Sad Lookin' Moon

"Sad Lookin' Moon" is a song written by Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Greg Fowler, and recorded by American country music group Alabama. It was released in February 1997 as the lead-off single from the album Dancin' on the Boulevard. It peaked at number 2 in the United States, while it was a number-one hit in Canada.

"Sad Lookin' Moon"
Single by Alabama
from the album Dancin' on the Boulevard
B-side	"Give Me One More Shot"[1]
Released	February 17, 1997
Genre	Country
Length	3:33
Label	RCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)	Greg Fowler, Teddy Gentry, Randy Owen
Producer(s)	Alabama and Don Cook[2]
Alabama singles chronology
"The Maker Said Take Her" (1996) "Sad Lookin' Moon" (1997) "Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard" (1997)

Background and writing

Owen told Billboard that the song was written while they were in Pennsylvania. "We'd been playing guitars on the bus, and I looked out the window...and said it's a sad-lookin' moon tonight,' and Teddy said, 'Wow. Let's write that song.' So Teddy, Greg, and I just went to working on it, and things just kind of fell together, as good songs and good feelings often do."^[3]

Content

The narrator thought that his ex-lover would be always his and that she would never leave. However, she left him, and now a sad lookin' moon shines down on him as he is feeling sad.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying that the song "demonstrates that there's still lots of creative juice flowing from country's most successful band." She says that the song includes a "strong melody, buoyed by Randy Owen's personality-packed vocal." She states that while the song contains all the familiar ingredients of Alabama, "there's a freshness and infectious excitement that's nice to hear from a band that's been churning out hits for more than 15 years."^[4]

Chart positions

"Sad Lookin' Moon" debuted at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the chart week of March 1, 1997.

Chart (1997)	Peak position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5]	1
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[6]	2

Year-end charts

Chart (1997)	Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[7]	36
US Country Songs (Billboard)[8]	12

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
2. Dancin' on the Boulevard (CD insert). Alabama. RCA Records. 1997. 67426.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
3. Billboard, March 1, 1997
4. Billboard, March 1, 1997
5. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3221." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 2, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
6. "Alabama Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
7. "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1997". RPM. December 15, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
8. "Best of 1997: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.