Bob Seger is known as one of the biggest rock icons of all time. But he also had some success at country radio. In 1982, Seger scored a big hit with “Shame On The Moon”. The song, written by Rodney Crowell, hit the Top 15 on the country chart. It is part of The Distance and the only song on the record not written by Seger.
“Shame On The Moon” says, “Hey, watch where you’re goin’ / Step light on old toes / ‘Cause until you’ve been beside a man / You don’t know who he knows / Oh, blame it on midnight / Ooh, shame on the moon.”
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“It’s more like a western song—a cowboy song—than it is a country & western song,” Seger says of “Shame On The Moon”. “And the track is flawless, the best and tightest track on the album. We cut it in like two hours, and everyone decided it was the miracle track. But then we had to decide whether to use it or not because The Distance was going to be a real rock album. I purposely didn’t write any medium-tempo songs for this one because I wanted it to be hard-rocking with a few ballads for pacing.“
How “Shame On The Moon” Became a Hit Single for Bob Seger
Even after Seger decided to record “Shame On The Moon”, he had no idea it would be a single, let alone one of his biggest hits.
“We figured we’d throw it on and see what happened. The next thing we know, the Capitol guys are saying, ‘That’s the single!’” Seger recalls with a laugh. “Fine! Whatever it takes! So thank you, Rodney. It’s a great song, and I’m beholden to the lad for writing it.”
Seger has Eagles member Don Henley to partially thank for “Shame On The Moon”. It’s Henley who introduced the music of Crowell to Seger. Crowell includes “Shame On The Moon” on his eponymous third studio album, out in 1981.
Seger had the biggest hit with “Shame On The Moon”. Mac Davis, Karen Brooks, Tanya Tucker, and Willie Nelson are among the artists who also put their own spin on “Shame On The Moon”. Tucker’s version appears on her 1983 Changes record, while Nelson’s is on his 2025 Oh What A Beautiful World project. Nelson’s Oh What A Beautiful World is a 12-track record of songs all written by Crowell. Crowell also sings on the title track.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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