WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man

Subject: Help! WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moona
From: Miz Fitzpatrick
Date: 23 Apr 99 - 05:52 PM

Anybody out there familiar with ANY version of the following song? Can anybody tell me any of its history? Although passed on through my family as "Mister moon-a-man," I've also heard (somewhere) the first line sung as "Mister Moon, Moon, Honey silvery moon." My guess is that, despite the mention of 'Johnny' (Reb?) with the Gatling gun, it is of the Span Am War or WWI era. Melodically and structurally it reminds me of songs from this century rather than earlier; but perhaps someone has a different take. I only know one verse.

Oh Mister Moon-a-man-a, moon-a-man-a, moon-a-man-a, moon-a-man-a,
Honey silv'ry moon,
Why don't you please shine down on me?
Oh Mister Moon-a-man-a, moon-a-man-a, moon-a-man-a, moon-a-man-a,
Honey silv'ry moon,
Why don't you come from behind that tree?
Your life's in danger, you'd better run,
Here comes Johnny with his Gatling gun;
Oh Mister Moon-a-man-a, moon-a-man-a, honey silv'ry moon,
Why don't you please shine down on me?

The repetitive "moon-a-man-a" is sung in such a way as to rather mimic the type of banjo strumming that accompanies Dixieland jazz. I know it's hard to impart the feel of the song in this format, but, well, anybody got any ideas?

Ever so much thanks!
Miz Fitzpatrick

Subject: RE: Help! WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moona
From: elizabethpr
Date: 25 Jan 00 - 08:22 AM

I found this way after you posted, but my grandfather sings a song like this:

Mr. Moon, moon, bright and shiny moon,
Won't you please shine down on me
Mr. Moon, moon, bright and shiny moon
Come out from behind that tree

For there's a man out there with a big shotgun
He's out to get you so you bound to run
Oh Mr. Moon, moon bright and shiny moon
Won't you please shine down on me.

My grandfather is from the south, so it's unlikely that in his version it's "Johnny Reb" He was born in 1903, so it could be an old WWI era song

I too have been unable to find any other references to the history of this song.

Elizabeth

Subject: RE: Help! WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moona
From: katlaughing
Date: 25 Jan 00 - 08:41 AM

We used to sing an old one about Mr. Moon, Moon, bright and silvery moon, won't you please shine down on, please shine down on, please shine down on ???, for me and my gal. Maybe a slightly different version than the second one posted. I always had the impression it was from an old minstrel or slave song.

If you click on the Links at the menu bar up top, then scroll down to the Lester Levy Collection, go to their search function and type in Mister Moon, several different sets of sheet music will come up, including Mr. Moon by Geo. M. Cohan, from 1901. That song is Box #076 Item # 101. I didn't look at all of the aongs that came up, but maybe the one you are looking for is there.

Subject: Lyr Add: OH! MR. MOON (George M. Cohan)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 12:56 AM

Here's the George M. Cohan song from The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music. I don't think it's the same song you've been discussing here.

OH! MR. MOON
(George M. Cohan, 1901)

Twelve o'clock, the moon is shining bright.
Ev'rything is lovely. What a beautiful night!
Don't you breathe; creep along with me,
And you'll see the queerest sight that ever you did see.
Sh-sh-sh-sh! Careful how you walk.
Standing on a corner is a pretty little coon.
Sh-sh-sh-sh! Listen to her talk.
Ev'ry night she's standing there and talking to the moon,
Standing there and talking to the moon.
Listen what she's saying to the moon:

CHORUS: Oh! Mister Moon, my baby, Oh! Mister Moon, my love,
Oh! Mister Moon, if I had a balloon,
Well, I'd cert'nly sail to realms above love*

[*The chorus ends abruptly here; I suspect there is a page missing from the online sheet music.]

Ev'ry night you'll see that little coon
Standing at the corner, gazing up at the moon.
Friday night the moon it didn't shine.
She was howling to the clouds to pass along the line.
Sh-sh-sh-sh! There till early morn.
Guess she never gets to bed until the afternoon.
Sh-sh-sh-sh! At the break of dawn,
You can see her flirting with a disappearing moon,
Flirting with a disappearing moon.
Listen what she's saying to the moon: CHORUS

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 02:36 PM

Here's the full chorus from the George M. Cohan song. (It turns out that Page 4 exists; you just can't get to it from Page 3, but you can get to it from the search results page.)

