life ever since I was a child. I could be found watching classic musicals on repeat and memorizing every tune. I admired the work of actresses and singers such as Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury, Barbra Streisand, and, in this case, Audrey Hepburn. The song, “Moon River,” won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1961 for its original performance in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Since then, it has been covered by many famous singers such as Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. 

“Moon river, wider than a mile": this first line iterates the fact that no one knows what the future holds. I constantly think of where I will live, what career position I will hold, will I have a family of my own, will I get the chance to inspire people? It is exhilarating to imagine all the possibilities that the world holds for me to take advantage of. I may want to become a teacher, work as a successful business woman, have five children, or advocate for social justice… anything is possible. The lyric, “wider than a mile,” depicts the many paths in life that a person can take. “I’m crossing you in style, someday.” There is an episode of the Sex and the City in which Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big slow dance to this melody in Big’s apartment. This lyric prompts me to think of my admiration of Carrie Bradshaw. She is an independent, confident, and stylish woman who walks the streets on New York like she owns them. When I think of myself drifting along my own moon river, I see a part of her in my future.

The foreshadowing is pursued by a message that conveys joys and hardships in life. “Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker, wherever you’re going, I'm going your way.” When my dreams are fulfilled, they become my joys; on the other hand, when my fears become reality, they are my heartbreaks. Both are inescapable in life; therefore, I am inevitably going their way. All of these concepts relate back to the idea of pondering the future. I believe that I cannot live life in horror of what may happen; rather, ride the wave of happiness, sadness, excitement, and all other emotions to see where life takes me. I have goals of graduating with a Religious Studies degree, using my education along with my life experiences to help and inspire people, having a family, and living in New York. Attaining these goals, along with many others, will bring me great pride; although I must remember, life will always throw curve balls and sometimes not getting what I want may be an incredible stroke of luck. 

“Two drifters, off to see the world, there’s such a lot of world to see.” Who will I take with me on my life journey? I believe that people come in and out of my life to impact me in some way. The simplicity of the phrase “two drifters” has an enormous impact on my thoughts of my life path. I often think if the latter is accurate, then I will have only one other person to help me along my way, such as a spouse, best friend, or maybe even my sister. Society says that I will marry a man, together we will have a family, and as a couple, work together to benefit most from the opportunities in life.  As a woman in a progressive American society, I may stay single and independent and have a best friend whom I turn to for the sharing of life’s influential moments. This brings me back to the show Sex and the City and a quote which resinates in the feminist corner of my personality, “Maybe our girlfriends are our soul mates and guys are just people to have fun with.” Soul mate does not have to be defined as the person whom I marry; more accurately, it can be someone who understands me fully as a person and respects and supports the decisions and paths I choose in life. Who knows… Maybe I will be my own soulmate.

“We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waiting, round the bend.” This subsequent lyric expresses, once again, the goals of the future. It reminds me that although not yet attained, they are feasible just around the bend. The bend symbolizes tasks, responsibilities, work, or simply amounts of time that are a roadblock in the path. Whether it be my husband, girlfriends, or family, whoever is there to share in my life journey, will be walking with me until we have encountered, as the theme song of the TV comedy Who’s the Boss states, “A brand new life around the bend.”

“My Huckleberry friend, Moon River and me.” The words, “Huckleberry friend” prompt me to think about a light hearted person, drifting through life and enjoying the ride. Although I am unsure, it is exciting to think of all the things I could accomplish. Anything is possible if I put my mind to it, and the message of this song reassures me of that. Through this melody, I gain confidence and strength when life gets tough. It is a reminder that I am on a “Moon River”: sometimes it is dark as night, but at other times, it is beautifully lit by the moonlight. There will be magnificent waterfalls and strong, rapid currents. It is through the support of others or strength within myself that I will find my rainbow’s end.