Moonlight Serenade

By Glenn Miller & Mitchell Parish
1939

One of the all-time great signature tunes of the Big Band era. It was composed by Miller for his world-famous orchestra, and became one of five Top 20 Billboard hits the band would have in 1939. Originally, it was the B-side of a record called "Sunrise Serenade", but became such a huge hit on its own that it quickly became Miller's theme song. With it's classic Miller-style clarinet-saxophone lead, it perfectly sums up the sweet "Miller sound". Parish would later add lyrics to what was previously an instrumental.

Lyrics:

I stand at your gate.
And the song that I sing is of moonlight.
I stand and I wait
For the touch of your hand in the June night.
The roses are sighing a moonlight serenade.

The stars are aglow.
And tonight how their light sets me dreaming.
My love, do you know
That your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you, and I sing you a moonlight serenade.

Let us stray 'til break of day
In love's valley of dreams.
Just you and I, a summer sky,
A heavenly breeze, kissin' the trees.

So don't let me wait.
Come to me tenderly in the June night.
I stand at your gate
And I sing you a song in the moonlight.
A love song, my darling, a moonlight serenade

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Carly Simon
Santo & Johnny
Count Basie
Gene Krupa

At Last

By Mack Gordon & Harry Warren
1941

A standard introduced by the Glenn Miller orchestra in the film Orchestra Wives, and later that same year on record as well, At Last is a gorgeous number that experienced a total rebirth a generation later, when it was literally reinvented by the eminent soul singer Etta James. Aided by a masterful arrangement, Etta's sublime recording is one of the most well-known of all time, and has ensured that this one-of-a-kind composition will never be forgotten.

Lyrics:

At last,
My love has come along,
My lonely days are over,
And life is like a song.

At last,
The skies above are blue,
My heart was wrapped in clover
The night I looked at you.

I found a dream that I could speak to,
A dream that I could call my own.
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to,
A thrill that I have never known.

You smiled,
And then the spell was cast,
And here we are in heaven,
For you are mine at last.

Recorded By:

Glenn Miller
Etta James
Ray Anthony
Chet Baker
Nat King Cole

String of Pearls

By Jerry Gray & Eddie De Lange
1942

Prolific big band arranger Gray (born Generoso Graziano) made a career out of reworking other composers' material, but in a few cases he create his own work from the ground up. Such was the case with this inventive number written specifically for the Glenn Miller orchestra. It would be a number-one hit; and Gray (pictured) would also have success with another Miller standard, "Pennsylvania 6-5000".

Lyrics:

Baby, here's a five and dime,
Baby, now's about the time
For a string of pearls a la Woolworth.

Every pearl's a star above,
Wrapped in dreams and filled with love,
That old string of pearls a la Woolworth.

Till that happy day in spring,
When you buy the wedding ring,
Please, a string of pearls a la Woolworth.

Baby, you made quite a start,
Found a way right to my heart,
With a string of pearls a la Woolworth.

Recorded By:

Glenn Miller
Ritchie Lee
Narciso Yepes
Harry James
Benny Goodman

Moon Love

By Mack David & Andre Kostelanetz
1939

This was David's very first hit, teaming with future "easy listening" luminary Kostelanetz to adapt Romantic composer Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky's fifth symphony (particularly the andante theme). It was introduced by Glenn Miller's orchestra, but remained a popular tune for decades.

Lyrics:

Will this be moon love,
Nothing but moon love?
Will you be gone when the dawn comes stealing through?

Are these just moon dreams,
Grand while the moon beams?
But when the moon fades away, will my dreams come true?

Much as I love you,
Don't let me love you
If I must pay for your kiss with lonely tears.

Say it's not moon love,
Tell me it's true love.
Say you'll be mine when the moon disappears.