CHORUS: Oh! Mister Moon, my baby, Oh! Mister Moon, my love,
Oh! Mister Moon, if I had a balloon,
Well, I'd cert'nly sail to realms above, love.
Oh! Mister Moon, my sweet thing, look down upon this coon.
I am so lonely if you will only say you will be my Moon.

[Then follows an 8-bar instrumental section called "Dance."]

Getting back to the song originally requested:

I've found lots of "folk" versions of this song on the Internet. Sometimes it's shiny moon, shining moon, shinin' moon, silvery moon, or silv'ry moon. Sometimes it's even Mister Sun, not Moon. Often it's classified as a kid's song, scout song, campfire song, etc.

I have yet to find any site that gives an author or date, let alone convincingly old or complete (in my opinion) lyrics.

Related threads:
Bright and Shiny Moon
Lyr Req: Mr. Moon

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,Andy Mcnamara
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 11:18 AM

I learned this song in school in 6th grade in Delaware,Ohio. Willis School

Oh Mister Moon, moon bright and shining moon
won't you please shine down on me
Oh Mister moon, moon bright and shing moon
won;t you come out from behind that tree
Oh, my life's in danger and I'm scared to run
There's a man behind me with a big shotgun
Oh Mister Moon, moon bright and shing moon
Won't you please shine down on
Please shine down on me

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 09:59 PM

Well, the "Gatling gun" (Invented in Maine) certainly places the lyrics in the original post in the post Civil War Period. Maybe it was an update of an older song to the Spanish American War of 1898. Folk singers do that all the time.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,H. Gray
Date: 29 Oct 11 - 05:34 AM

I am now 85 years old and I remember my grandmother singing this song to me when I was a very young boy. Here are the words that she used.....Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and shiney moon won't you please shine down on me....Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and shiney moon, hiding behind that tree....hee comes Daddy with a big shot bun, He's gonna shoot you if you start to run...Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and shiney moon won't you please shine down on me?

Oh what nice memories I have of my grandmother.....

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: Lighter
Date: 29 Oct 11 - 09:28 AM

A "gatling gun" doesn't have to be a gatling gun.

From the same era:

"Brady, Brady, you shoulda run,
When you seen Black Duncan with his gatlin' gun."

Had it been a real gatling gun instead of a revolver, I think Brady woulda run.

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Oct 11 - 12:47 AM

Regarding the song about the moon that contains a line about a Gatling gun—

There are many variants of the song but the original version was called MISTER MOON: KINDLY COME OUT AND SHINE, bu
Smith & Bowman, 1903. That and several other versions are given in this thread: Lyr Req: Mr. Moon.

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,kelly
Date: 09 Jan 13 - 11:36 PM

my dad use to sing it this way.

oh Mr. Moon bright and shining moon, won't you shine down on me. My life is in danger and I'm afraid to run, there's a man behind me with a great big gun.
Oh Mr. Moon bright and shining moon.

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Mar 15 - 11:13 PM

My mom always sang this to me at bedtime. No wonder why I was such a scared child:

Mr moon moon bright and shiny moon
Please shine down on me
Mr moon moon bright and shiny moon
Come out from behind that tree
There's a big man out there with a big shot gun
There's a big man out there and I'm scared to run
Mr moon moon bright and shiny moon won't you please shine down on me

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,Teresa
Date: 22 Aug 15 - 09:43 PM

My dad sang this to me every night. His version is, "Oh mister moon, moon, bright and shiny moon, hidin behind that tree...Well there's a fella there to get ya with a gatlin gun, and he's gonna get ya boy, you better run, Oh Mister moon, moon, bright and shiny moon, please shine down on, talk about your shine on, please shine down on me. Then he'd add, "Ba da da da!" and I'd click my tongue twice at the end. Dad passed away March 1st of this year (2015). He was 83 years old and born and raised in Texas. I always wondered where he learned this song. I never asked him, but tonight I was curious and googled it and found this site. Thank you. Great memories and I liked reading all the versions of the song. There's a choral group singing it on youtube from Arkansas too.

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Oct 15 - 06:53 PM

My mom taught me this song when I was little. She's from West Virgina, and it was a bit different. Mr. Moon moon bright and shiny moon won't you please shine down on me. Oh Mr. Moon moon bright and shiny moon won't you come from behind that tree. Theres a man behind me with a big shot gun and he's gonna shoot me but I'm scared to run. Oh Mr. Moon moon bright and shiny moon won't you please shine down on, shine a little light on, please shine down on me. Wherever you are...

