‘Moondance’ is a song recorded by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison and is the title song on his third studio album Moondance (1970). It was written by Morrison, and produced by Morrison and Lewis Merenstein. Morrison did not release the song as a single until September 1977, seven and a half years after the album was released. It debuted two months later where it reached #92, on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #91 on the US Cash Box Top 100 The single's B-side, ‘Cold Wind in August’, had been released in the same year, on his latest album at the time, A Period of Transition.
‘Moondance’ was written and developed while Morrison was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has commented, "With 'Moondance' I wrote the melody first. I played the melody on a soprano sax and I knew I had a song so I wrote lyrics to go with the melody. That's the way I wrote that one. I don't really have any words to particularly describe the song, sophisticated is probably the word I'm looking for. For me, 'Moondance' is a sophisticated song. Frank Sinatra wouldn't be out of place singing that."
The Allmusic reviewer describes ‘Moondance’ as "one of those rare songs that manages to implant itself on the collective consciousness of popular music, passing into the hallowed territory of a standard, a classic." Biographer John Collis praised the song for being more commercially accessible for most radio stations than a lot of his earlier work. He calls ‘Moondance’ "an important song in the development of Morrison's career, since it indicated to radio station programmers a previously unsuspected versatility. Stations that would never have considered playing, say 'Slim Slow Slider' found that the smooth, jazzy sophistication of 'Moondance' was more to their taste."
‘Moondance’ was listed as #226 in Rolling Stone magazine's December 2004 feature "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 1999 the 1970 album release of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Label – Warner Bros.
Songwriter – Van Morrison
Producers – Van Morrison, Lewis Merenstein
SONG LYRICS
[Intro][Verse 1]
Well, it’s a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
’Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I’m trying to please to the calling
Of your heartstrings that play soft and low
[Pre-Chorus]
You know the night’s magic seems to whisper and hush
You know the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush
[Chorus]
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?
[Verse 2]
Well, I want to make love to you tonight
I can’t wait ’til the morning has come
And I know now the time is just right
And straight into my arms you will run
And when you come my heart will be waiting
To make sure that you’re never alone
There and then all my dreams will come true, dear
There and then I will make you my own
[Pre-Chorus]
And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside
Then I know how much you want me that you can’t hide
[Chorus]
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Verse 1]
Well, it’s a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
’Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I’m trying to please to the calling
Of your heartstrings that play soft and low
[Pre-Chorus]
You know the night’s magic seems to whisper and hush
You know the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush
[Chorus]
Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?
Can I just make some more romance with you, my love?
[Outro]
One more moondance with you
In the moonlight
On a magic night
La, la, la, la
In the moonlight
On a magic night
Can’t I just have one more moondance with you, my love?