"Moon River" was the name of a late night radio show from WLW in Cincinnati, beginning in the 30s. WLW had a powerful transmitter and the show was widely heard. Many famous entertainers appeared on the show over the years, such as Doris Day and Fats Waller. The show began with a poem about Moon River. Mercer would have almost certainly been familiar with the show; it does seem odd that, if he objected to reusing a song title, he would have opted for the title of a radio show instead. (But of course, "Spoon River" was already taken too.
I agree with Bobby. I have always considered the Huckleberry friend a sub-textual reference to "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", in which Huck sails down the Mississippi with his friend the escaped convict Jim, in search of freedom from slavery for Jim, and freedom from his alcoholic father for Huck.
It's a fair analogy for Holly Golightly's attempt to escape from her constrained background.
However, perhaps it and the Blue River analysis, which contains some interesting facets of songwriting history, can co-exist as not inherently contradictory.
Will, it's so simple I remain astonished that I have never seen the following stated anywhere:
"Huckleberry friend" is a pun on "Huckleberry Finn."
All intellectual contortions about the why of it may now cease.
"Moon River" was the name of a late night radio show from WLW in Cincinnati, beginning in the 30s. WLW had a powerful transmitter and the show was widely heard. Many famous entertainers appeared on the show over the years, such as Doris Day and Fats Waller. The show began with a poem about Moon River. Mercer would have almost certainly been familiar with the show; it does seem odd that, if he objected to reusing a song title, he would have opted for the title of a radio show instead. (But of course, "Spoon River" was already taken too.
I agree with Bobby. I have always considered the Huckleberry friend a sub-textual reference to "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", in which Huck sails down the Mississippi with his friend the escaped convict Jim, in search of freedom from slavery for Jim, and freedom from his alcoholic father for Huck.
It's a fair analogy for Holly Golightly's attempt to escape from her constrained background.
However, perhaps it and the Blue River analysis, which contains some interesting facets of songwriting history, can co-exist as not inherently contradictory.