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Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)

14 Mar 00 - 07:52 PM (#194957)
Subject: Dark Moon
From: GUEST,Singout

Does anyone have the lyrics for Dark Moon? It goes a little like... Dark moon away up high up in the sky oh tell me why oh tell me why you lost your splender, dark moon. Is it because, is it because, is it because you lost your love? Thanks. Penny

14 Mar 00 - 11:19 PM (#195108)
Subject: Lyr Add: DARK MOON (Ned Miller)
From: Metchosin

Dark Moon
Sung by Bonnie Guitar

Dark moon,
A way up high up in the sky
Oh, tell me why, oh, tell me why
you've lost your splendor
Dark moon,
What is the cause
Your light withdraws?
Is it because, is it because
I've lost my love?

Mortals have dreams
Of love's perfect schemes
But they don't realize
That love will sometimes bring a

Dark moon,
A way up high up in the sky
Oh, tell me why, oh, tell me why
You've lost your splendor
Dark moon,
What is the cause
Your light withdraws?
Is it because, is it because
I've lost my love?

15 Mar 00 - 07:01 PM (#195689)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon
From: GUEST,Singout--Not a guest!

Thanks, Metchosin. That's great. I recently heard this on our local community radio station out of Tampa, WMNF, and remembered it as a song I had long ago forgotten about. Penny.

18 Jun 10 - 01:07 AM (#2930288)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: Jim Dixon

DARK MOON was written by Ned Miller. It was recorded by Bonnie Guitar and by Gale Storm; both versions were on the pop charts at the same time in 1957.

It was also covered by Teresa Brewer, Chris Isaak, Ned Miller, Patti Page, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow, and many others.

18 Jun 10 - 06:26 AM (#2930377)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: GUEST,kendall

One of the few pop songs that I liked.

18 Jun 10 - 08:56 AM (#2930469)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: GUEST,leeneia

Ten or fifteen years ago, a friend came back from New Zealand with a gift for us - a tape of Maori music. That tune was on the tape, as a song sung by a young Maori woman in her native tongue.

I suspect Ned Miller wrote those words, but the tune is traditional.

18 Jun 10 - 04:59 PM (#2930753)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: GUEST,DWR

I have four versions, Ned Miller himself, Bonnie Guitar and Gale Storm plus one not mentioned earlier, Mandy Barnett. All of the winners.

18 Jun 10 - 05:42 PM (#2930774)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: GUEST,DWR

http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Ned-Miller.html

Henry Ned Miller (B 1925) was more than a one hit wonder. As the link above says, he disliked touring and recording. Even so, he had several nice hits singing his own work, From A Jack To A King, Do What You Do Do Well and Invisible Tears being the most notable.

Trivia Time: Bonnie Guitar's real name was Bonnie Buckingham (B 1923). They called her Bonnie Guitar because of her skill on the instrument. She started out as a session musician.

Gale Storm's real name was Josephine Owaissa Cottle (April 5, 1922 - June 27, 2009)and of course, was probably best known as My Little Margie on TV.

18 Jun 10 - 05:46 PM (#2930777)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: Genie

So, leeneia, are you saying the tune is an old Maori tune?   The structure - verse, bridge, verse - seems very 19th C. American (maybe American / European) pop/jazz/country to me.

19 Jun 10 - 01:27 AM (#2930936)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: BK Lick

Also covered by the Kathy Kallick Band on their 1998 CD "Walkin' In My Shoes."
You can listen to it here.
Amy Stenberg writes in the liner notes:
A hit for Bonnie Guitar in the 50s, a miss for Kitty Wells,
and covered by Loretta Lynn in 1967 (as the flip side of
"Bargain Basement Dress," my personal anthem).

19 Jun 10 - 11:36 PM (#2931335)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: GUEST,BigDaddy

I first heard it on the soundtrack recording from the 1993 film, "A Perfect World." It was performed by Chris Izaak. Very nice.

20 Jun 10 - 03:26 AM (#2931368)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: BK Lick

video clip of Chris Isaak

video clip of Bonnie Guitar

21 Jun 10 - 04:33 PM (#2932192)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: BK Lick

Chris Isaak's is very nice indeed -- except he kinda messed up the lyrics, in my opinion. He sings:
Dark moon,
A way up high up in the sky
Oh, tell me why
I've lost your love
Dark moon,
Is it because, is it because
The one I love loves someone else?

21 Jun 10 - 06:04 PM (#2932275)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dark Moon (Ned Miller)
From: GUEST,leeneia

Genie, I don't have the tape from New Zealand any more.

It does sound Western, but that's okay. It didn't seem to take very long for native people conquered by Westerners to figure out the advantages of the scale and of modern instruments. And then to copy popular styles.

I think of the scales and chords as world accomplishents. Kind of like pottery, woodworking and soap, they cannot be claimed by any one culture.