The song is about Arena's childhood memories of summers past with her family at Sorrento in Victoria, Australia.

The song is lyrically referred to in Client Liaison's 2017 single "A Foreign Affair", featuring Arena.

[1][2] AllMusic editor Kelvin Hayes complimented the song as "gorgeous", adding that it "suggests Arena may yet become the Astrud Gilberto of Australia.

"[3] James Richliano from The Boston Globe wrote in his review of the Don't Ask album, "The sweet innocence is most prominent on 'Sorrento Moon (I Remember)', an uptempo gem steeped in breezy calypso rhythms".

[4] British newspaper The Guardian described it as "delicate",[5] while a reviewer from People Magazine noted its "samba flavor".