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Musical composition copyright ©1975 Ardent Productions, Inc.
Original material is copyrighted ©2003 and may not be reproduced
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Background
Song by Alex Chilton on Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers album. Recorded in 1974 at Ardent
Studios in Memphis, Tennessee
but only released in 1978, this is one of the best moments on the record, with a sparse arrangement
featuring only Chilton's voice, a fingerpicked acoustic guitar, an acoustic bass and some woodwinds
arranged by Carl Marsh. The chord sequence resembles Pachelbel's Canon very closely, varying only
in the use of the relative minor instead of the root as the penultimate chord:
Blue Moon:
I - V - vi - IV - iii - IV - V - vi - IV, in the key of C
Canon:
I - V - vi - IV - iii - IV - V - I - IV - V, in the key of D
In chord terms, the song is played C G Am Em F G Am F.
It follows the similarly-themed Nightime and is followed by the final track on the album, Take Care. In the midst of the raw chaos that is Third/Sister Lovers, Blue Moon is a great break from it all, a step back to reflect on something similar. It's instantly familiar (probably because of the above-mentioned similarity to the Canon) but not tritely so. It's Big Star at its best.
Let me be your one light
And if you'd like a true heart
Take the time to show you're mine
And I'll be a blue moon in the dark
While you sleep, you'll see me there
Clouds race across the sky
Close your eyes and don't ask why
And I'll be a blue moon in your eyes
Morning comes and sleeping's done
Birds sing outside
If demons come while you're under
I'll be a blue moon in the sky