Eddi Reader tracks

Battersea moon

the song
title :	Battersea moon
written by :	Eddi Reader and Teddy Borowiecki
song copyright :	© 1994 Warner Music UK Ltd

the performance
musicians
Eddi Reader	vocal, backing vocals
Teddy Borowiecki ?	accordion, keyboards
Dean Parks ?	electric and acoustic guitars
David Piltch ?	bass guitar
Curt Bisquera ?	drums

music
key :	D major (but see commentary below)
time-signature :	4/4
tempo :	MM 104
form :	V V C V m C V C N

lyrics
provided for research and private study only (see above for copyright details): Battersea moon du-du-du-du-doo, hi-ya mmm-mmm the moon it makes me evil inside and out it swells my skin and traps my tongue with words that got me hung, ah-ha {hi-ee-ah} there’s something about the light I know it thrills and oh it killed me with grey and white we were bones upon this grass hi-ee-ah oh-ah-ow, how many times I would dance, yeah I found a crack in heaven it happens once [so very long] time but its all alone for now like baby blue {ooh} oh-ah, la-di-da, la-ah la-di-da, di-ah oh, how {how} many times I would dance, ah-hi-ya-ha my sister says you’re nothing I know it’s true, I know it’s true but I’m half alive and I need you here tonight oh-ah-oh, oh, how many times I would dance, I would dance oh, you forget, I would dance du-du-du-du-du-du {here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire} I would dance {here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire} du-du-du-du-du-du [etc.] {here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire} I would dance, I would dance, ah-ha {here’s the moon} I’m a millionaire here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire

lyrics

provided for research and private study only (see above for copyright details):

Battersea moon

du-du-du-du-doo, hi-ya
mmm-mmm

the moon it makes me evil
inside and out it swells my skin
and traps my tongue
with words that got me hung, ah-ha {hi-ee-ah}

there’s something about the light
I know it thrills and oh
it killed me with grey and white
we were bones upon this grass
hi-ee-ah

oh-ah-ow, how many times I would dance, yeah

I found a crack in heaven
it happens once [so very long] time
but its all alone for now
like baby blue {ooh}

oh-ah, la-di-da, la-ah
la-di-da, di-ah
oh, how {how} many times I would dance, ah-hi-ya-ha

my sister says you’re nothing
I know it’s true, I know it’s true
but I’m half alive
and I need you here tonight

oh-ah-oh, oh, how many times I would dance, I would dance
oh, you forget, I would dance
du-du-du-du-du-du

{here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire
here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire}
I would dance
{here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire}
du-du-du-du-du-du [etc.]
{here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire}
I would dance, I would dance, ah-ha
{here’s the moon} I’m a millionaire
here’s the moon, I’m a millionaire

explanations
Battersea is an inner suburb of London, about three miles south-west of Charing Cross. Eddi lived near this area at the time and it also makes an appearance in the song ‘Rebel angel’ on the Candyfloss and medicine album.

the recording
personnel
produced by :	Greg Penny
recorded by :	Jon Ingoldsby at El Mirador, Ojai, California. ?
mixed by :	Jon Ingoldsby assisted by Andy Strange at Air Studios, London ?
mastered by :	? at ?

technical
track timing :	4:07

recording copyright
1994 Warner Music UK Ltd

released on
single :	Dear John 7" and MC only	track 2

commentary
An intriguing song, with excellent use of the imagery of moon-light – grey, white, cold, blue, dark, night. One suspects that the first verse refers, more or less obliquely, to the female menstrual cycle. The final verse at least is clear in meaning “My sister says you’re nothing / I know it’s true... / but I’m half alive / and I need you here tonight”. The effect of unfulfilled longing is underpinned by the music. The verse has a see-saw bass line which anchors it firmly round the dominant chord, with a regular progress through the series of chords V-I’-IV-II-I’-IV-I-V-I’-IV-I-V, and the chorus uses the fairly common IV-V-I-V cycle, which also emphasies V. Even the modulation in the middle eight only makes it as far as II# (the dominant of the dominant). This continual circling gives the song a wonderfully claustrophobic feel, rather as in the later ‘Shall I be mother’. This is actually one of my favourite Eddi songs and I’m only sorry that it isn’t available on CD, so I have to rely on the 7-inch single and a fragile cassette copy. At least I’m luckier than all you folks out there who’ve never heard it at all!
Adrian Dover

commentary

An intriguing song, with excellent use of the imagery of moon-light – grey, white, cold, blue, dark, night. One suspects that the first verse refers, more or less obliquely, to the female menstrual cycle. The final verse at least is clear in meaning “My sister says you’re nothing / I know it’s true... / but I’m half alive / and I need you here tonight”.

The effect of unfulfilled longing is underpinned by the music. The verse has a see-saw bass line which anchors it firmly round the dominant chord, with a regular progress through the series of chords V-I’-IV-II-I’-IV-I-V-I’-IV-I-V, and the chorus uses the fairly common IV-V-I-V cycle, which also emphasies V. Even the modulation in the middle eight only makes it as far as II# (the dominant of the dominant). This continual circling gives the song a wonderfully claustrophobic feel, rather as in the later ‘Shall I be mother’.

This is actually one of my favourite Eddi songs and I’m only sorry that it isn’t available on CD, so I have to rely on the 7-inch single and a fragile cassette copy. At least I’m luckier than all you folks out there who’ve never heard it at all!

Adrian Dover

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