The Moon Lyrics — Once

Song Overview

Review and Highlights

Quick summary

• The track comes from Once: A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording), released in March 2012, with Will Connolly fronting the ensemble as Andrej.
• Music and words are by Glen Hansard (with Marketa Irglova credited for music on the album), reshaping their earlier band song into a folk-theatre piece for the stage.
• Within the show, it follows the awkward near-kiss between Guy and Girl, functioning like a gauzy Greek chorus for their bruised hearts.
• The Broadway rendition trims the indie original into a tighter 2:48 cut and folds in strings, accordion and group vocals typical of the cast album’s chamber-folk sound.
• A sister version by The Swell Season appears on their recordings and even on the Dear John soundtrack, giving this composition a second life beyond the Dublin pub of the musical.

Soundtrack & Promo Uses

Once: A New Musical (2012) - stage cast album - not diegetic in the strict story sense, but performed onstage by Andrej and the company. It arrives in Act I just after Guy fumbles a romantic move in his apartment, turning regret and confusion into a drifting ensemble commentary that washes over the scene rather than depicting a literal performance.

Dear John (2010) - film soundtrack - not diegetic. The earlier band version of the same composition, performed by The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova), appears on the official soundtrack album, where it colors the film’s melancholy romance with the same imagery of cutting ties and letting wounds bleed in private.

Creation History

Before it belonged to Andrej in a Dublin pub, this song lived as a Swell Season track: a hushed folk piece written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, with its stark imagery of dogs, spoons and poison already in place. For the Broadway adaptation of Once, that material was refitted for Will Connolly and the onstage band, whose guitars, violin, cello, accordion, piano and hand percussion create the acoustic chamber texture that The New York Times praised across the album as approaching the nuance of small-ensemble classical music. In the studio at Avatar in New York, producers Steven Epstein and Martin Lowe kept the production sparse - a close, almost live-sounding capture that lets the group harmonies and rhythmic sway do the heavy lifting while the lyric sits front and center.

Song Meaning and Annotations

Plot

In the story of Once, the track lands at a fragile point. Guy has invited Girl to his small room above his father’s vacuum shop. They clearly like each other; he leans in, she shuts it down and walks out. In the show’s synopsis, that turning point is tagged directly to this number, which follows like an echo of the mistake and the unspoken thoughts neither character will admit out loud. The recording preserves that vibe: a side character, Andrej, takes the vocal lead while the rest of the company surrounds him, as if the bar regulars have taken over and are processing the scene for us in code.

Song Meaning

Taken on its own, the lyric reads like a breakup with self-destructive coping. The “moon” feels less like a romantic symbol and more like an intoxicating pull - the thing you keep chasing even as it wrecks you. Lines about burning gauze in a spoon and sucking “the poison up” clearly gesture toward heavy drug use, but in the context of the musical they map onto another addiction: the habit of speeding toward ruin in love and then pretending it is fine. The chorus plea, “If you don’t slow down, slow down,” becomes the moral of the scene. Andrej is not just singing at the ether; he is voicing what everyone can see about Guy and, by extension, about themselves.

Musically, the track floats between indie folk ballad and low-key Broadway ensemble number. The tempo sits in the low hundreds in four-four time, and the key’s minor tonality gives it a restless, nocturnal quality. It does not explode into a big climax; instead it rides a simmering groove where the rhythm guitar and strings keep nudging forward while the melody sits on repeated notes, like thoughts circling late at night. That balance of intimacy and forward motion is typical of the Once score, which critics have often singled out as one of the rare modern musical-theatre scores that still feels like something you might hear in a club.

Annotations

The lyric is short, but almost every phrase carries weight. A few key fragments worth unpacking:

Cut the bonds with the moon

The opening line sounds like a plea to sever ties with whatever keeps pulling you back toward bad decisions. In performance, Connolly leans on the word “cut,” giving it a percussive bite against the otherwise smooth accompaniment. It is the moment the song announces itself as an intervention, not a lullaby.

Burn the gauze in the spoon / And suck the poison up

Here the writing lifts imagery from intravenous drug use, but the takeaway inside the show is metaphorical rather than instructional. This is about a cycle of chasing a high even as you know it is making you bleed, whether that high is narcotic, romantic or a general taste for chaos. When the ensemble enters on “And bleed,” the stacked voices make it feel communal - everyone in this bar has their version of that habit.

If you don’t slow down, slow down / If you don’t slow down, slow

This mantra is the closest the piece comes to a hook. Rhythmically, the repetition hangs just ahead of the beat, giving it a nagging, insistent feel. It is as if the music itself is tugging the character back from the edge, only half succeeding. As a listener, you are left with the sense that slowing down is possible, but no one here is quite ready to do it.

