Cat Stevens’ “Moonshadow” was only a minor hit, peaking at No. 30 on Billboard’s Top 40 in July 1971, but has proven to be one of her most infectious songs. Stevens (born Steven Georgiou and known as Yusef Islam since 1979 after becoming a Muslim) released the song as part of his “Teaser and the Firecat” album. The song itself consisted of just a couple of acoustic guitars, vocals and a tambourine blast, but it captured hearts across the country.

But what really motivated Stevens/Islam to write this song? Let him tell it in his own words. As a guest in 2009 on The Chris Isaac Hour said: “I was on holiday in Spain. I was a West End (London) kid – bright lights etc. I could never see the moon alone in the dark, there were always streetlights. So there I was, at the water’s edge in a beautiful night with the moon shining, and suddenly I looked down and saw my shadow. I thought that was great, I had never seen it before.”

Here are some more interesting facts about the song that you may not know:

1. The song had such staying power that a decade after its release, director John Landis considered using the song in his movie. An American Werewolf in London. The film’s soundtrack featured several songs that had “moon” in their title, including “Blue Moon”, “Moondance” and “Bad Moon Rising”. Stevens, who by this time had become a Muslim, did not like the theme of the film and refused to allow his song to be used (if it makes you feel any better, Bob Dylan refused to allow the use of “Moonshiner” and, for unknown reasons, Landis was unable to obtain the rights to “Werewolves of London” from Warren Zevon.

2. Stevens/Islam still considers this to be his favorite among his previous songs. Stevens/Islam feels that the uplifting meaning of it could help people. He himself calls it his “Optimist’s Anthem”.

3. Moonshadow is one of the songs that convinced Islam to release a “Greatest Hits” album of his previous work when he was Cat Stevens.

4. Stevens/Islam drew the album cover himself. In addition to his musical ability, he was a talented artist who originally wanted to follow in the footsteps of his maternal uncle Hugo, who was a successful artist in Sweden.

5. Stevens/Islam actually wrote part of the story for an animated short film that featured this very song. It was shown at the Fantastic Animation Festival in 1977. It begins with a still image of the two characters from the “Teaser and the Firecat” album cover who are then brought to life.