A Song About the Moon Phases

A song about the moon phases is a great way to get students thinking about the different stages of a lunar cycle. There are four primary and four intermediate phases.

The full moon phase is also called the waxing moon and the new moon phase is called the waning moon.

The Waterboys – The Whole of the Moon

Originally released in 1985, The Waterboys – The Whole of the Moon has risen in popularity in recent years. It is one of Mike Scott’s biggest compositions and it has been covered by Prince.

In this song, the Scottish-Irish folk rock band explores their varying musical styles and influences. The track features a number of vocalists including Anthony Thistlewaite, Karl Wallinger and Roddy Lorimer.

The music is influenced by Prince, Patti Smith, U2, Van Morrison and David Bowie. The synths layered over the piano add a sophisticated pop edge to this classic folk rock tune.

The Waterboys were formed in Edinburgh in 1983 and have toured the world with their unique blend of folk rock and Celtic music. They dissolved in 1993 but reformed and continue to release albums worldwide.

Sting – Child of the Moon

Moon jellyfish are round stinging jellyfish that live in the sea. They are poisonous and can sting humans or pets if they get in contact with them.

Sting, the former frontman of The Police, has written several songs about the moon. One of his early songs, “Walking on the Moon,” became a hit for the band in 1979.

He also wrote a song about the moon on his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles in 1985. It’s a darker take on the moon phases, with a more foreboding tone than other songs on this list.

Child of the Moon was released in 1968 as a b-side to a single called Jumpin’ Jack Flash. It was the band’s first record since their psychedelic period. It toughened up their sound for a more classic rock approach, and it featured the debut of Jimmy Miller on keyboards and Keith Richards on guitar. The result was one of the band’s finest albums.

The Rolling Stones – Moonlight Mile

In the Wall Street Journal, Mick Jagger shared his recollections of the final song on Sticky Fingers, which was recorded during an all-night session at Stargroves in October 1970. During the recording, bassist Bill Wyman wasn’t present, so Jagger and guitarist Mick Taylor had to make do with an unfinished guitar part that was credited to Keith Richards under the working title “Japanese Thing.”

After reworking the original guitar piece, Taylor and Jagger were able to extemporize and astringently craft it into one of their most memorable tracks. Adding a string arrangement by Paul Buckmaster to the tune, it was a dazzling climax that perfectly wrapped up this iconic album.

Tom Waits – Moon Over Memphis

During his brief but illustrious career, Tom Waits has become a sort of archetypal rock icon. He’s a wildly unconventional experimentalist who delivered a series of subversive ’80s masterpieces.

He’s also a singer-songwriter who delivers songs of love lost and sadness. His lyrics are often based on bar-room observations.

Waits was a regular fixture at San Diego’s coffeehouse folk scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and he was signed to Asylum Records, where he released several excellent albums. But this period was a turning point for Waits, as his music began to take on more of a sleazy character, with his voice curdling into a whiskey growl and his lyrics describing the characters of San Diego’s seedier byways and bars.

This year, Anti- Records is reissuing the first seven of these albums on CD and LP, and although many of them aren’t as groundbreaking or memorable as the later eras, they still form something of a snapshot of Waits getting to know himself and learning how to present his music to his fans.