Lyr Add: The Moon of Manakoora (Loesser/Newman)

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MOON OF MANAKOORA (Homer & Jethro)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 12:20 PM

Now here's the real point of this thread: Homer & Jethro's parody!

This version can be heard at WFMU's Beware of the Blog (or click to play).


THE MOON OF MANAKOORA
As sung by Homer & Jethro

1. The moon of Manicurie came in view
A-shinin' on my bride an' me
When we set out to spend our honeymoon
In Manicurie, Tennessee.

2. I stooped to pick 'er up an' carry her
Into the bridal suite, you see.
She weighed so much, I strained my achin' back
So I just let her carry me.

3. And then she carried me out in the yard
An' set me on a holler log,
But when she rubbed my back with linnyment,
I took off like a scalded dog.

4. The moon of Manicurie came in sight.
My wife was all alone, you bet.
They asked her, "How's your husband dear tonight?"
She said, "We haven't caught him yet."

5. And then I whispered softly in her ear
While the music played so sweet,
"Be shore an' manicure your toenails, dear,
Or you are gonna rip the sheet."

[from "Homer & Jethro Fracture Frank Loesser" 1953.]

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MOON OF MANAKOORA (Loesser/Newman)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Aug 10 - 12:17 PM

Here's information from the catalog and the sheet music cover, viewable at Mississippi State University:

THE MOON OF MANAKOORA
Words, Frank Loesser. Music, Alfred Newman.
Hollywood: Kalmar and Ruby Music Corp., 1937.
"As introduced by Dorothy Lamour in Samuel Goldwyn's Production 'The Hurricane'"

First line of verse: Here we stand once more upon the sand, of Manakoora
First line of chorus: The Moon of Manakoora filled the night


*

You can hear this version at YouTube:

MOON OF MANAKOORA
As sung by Dorothy Lamour

1. The moon of Manakoora filled the night
With magic Polynesian charm.
The moon of Manakoora came in sight
And brought you to my eager arms.

2. The moon of Manakoora soon will rise
Again above the island shore.
Then I'll behold it in your dusky eyes
And you'll be in my arms once more.

*
Actually, only an instrumental version of THE MOON OF MANAKOORA was used in the soundtrack of "The Hurricane," but the vocal recording was released as an obvious tie-in.

There actually is a Manakura Island, one of many islands in the estuary of the Essequibo River in Guyana, South America. That would mean it is not part of Polynesia. Apparently the filmmakers simply adopted "Manakoora" as the name of a fictional island in Polynesia.