Moonlight Bay

This article is about the song. For the trilogy, see Moonlight Bay Trilogy.
"Moonlight Bay"

Cover, sheet music, 1912
Song
Published 1912
Composer(s) Percy Wenrich
Lyricist(s) Edward Madden
Language English

"Moonlight Bay" is a popular song. It is commonly referred to as "On Moonlight Bay". The lyrics were written by Edward Madden, the music by Percy Wenrich, and was published in 1912. It is often sung in a barbershop quartet style.

The Beatles performed "Moonlight Bay" with comedians Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise on the duo's ATV programme Two of a Kind in December 1963. A recording of the performance was released on the Beatles' Anthology 1 in 1995.

Verses

Voices hum, crooning over Moonlight Bay
Banjos strum, tuning while the moonbeams play
All alone, unknown they find me
Memories like these remind me
Of the girl I left behind me
Down on Moonlight Bay
Candle lights gleaming on the silent shore
Lonely nights, dreaming till we meet once more
Far apart, her heart, is yearning
With a sigh for my returning
With the light of love still burning
As in of days of yore

Chorus

We were sailing along
On Moonlight Bay.
We could hear the voices ringing;
They seemed to say,
"You have stolen her heart"
"Now don't go 'way!"
As we sang Love's Old Sweet Song
On Moonlight Bay

Beatles Version

We were strolling along (twist and shout!)
On Moonlight Bay (whoo!)
We could hear the voices singing (I like it!)
You said you'd stay (Keep up, Bongo!)
You have broken my heart (oh, twist and shout!)
So go away ('Have the Beatles gone?' 'No, they're here!')
With your short, fat hairy legs
On Moonlight Bay
On Moonlight Bay

Some sources alter the third line of the chorus from "voices ringing" to "darkies singing," to appeal to minstrel show tastes. However, the original sheet music and 1912 recordings use the lyrics above.

Notable covers

See also

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 112. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
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