Songfacts®:

• It is just possible there is a more cringingly embarrassing song title than "If The Man In The Moon Were A Coon," if so, it has yet to rear its head. It might be stating the obvious, but this is a coon song, and although lyrically it is surely one of the worst ever written, melodically it is surprisingly strong. Unfortunately, Fred Fisher decided to put words to it, or maybe not so unfortunately for him, because not only was it his first big hit but it sold 3 million copies.
  
  Frederick Fisher (1875-1942) was born in Germany, and immigrated to the Promised Land in 1900, at the height of the coon song's popularity, so it is hardly surprising that he wrote at least one.
• The sheet music, which was published by Will Rossiter of Chicago, copyright 1905, credits it as a combination of classical music and comical words, and by the author of "Every Little Bit Helps". The first page of the actual music boasts 'Biggest "HIT" in 20 years!' The singer Emma Carus - who made the first recording - appears on the front cover. The song was also recorded in 1907, by Ada Jones.
  
  In April 2010, a different printing of the song turned up on Ebay, one with a slightly politically incorrect cover. With less than two days of the listing to run, the starting bid of $9.95 had not been met. A 1937 Victor recording by Tommy Dorsey & his Clambake Seven (Vocal refrain by Jack Leonard) suffered a similar fate. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 2