I found myself singing this song yesterday. It was a minor hit in 1965. Written and performed by Johnathan King, there was something quite entrancing about "Everyone's Gone To the Moon". Here are the rather mysterious lyrics:-
Streets full of people
All alone
Roads full of houses
Never home
Church full of singing
Out of tune
Everyone's gone to the moon
Eyes full of sorrow
Never wet
Hands full of money
All in debt
Sun coming out in
The middle of June
Everyone's gone to the moon
Long time ago
Life has begun
Everyone went to the sun
Cars full of motors
Painted green
Mouths full of chocolate
Covered cream
Arms that can only
Lift a spoon
Everyone's gone to the moon
Everyone's gone to the moon
Everyone's gone to the moon
It reached Number 4 in the British charts and Number 17 in the US Billboard charts.
Anyway, it turns out that Johnathan King was a cunning paedophile who molested several boys and spent two years in prison for his hideous crimes. No sense of genuine apology has ever emerged from his lips. For this reason I have decided to post somebody else's version of "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" and not King's original. This is by Chad and Jeremy:-
I remember that now that I've heard it again, it's a sad song.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly has a sad "feel" to it - as if something has been lost.
DeleteI do like that song and have it in my iTunes, in fact. Wasn't it Johnathan King's only hit?
ReplyDeleteYes. I believe so. He was to go on to be a powerful and successful pop entrepreneur before the sex charges hit him.
DeleteJonathan King was another one that always gave me the creeps. Obviously there turned out to be a reason for it.
ReplyDeleteHis birth name was Johnathan, as on the record label. It was only later that he switched to Jonathan. I guess that people had been mis-spelling his name for years.
DeleteIt's like something written by ChatGPT
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the instruction might have been... "Write a slightly surreal catchy downbeat pop song including the word moon"
DeleteIt just goes to show he is a wolf in lamb's clothing, or whatever. As a photographer Neil maybe you could answer this question. I see a lot of photos with enormous moons featuring for instance behind Glastonbury Tor but when I look at the moon it is always tiny. Are such photos enhanced?
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean Thelma. I understand it's all to do with distance and perspective. To achieve that effect you need to be some distance away with good zoom facility on your camera or a telephoto lens.
DeleteOh god. I remember that song. I think it did well over here too. Did not know the story behind the writer of it. I have to say I find it treacly at this point in my life.
ReplyDeleteWhen Glen was in college, perhaps it is what the female students sang.
DeleteMost likely.
DeleteI am familiar with the song but not the singer. As usual, I do not catch the lyrics so when they're printed I get much more of the song.
ReplyDeleteThen you can sing along Keith!
DeleteI once had lunch with Jeremy Clyde - lovely bloke!
ReplyDeleteHe is 83 years old now. He was a page boy at Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.
Delete