"The Killing Moon" is among the most popular songs by the band Echo & the Bunnymen. The lyrics were written and sung by the band's vocalist, Ian McCulloch, it was released on their 1984 album Ocean Rain. It is one of the band's highest-charting hits, reaching number 9 in the UK Singles Chart. According to the liner notes of Echo and the Bunnymen's Crystal Days box set, Ian McCulloch woke up one morning with the phrase "fate up against your will" in mind. He wrote it down and the remainder of the song fell in place from there. In 1998, the song appeared in the film Gia. The song was used quite prominently in the 2001 cult film Donnie Darko. Played over the opening sequence, it was in fact a last minute substitution by the film's director, Richard Kelly, when he could not obtain the rights to use INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart", which was later used in the director's cut. In the director's cut "The Killing Moon" was played as originally intended during the Halloween party towards the end of the film. Another use of the song was in Grosse Pointe Blank at the scene when Martin Blank exits Debbie Newberry's radio-booth after a short interview in which we learn he stood her up at prom night and disappeared for 10 years. The song was also used in the film The Girl Next Door in the scene in which the protagonist first sees his new neighbour. "The Killing Moon" was used in Transworld's "First Love". It was the song used for Shiloh Greathouse's part. "The Killing Moon" was also used in a UK Promotional Spot for the TV series Supernatural. "The Killing Moon" was also used in the final episode of I Am Not Ok With This. Read more on Last.fm.