Lyr Req: Moonlight Becomes You (Burke/Van Heusen)

Subject: moonlight becomes you
From: Jeep man
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 02:59 PM

I know. This is not folk,country, bluegrass,etc. A friend of mine requested this. I think Paul Whiteman did it in the big band era. Jim

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 03:06 PM

The second line is

'It goes with your hair'... used to great effect in the 1970's for a hairspray advert - the singer never got farther than the second line.....

LTS

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: fox4zero
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 04:23 PM

Line 3: "You certainly know the right things to wear" It think it was a Bing Crosby biggie. Luv Larry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 05:04 PM

Yep. Bing sang it on board a cruise ship to Dorothy Lamour in one of the Crosby/Hope "Road" movies.

DougR

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: GUEST,Pete S
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 05:08 PM

Moonlight becomes you, it goes with your hair You certainly know the right things to wear Moon light becomes you, I thrill to the sight and I could be so romantic tonight You're all dressed up to go dancing, don't tell me tha I'm wrong and what a night to go dancing, mind if I tag along. If I said I love you I want you to know, it isn't because It's moonlight although moonlight becomes you so

This may not be spot on but I think it's fairly close

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Mar 00 - 06:26 PM

Aha! This is a job for Rabid Squirrel's Jazz Archive (click) [insert appropriate trumpet fanfare here]. click here for the song.

I wish the Squirrel would include songwriter attributions. The song was written in 1942, words by Johnny Burke and music by James Van Heusen.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 09 Mar 00 - 12:39 PM

From the film, "The Road to Morocco", it was number one for two weeks, at the beginning of 1943, Harry James and Glenn Miller also charted the song later in the year--the vocalist on the Harry James version was not Frank Sinatra(as one might guess, given the year), it was Johnny McAfee--

There was a wonderful Broadway show a couple of years back, called "Swingin' On a Star", with songs by Johnny Burke--one of the highlights of the show was a send-up of the "Road" Pictures that featured this song--

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: Gern
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 09:23 AM

A minor correction, I believe: "You're all dressed up to go dreaming/now don't tell me I'm wrong/ What a night to go dreaming/ Mind if I tag along..."

Subject: Chords Add: MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU
From: GUEST,Guest Second Banana
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 06:33 PM

(F) Moonlight (F#dim) be- (Gm7) comes you. (C7) It (F) goes with (Bdim) your (Gm7) hair. (C7+)
You (Am7) certainly (D7) know the (Gm7) right thing (C7(b9)) to (F) wear. (Gm7) (C7(b9))

(F) Moonlight (F3dim) be- (Gm7) comes you. (C7) I'm (F) thrilled at (Bdim) the (Gm7) sight,
(C+7) and (Am7) I could get (A7) so ro- (Gm7) mantic (C7(b9)) to- (F) night. (Bb) (F)

(F+) You're (Bb) all dressed (Bb+7) up to go (Eb) dreaming.
Now (F7) don't tell me I'm (Bb) wrong.
And (Gm) what a (A7) night to go (C#cim) dream- (Dm) ing!
(G7) Mind if I tag a (Gm7) long? (C+)

If (F) I say (F#dim) I (Gm7) love you, (C7) I (F) want you (Bdim) to (Gm7) know (C+7)
It's (Am7) not just be- (D7) cause there's (Gm7) moonlight (C7) al- (A7) though (D7)
(G7) Moonlight be- (Gm7) comes (C7) you (F) so. (Dm6) (Gm7) (C+7(b9))

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: GUEST,Second Banana
Date: 10 Mar 00 - 07:10 PM

Sorry about the typos. There are two in romantic

and the chord before the second dreaming should

read C#dim. Also the fourth line shows F3dim

instead of F#dim. Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: GUEST,Moira M
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 03:59 PM

Needed to lyrics for a novel - great - thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 04:52 PM

Given the current world, has anyone written the parody:

Moonlighting becomes you?

Any takers?

John

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: moonlight becomes you
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 25 Aug 10 - 05:17 PM

Willie Nelson did a great cover of this one on his album by the same name. Check it out at Amazon!

LiK

Subject: Lyr Add: MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU (Burke/Van Heusen)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 09:27 PM

MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU
Words, Johnny Burke. Music, Jimmy Van Heusen.
As sung by Bing Crosby

1. Moonlight becomes you. It goes with your hair.
You certainly know the right thing to wear.
Moonlight becomes you. I'm thrilled at the sight
And I could get so romantic tonight.

2. You're all dressed up to go dreaming.
Now don't tell me I'm wrong.
What a night to go dreaming!
Mind if I tag along?

3. If I say, "I love you," I want you to know
It's not just because there's moonlight, although
Moonlight becomes you so.

[INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE. REPEAT 2 & 3.]


MOONLIGHT BECOMES YOU was used in the film "Road to Morocco" where it was partly played during the opening credits, then sung by Bing Crosby, and reprised by Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope.

The song may be older than the film, however; some sources say it is copyright 1931 (others say 1942).

The Online 78-rpm Discographical Project lists these early recordings:

Bobby Sherwood & His Orchestra, May 5, 1942
Bing Crosby & the John Scott Trotter Orchestra, June 12, 1942
Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, with vocal by Skip Nelson & The Modernaires, July 15, 1942
Johnny Long & His Orchestra, July 16, 1942
Harry James & His Orchestra with vocal by Johnny McAfee, July 18, 1942
Johnny Jones & His Orchestra, July, 1942?
Victor Young & Singing Strings, c. 1952?

Here's a suitably schmaltzy performance by The Waikiki Islanders: Click to play

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Moonlight Becomes You (Burke/Van Heusen)
From: beeliner
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 03:10 AM

Jonathan Winters massacres the song to great comic effect in his "Amateur Show" routine.

It's on his Down To Earth LP, Verve MGV-15011.