The Whole Of The Moon by The Waterboys

Album: This Is The Sea (1985)

Charted: 3

License This Song

Songfacts®:

The "whole of the moon" is the big picture, which takes a particular vision to see. In a Songfacts interview with Waterboys frontman Mike Scott, he said: "I wrote the song when I was 26 years old, and I was discovering that there was so much more than I had ever known. There was so much more to learn than I'd even been hinted at in the culture I'd grown up in. I had a strong sense of wonderment about that, and I realized there were people who had vastly more information in their imaginations and experiences than I had. And so that's what inspired that song."
Who is it that Mike Scott is singing about in this song? Here's what he told us: "It's not a specific person. It's more a type. The point of the song was to illustrate how much more there could be to learn than we had ever guessed. And so, I used that format of songwriting, as if addressing a more knowledgeable or wise being.

Or it could actually have been someone who came into this life and burned out very quickly. Too far, too soon. Like Syd Barrett or Jimi Hendrix, who comes in and seems to be possessed by this otherworldly knowledge or inspiration, but burns out quickly then leaves us. That kind of character. It certainly wasn't written about C.S. Lewis, although he was a big spiritual inspiration to me as a child, and through the rest of my life, indeed. And it certainly wasn't about Prince, although there were moments when Prince seemed to embody that sort of person. And it certainly wasn't about my old friend Nikki Sudden, who was a very interesting character, but certainly not the kind of character I was describing in the song."
The Waterboys were a British group formed in London in 1981 by Mike Scott (guitar/vocals) and Anthony Thistlewaite (multi-instrumentalist). They later added Karl Wallinger (guitar, keyboards) Steve Wickham (fiddle) and Kevin Wilkinson (drums). The year after "The Whole Of The Moon" was released, Wallinger left the band to form World Party, who had a #27 US hit with "Ship Of Fools."
The Waterboys were not fans of the synth sound that was big in 1985, but when Mike Scott heard the Prince album Purple Rain, he realized it could work if done right. The This Is The Sea album is peppered with these sounds, played by the group's keyboard player Karl Wallinger, but they're most prominent on "The Whole Of The Moon." It came full circle when Prince performed the song at shows in 2014 and 2015.
This was the only song that was not mostly finished when The Waterboys started recording their third album, This Is The Sea. Mike Scott wrote in the liner notes: "That song, begun with a scribble on the back of an envelope on a wintery New York street, was finally completed in May 1985 in a London studio, when the verse containing 'unicorns and cannonballs, palaces and piers' was added."
The female singer who comes in around the 2:40 mark is Max Edie. Scott told her to sing while imagining she was "a carefree eight-year-old." Another outside musician to perform on the song was Roddy Lorimer on trumpet, which Scott describes as a "sunlight bursting through clouds" effect akin to the flugelhorns on The Beatles' "Penny Lane." The group's bass player, Anthony Thistlethwaite, did the explosive sax solo, which was bolstered by a firework sound effect that was run through an echo machine.

Some unique percussive elements were provided by session player Martin Ditcham who, according to Scott, "came in with a bag of weird stuff that he rubbed together or shook - that 'click' sound in the first few seconds is him. Karl and I each play a 'crump' - where you put an elbow or fist low down on the keyboard."
When this was first released in 1985, it reached #26 in the UK, their highest chart placing at the time. In 1991, it was re-issued to coincide with the band's greatest hits album The Best of the Waterboys 81–90, this time reaching #3.
The final scene of the November 3, 2019, series finale of Showtime's The Affair featured Fiona Apple's rendition of this song. It plays while the song's main character, Noah Solloway, dances on a bluff overlooking the ocean.

Apple wrote and performed the theme song for the series,, which launched in 2014.
When Mike Scott had the initial idea for the song, he wasn't yet contemplating the vast amount of knowledge that exists in the universe - he just wanted to impress a girl. In 2020, he told The Guardian the starting point came when his girlfriend asked him if it was easy to write songs. "In my 20s I hadn't yet grown out of the urge to show off to a new girlfriend, so I said: 'Yes it is!'" he recalled. "I pulled a pen and a piece of paper out of my pocket. There was a moon in the sky, so I wrote down: 'I saw the crescent, you saw the whole of the moon.' She was duly impressed. I fleshed it out in the hotel and back home in London came up with more lyrics and the piano part, a self-taught rhythm with one finger doing one pattern and three fingers doing another."
Prince covered "The Whole Of The Moon" in Minneapolis in 2015 with his all-female backing band, 3rdEyeGirl.

"I love it when people change my songs and make them their own," Mike Scott told The Guardian. "He flipped the lyrics round to sing 'I saw the whole of the moon,' using the song to make a Black Lives Matter statement, which I thought was very powerful."

