Sample Analysis

Blue moon, you saw me standing alone Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for You heard me saying a prayer for someone I really could care for And then suddenly appeared before me, the only one my arms could ever hold I heard somebody whisper 'please adore me' But when I looked, that moon had turned to gold oh oh oh Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone Without a dream in my heart, without a love of my own Without a love of my own (Blue moon)
written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1934

What is the apostrophe in these song lyrics?

Blue Moon

What does the apostrophe emphasize about the narrators state of mind?
The narrator of the song is relating a stroke of luck so unlikely that it must have taken place under a blue moon. The title relies on a play on words, since Blue is also the colour of melancholy, and indeed the narrator is sad and lonely until he (or she) finds love. The apostrophe emphasizes the narrators intense sadness, but the mood changes to optimism as he realizes the Blue Moon knew just what I was there for and heard me saying a prayer.

Note: Once in a Blue Moon is a common way of saying not very often, but what exactly is a Blue Moon? According to the popular definition, it is the second Full Moon to occur in a single calendar month.

The average interval between full moons is about 29.5 days, while the length of an average month is roughly 30.5 days. This makes it very unlikely that any given month will contain two full moons, though it does sometimes happen. On average, there will be 41 months that have two full moons in every century, so you could say that once in a Blue Moon actually means once every two-and-a-half years.