Rhythm, texture and style

Underneath the lyric, the band keeps a gently rocking pattern that never fully resolves. Guitar strums in a steady, almost folk-rock pulse; cello lines slide around the root, occasionally leaning into dissonances that underline the word “bleed.” Accordion or violin pads thicken the harmonic bed without turning it into a big showstopper. According to the cast-album credits and label notes, the orchestration here follows the general template of the score: actor-musicians surrounding the bar with guitar, violin, cello, mandolin, accordion, piano and light percussion, more like a pub session than a traditional pit orchestra. The result is a piece that feels at once raw and meticulously shaped.

Historical and cultural touchpoints

Because the composition began with The Swell Season before the stage show existed, there is a clear imprint of mid-2000s Irish indie folk - that world of Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, Damien Rice and their peers. When the musical arrived on Broadway and later in London and on tour, critics repeatedly noted how the score carried that sensibility into the theatre without sanding off its rough edges. A New York Times review of the album, for instance, highlighted the acoustic ensemble’s “warm” sound and the way it refused to become syrupy. In the theatre, the song also taps into a long history of barroom chorus songs, where a room full of people sings about heartbreak in a way that half-mocks and half-sincerely describes their own lives. Here, however, the drug imagery and the plea to slow down give that tradition a darker, more introspective spin.

Technical Information

• Artist: Original Broadway Cast of Once, featuring Will Connolly and ensemble
• Featured: Will Connolly as Andrej, company vocals and band
• Composer: Glen Hansard (with Marketa Irglova credited for music on the cast album)
• Producer: Steven Epstein, Martin Lowe
• Release Date: March 13, 2012
• Genre: Musical theatre, folk-influenced show tune
• Instruments: Vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, violin, cello, mandolin, accordion, light percussion
• Label: Masterworks Broadway
• Mood: Brooding, hypnotic, quietly urgent
• Length: Approximately 2 minutes 48 seconds
• Track #: 4 on Once: A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Language: English
• Album: Once: A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Music style: Indie folk ballad adapted for small-ensemble stage band
• Tempo / Meter: Around 111 BPM, common time (4/4), in B minor
• Poetic meter: Loosely trochaic, accentual rather than strictly syllabic, matching the natural speech rhythms.

Questions and Answers

Who wrote the song in this Broadway cast recording?

Glen Hansard is credited as the writer of the piece on the album, with Marketa Irglova sharing music credit more broadly across the score. The composition itself predates the stage show, first appearing in The Swell Season’s catalog before it was repurposed for the musical.

Who produced “The Moon” on the cast album?

Steven Epstein and Martin Lowe produced the track as part of their work on the full Once: A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording), recorded at Avatar Studios in New York.

When was this recording released?

The cast album featuring this track was released in mid March 2012, shortly before the musical’s Broadway bow, and went on to win the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

Where does the song sit within the story of Once?

It lands early in Act I, after Guy has tried to kiss Girl in his small room and she abruptly leaves. Andrej takes the lead vocal, and the number functions as a kind of emotional weather report for the fallout from that misstep, as well as a portrait of the show’s wider community of drifters and regulars.

How does the Broadway recording differ from The Swell Season’s version?

The Broadway take is tighter and more ensemble driven: a shorter runtime, stacked group vocals and added strings and accordion pull it into the sound world of the musical. The Swell Season recording stretches out more and leans harder into indie-folk atmosphere, with Hansard’s voice closer to the mic and fewer theatrical dynamics.

Is this song used in the original 2007 film Once?

No. While many songs overlap between film and stage, this particular piece appears on Swell Season releases and in other media but is not part of the film’s on-screen soundtrack. It becomes specific to the stage narrative when assigned to Andrej and the ensemble.

What key and tempo does the cast version use?

Metric-analysis sites and streaming metadata place the Broadway recording in B minor at roughly 111 beats per minute in common time, with a low-to-mid energy level that suits its slow-burn mood.

Who sings lead on the Broadway cast version?

Will Connolly, playing Andrej, carries the lead vocal, with the rest of the company joining to form the haunting choral textures you hear on the record. His delivery is gentle but insistent, giving the lyric’s darker images a surprisingly tender edge.

How does the lyric connect to the themes of the show?

The imagery of poison, bleeding and slowing down mirrors Guy’s tendency to rush toward romantic disaster and then brood over it. In a broader sense, it reflects how nearly every character in Once is trying to break ties with something - an old love, a country, a version of themselves - and struggling to do it without self harm.

What kind of vocal range does the song suit?

While precise sheet-music ranges vary by edition, the original Broadway recording sits comfortably for a light baritone or tenor, rarely pushing into extremes and spending most of its time in the conversational middle of the male range. That makes it a popular audition and concert choice for performers who favor story-driven singing over big belting.

Why does the song mention drug imagery if the show is about romance and music?

Hansard’s writing often uses concrete, sometimes gritty images to talk about interior states. Here, references to spoons and poison work as shorthand for an unhealthy pattern the characters cannot quite stop repeating. The staging keeps the focus on the emotional message rather than on any literal depiction of substance use.

Did critics say anything specific that helps frame this track?

While most reviews spoke about the album as a whole, outlets like The New York Times emphasized the cast recording’s intimate acoustic sound and chamber-like playing, which fits this track perfectly. One regional review, styled after NME’s tone, even called Once “a musical treasure,” and this number is very much part of that quiet, bruised treasure chest.