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: Lighter
Date: 06 Oct 15 - 08:10 AM

The OP's incongruous line "Here comes Johnny with his gatling gun" seems to be someone's deliberate improvisation.

Maybe it was inspired by the opening of George M. Cohan's "Over There" (1917):

"Johnny get your gun, get your gun, get your gun,
Take it on the run, on the run, on the run."

Sandburg (I think) has a nineteenth-century ditty that goes,

"Johnny, get your gun,
And your sword and your pistol,
Johnny get your gun,
And come with me."

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,Natalie
Date: 12 Feb 18 - 05:55 PM

Lots of different lyrics on here I own the piano scroll and there few different lyrics

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Apr 18 - 11:07 AM

When I was in elementary school (70's), our music teacher taught it to us--the man and the gun and everything! Imagine doing that now! Several singers for preschool and toddlers use the same tune to sing about Mr. Sun, Sun, Bright and Shiny Sun...Please shine down on me! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who knew the lyrics with the gun. Childhood memories of music class!

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Apr 18 - 12:06 AM

As I recall it, my folks from Western PA, sang " Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and silv'ry Moon, won't you please shine down on me. Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and silv'ry Moon, won't you come from behind that tree. You're life's in danger, you better run. Here comes old Fritzie with a gat-a-ling gun." then finishes as the others above. Perhaps they updated it to WWI or WWII status with Fritzie???

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 16 Jul 18 - 11:38 PM

Whenever I go for a walk in the moonlight this is song I start singing from my childhood, might have been from grandparents in the 50s or Girl Scout camp.

Oh Mr. Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon, please shine down on me.
Oh Mr. Moon, moon, bright and shiny moon, hiding behind that tree.
If your life is in danger and you’re starting to run
and there’s a man behind you with a gattlin’ gun.
Oh Mr. Moon, Moon, bright and shiny Moon, please shine down on me, oh Mr. Moon.

Would love to know more words! I’ve wondered where it came from and this is where I landed. What is the answer?

Thanks!

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,martha
Date: 27 Sep 20 - 02:43 AM

Oh Mister Moon, Moon, Mister silvery moon
won't you please shine down on me
Oh Mister Moon, Moon, Mister silvery moon
Hiding behind that tree...

When your knees are shaking and you're scared to run
There's a man behind you with a gatling gun
Oh Mister Moon, Moon, Mister silvery moon
Won't you please shine down on, please shine down on,
Please shine down on me.

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Feb 21 - 08:50 PM

My dad sang it like this... I think a more kid friendly version.... he was the product of WWII dad.

Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and shiny moon
won't you please shine down on me ?
Oh Mister Moon, Moon, Mister silvery moon
Come out from behind the trees...

Your heart’s in danger, ya better run, here comes (insert daughter’s name here) with a Gatling gun,

Oh Mister moon, moon, bright and shiny moon, please shine down on, won’t ya shine down on, come and shine down on me. Then I added, "Ba doo ba do!"

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,Guest -- Kenn
Date: 25 Mar 21 - 08:30 PM

I learned this from my mother in the 1950s. She was born in 1915 and raised in Oklahoma, and likely larned the song from radio. I remember asking when she first heaard it, but she couldn't recall. It's a classic "novelty song," and the lyrics feel like "novelty songs" of the 1930s and early '40s -- songs like "Jeepers, Creepers" and "Yes, We Have No Bananas." The reference to a Gatling gun doesn't necessarily place it during the Spanish American War or earlier. The musical style is consistent with the period between the First and Second World Wars.

Here are the lyrics my mother sang:

OH Mister Moon, Moon, bright and shiny Moon,
Hidin' behind that tree --
Well, well, well-well,
My life's in danger, but I'm scared to run,
For there's a man behind me with a Gatling gun.
Oh Mister Moon, Moon, bright and shiny Moon,
Won't you please shine down on,
Please shine down on,
Please shine down on me.

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,jaykaysr
Date: 19 Jun 21 - 11:56 PM

My experience with the song is with lyrics exactly as posted by the OP.
My Grandmother from NW Pennsylvania sang it to us.

Subject: RE: WWI or Span Am War song? Mister moon-a-man
From: GUEST,Rbriwnung
Date: 21 May 22 - 08:35 PM

Oh Mr moon, moon, bright and shiny moon won't you come from behind that tree.

Oh my life's in danger but I'm scared to run. There's a man behind me with a big shot gun
So Mr moon, moon bright and shiny moon, just come from behind that, come from behind that, come from behind that tree!