Comments: 23

Drinkingstar from Seaside Park Bridgeport Ct, UsaSince I discovered this song, it is one that I play everyday when I go to the beach at Seaside Park. To me, the meaning is that a good woman will see the entirety of things that a man will never see. That is why a man needs a good woman who will show and teach that man who is willing to learn what life is truly all about. It is all about introspection rather than seeking and understanding what the media brainwashes us to believe. One does not have to travel to discover the truth. The truth is within us if we are really willing to look into that mirror. For most however, that is not the case. I have learned this over 50 years of marriage and even longer listening to music at the beach under the stars and moon with a few beers in me to free my mind.
AnonymousThey are Irish not British
Riley Peterson from TorontoThis song is about Syd Barrett
Tricia from North CarolinaI never heard this before. It's just everything.
John S from UsThe song tracks very well with the love story of Peter Lake and Beverly Penn in Mark Helprin’s book, “Winter’s Tale”. Mike Scott is a fan of the book, and even wrote another song entitled “Beverly Penn”. Beverly is a kind of mystic, and a young woman who is dying of TB. Despite her condition, she sees visions of the future and secrets of the universe. Peter Lake is a street-wise burglar and rogue who meets her by chance and they fall in love. Her eventual death both devastated him and set him on a path of a new, and strange, destiny. In him was the raw strength of life Beverly knew she’d never have, but he was awed, humbled and mesmerized by her vision and understanding, even though she seldom left her room.
Dave M from UkI thought this song was about a drug addict friend
Big Sugar from GhettoPull a moon, saw the crescent. Pull a bigger moon, saw the hole of the moon. Held it in his hands, and came like a comet. So much for that rainbow.
Davy K from CheshireA cracker of a song. When I first heard it, I just thought Albert Hammond and The Free Electric Band should get a nod for its punchyness.
Japa from LondonSome one told me it was about Alistair Crowley. Boy o boy ....I have picked up some rubbish over the years
Kieran from Galway When it came out I was very young and asked a friend what the hell it was about. He thought it should be obvious, a person who doesn't even have to leave their room to see the big picture while the writer has to go out into the world for years and still only see the Crescent. Also this person has the ability to see beauty everywhere when the writer one sees a rain dirty Valley. More similar themes where this person has all these positive attributes and the writer is very human.
Combining the musical brilliance of it with these fantastic lyrics I would say it's one of the greatest songs ever.
Fiona from New Zealand My interpretation of this song was about someone who lives with delusions of grandeur about his life. In contrast, the vocalist is in touch with reality and down to earth.
This song will always be one of my favourites. When I was a child I assumed it was David Bowie singing at the very end of the song.
Jacs from London Two human beings .. one having and seeing the world and the other having nothing.
Des from SuffolkI thought it was about people's attitude towards life. the glass half full or half empty...
Easnadh from New Plymouth, New ZealandI thought it was about God... just a thought
Tracey-lee from Cape Town, South AfricaI always covered this song with the definite feeling that the sentiment behind the lyrics was one of admiring the ease with which someone (the "you" in the song) cruised through life, as oppose to the obstacles scaled by the writer:
"I pictured a rainbow, you held it in your hands..."
"I spoke about wings, you just flew"
and indeed the title:
"I saw the crescent, you saw THE WHOLE OF THE MOON" clearly paints a picture of the writer looking with admiration and envy at someone to whom things come very easily.
Gertjan from Haaren, NetherlandsThe Waterboys commercially most succesful song The Whole of the Moon, was markedly unfinished when recording of This is the Sea began. It started with a scribble on the back of an envelope on a wintery New York street, in Jan. 1985 and was fully completed in May 1985 in a London studio, when the verse "unicorns and cannonballs, palaces and piers' was added .
The Waterboys was founded in 1982 by Mike Scott (Dec. 14th 1958), In fact the Waterboys is Mike Scott, picking musicians for recording and live peforming.
First recording for the Waterboys started December 1981 in London, first live performance was Febr. 19th 1984 in the Batschkapp club , Frankfurt Germany.
First long time contributer till 1986, was Anthony Thistlewaite, mainly on saxophone. After that from 1986 till today is Irishman Steve Wickham (fiddle).
Multi instrumentalist Karl Wallinger from Wales played with Mike Scott on two albums, Pagan Place (2nd, 1983) and This is the Sea (3rd, 1985) on which he contributed only on piano and keyboards.
From September 1991 untill May 2000, Mike Scott worked and recorded as a solo artists. Since June 16th the Waterboys is again his vehicle to record and perform his music.
Andy from Glasgow, United KingdomActually Mike Scott is From Ayrshire
Nicole from Manila, Philippinesi know this song was also part of a tribute to Greenpeace...part of the Greenpeace Breakthrough 2 Album. I always thought the words were very greenpeacey...til I realized the tribute came after. makes sense though.
Melissa from Sydney, AustraliaI am so curious about "Whole Of The Moon". Does anyone have a more detailed meaning of this song please?
Joe from Dublingotta say... these dudes wrote an absolute cracker called 'be my enemy' - look it up - once u get past the cr@ppy intro, it's top notch.
went to see them live in dublin a while ago tho and was bitterly disappointed, to be honest.
Richard from Didcot, EnglandHey Marlow in Perth. G'Day mate. The Whole of the Moon really was released in 1985. I think it got into the Vic/NSW charts in late 1986, then to you guys in WA 1988. These things take time eh but good things come to those that wait. Look forward to retaining that Urn next time out.
Richard from Didcot, England-Hi to yduR of Knoxville, TN. The Waterboys founder, frontman and inspiration, Mike Scott is actually from Edindburgh in Scotland but he's been drawn further towards Ireland and its music for many years now. Steve Wickham who plays fiddle is Irish and many of the bands constantly changing line up have been from Ireland. Check the website at http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/
Marlow from Perth, Australiagreat song! im sure it wasnt in the aussie charts until 1988

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Constant Cravingk.d. lang

"Constant Craving" by k.d. lang deals with principles of Buddhism, including the cycles of birth and death.

Knock On WoodEddie Floyd

The song "Knock On Wood" was confusing to UK listeners because the saying there is "Touch Wood."

...Baby One More TimeBritney Spears

"Baby One More Time," the breakout song for Britney Spears, was originally offered to TLC but they passed on it. The R&B trio didn't feel comfortable singing the line, "hit me baby one more time."

The Girl Is MineMichael Jackson

The first single from the Thriller album was "The Girl Is Mine," chosen over "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" because it was a duet with Paul McCartney and thus guaranteed airplay.

Me And Julio Down By The SchoolyardPaul Simon

Mickey Mantle and John Madden both appear in the video for "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" by Paul Simon. Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane do a rap intro.

NastyJanet Jackson

Janet Jackson wrote the lyric to "Nasty" in response to random guys calling her "baby."