Recorded By:

Pearl Bailey
Frank Sinatra
Nat King Cole
Chet Baker
Glenn Miller

The Nearness of You

By Hoagy Carmichael & Ned Washington
1938

Can it possibly be that this is the first Hoagy Carmichael song covered on Standard of the Day? Apparently so! Carmichael's quiet, sweet ode to love was introduced with a hit record by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, with Ray Eberle on vocals. Several years ago, Norah Jones brought new attention to it by including a recording on her acclaimed debut album Come Away With Me.

Lyrics:

It's not the pale moon that excites me,
That thrills and delights me.
Oh no,
It's just the nearness of you.

It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation.
Oh no,
It's just the nearness of you.

When you're in my arms, and I feel you so close to me,
All my wildest dreams come true.

I need no soft lights to enchant me,
If you would only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight,
And to feel in the night
The nearness of you.

Recorded By:

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Frank Sinatra
Diana Krall
Keith Richards
Les Brown

Indian Summer

By Victor Herbert & Al Dubin
1919/1939

The reason for splitting up the dates on this song is that Herbert originally wrote the tune in 1919, but it remained an instrumental until 1939, when Dubin won a contest to decide who would get to add lyrics. It wasn't until then that the song became a standard, introduced by Glenn Miller's orchestra (Ray Eberle singer), and then shortly after taken to number by Tommy Dorsey's orchestra (Frank Sinatra singer). As a standard, it has normally been associated with big bands.

Lyrics:

Summer--
You old Indian summer.
You're the tear that comes after
June-time's laughter.
You see so many dreams that don't come true,
Dreams we fashioned when summertime was new.

You are here to watch over
Some heart that is broken
By a word that somebody
Left unspoken.
You're the ghost of a romance in June going astray,
Fading too soon, thats why I say
Farewell to you, Indian summer.

Recorded By:

Tony Bennett
Gene Krupa
Ella Fitzgerald
Sarah Vaughan
Django Reinhardt

Serenade in Blue

By Harry Warren & Mack Gordon
1942

Written for the 20th Century Fox film Orchestra Wives--in which it was introduced by the dubbed voice of Pat Friday via leading lady Lynn Bari--this song nevertheless achieved immortality when it was recorded shortly after by Glenn Miller's orchestra, with Ray Eberle and The Modernaires on vocals. It became one of Miller's signature numbers, second only to his theme song, "Moonlight Serenade".

Lyrics:

When I hear that serenade in blue,
I'm somewhere in another world, alone with you,
Sharing all the joys we used to know,
Many moons ago.

Once again your face comes back to me,
Just like the theme of some forgotten melody
In the album of my memory,
Serenade in blue.

It seems like only yesterday,
The small cafe, a crowded floor,
And as we danced the night away,
I hear you say forevermore.
And then the song became a sigh,
Forever more became goodbye,
But you remained in my heart.

So tell me darling, is there still a spark?
Or only lonely ashes of the flame we knew?
Should I go on whistling in the dark?
Serenade in blue.

Recorded By:

Frank Sinatra
Doris Day
Dick Haymes
Stan Getz
Charles Mingus

Stairway to the Stars

By Matt Malneck, Frank Signorelli & Mitchell Parish 1939

This song began its life in 1934 as the third and final part of an instrumental composed by Malneck & Signorelli called "Park Avenue Fantasy". Five years later, while Malneck was using the tune as his radio show theme, he and Signorelli approached Parish to write lyrics for the third section. The newly refashioned pop song was a megahit for Glenn Miller and his singer Ray Eberle, hitting number one and staying on the charts for 13 weeks.

Lyrics:

Let's build a stairway to the stars,
And climb that stairway to the stars.
With Love beside us,
To fill the night with a song.

We'll hear the sound of violins,
Out yonder where the blue begins.
The moon will guide us
As we go drifting along.

Can't we sail away on a lazy daisy petal
Over the rim of the hills?
Can't we sail away on a little dream,
Settle high on the crest of a thrill?

Let's build a stairway to the stars,
A lovely lovely stairway to the stars.
It would be heaven
To climb to heaven with you.

Recorded By:

Jimmy Dorsey
Stan Kenton
Ella Fitzgerald
Natalie Cole
Sarah Vaughan