How does “The Moon” relate to other songs in the score, like “Falling Slowly”?

If “Falling Slowly” is the open-hearted confession song, “The Moon” is the side-stage commentary. Both share the same folk DNA and long, sighing phrases, but where “Falling Slowly” clings to hope, this one lingers on the cost of not changing course. Hearing them in the same act gives the audience two very different angles on similar emotional territory.

Awards and Chart Positions

While this individual track did not chart as a standalone single, it rides on the success of its parent album and show. The cast album Once: A New Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) reached high positions on the Billboard Cast Albums chart across several years and appeared in year-end rankings, and it won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The stage production itself picked up eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, plus major honors from the Drama Desk and Olivier circles. According to New York theatre coverage and later retrospectives, that rare sweep placed Once among the most decorated folk-based scores in modern Broadway history.

How to Sing The Moon

From a singer’s point of view, this is a study in restraint. The tempo sits around 111 BPM in a steady four-four, and the key center of B minor gives it a cool, shadowy color rather than a showy belt. Most of the line lives in mid-register; the drama comes from phrasing and text emphasis more than high notes. Think folk storyteller with a secret rather than big musical-theatre hero.

Step-by-step guide

1. Tempo and internal pulse - Start by clapping or tapping along with the original recording until the gentle sway of the groove feels second nature. Count in four, not two; you want each bar to feel like a complete thought, not a rush of eighth notes.
2. Diction and consonants - Once the rhythm is in your body, speak the lyric in time, focusing on crisp consonants in words like “cut,” “bonds,” “burn” and “slow.” Irish-accented vowels on the recording are charming, but for practice, keep your own natural speech; clarity matters more than imitation.
3. Breath planning - Mark breaths just before lines that begin with strong verbs (“Cut,” “Shut,” “Play”) so those words land with confidence. Longer phrases like “If you don’t slow down, slow down” should ideally be sung in one breath at a moderate dynamic, so train a low, quiet inhale rather than a noisy gasp.
4. Flow and legato vs. breaks - The verses need a smooth legato line, almost like you are telling a secret over a glass of something strong. Let the line break slightly on repeated “bleed” and “slow down” phrases; that tiny catch matches the text’s sense of fraying control.
5. Accents and word painting - Gently accent “cut,” “burn,” “poison” and “bleed” by leaning on the first syllable and relaxing the second. On “slow down,” place the weight on “slow” and allow “down” to fall away, almost decrescendoing into the beat. This subtle word painting conveys the warning without any need for shouting.
6. Ensemble blend and doubling - If you are singing Andrej in a stage or concert setting, spend time listening to the ensemble harmony entries. The background lines need to be softer and more blended than the lead, with tight tuning on sustained chords. Practice with a piano or rehearsal track so your pitch stays locked even when the harmony gets dense.
7. Microphone and dynamics - On mic, keep the gain relatively high and your volume relatively low; aim for intimacy. Resist the urge to swell massively at the end. The recording’s strength lies in how it never quite explodes - the energy stays contained, which fits the lyric’s plea to slow down.
8. Common pitfalls - The biggest traps are over-singing and over-acting. The imagery is strong enough; if you push too hard, it can feel melodramatic. Technically, watch for going flat on the repeated minor intervals; warm up gently in that part of your range and keep a mental reference of the tonic so you do not drift.

For practice material, start with the cast album track, then, if you can, listen to The Swell Season’s earlier version. Hearing how Hansard phrases the same text in a non-theatre setting can give you ideas for a more grounded, less presentational take. Some singers also find it useful to run the song with just guitar or piano first, then add the full band once the storytelling feels settled.

Additional Info

One of the interesting quirks of this song is its life outside the pub in Dublin. Long before Andrej sang it on Broadway, The Swell Season had recorded it as part of their own catalog, and that version later surfaced on the soundtrack for the romantic drama Dear John. So by the time Broadway audiences heard it, the piece was already quietly travelling through cinema and indie-folk circles. When you hear Will Connolly and the company sing it, you are listening to a theatre arrangement of a song that has already lived another life - which suits a show obsessed with second chances.

Critics writing about Once have often focused on the more famous numbers like “Falling Slowly,” but “The Moon” is one of those under-the-radar cuts that reveals the show’s real personality. A New York Times review of the cast album singled out the ensemble playing - the way guitar, strings, accordion and percussion create a chamber-like texture - and this track is a textbook case. As for the broader stage phenomenon, one regional feature styled after NME’s house tone went so far as to call Once “a musical treasure,” highlighting how the quieter songs carry as much weight as the show’s award-winning centerpiece. Rolling Stone, in a piece on Cristin Milioti during the original Broadway run, also emphasized how the stage version took the intimacy of the film’s music and amplified it in a live context without losing its small-scale charm.

Key Contributors

Sources: Wikipedia, Masterworks Broadway, Apple Music, Spotify, SongBPM, MTI Shows, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, regional theatre coverage.