The Moon Was Yellow

By Fred E. Ahlert & Edgar Leslie
1934

This Eastern-flavored tune was popularized in the mid 1930s by Bing Crosby. Its composer Ahlert was also responsible for such favorites as "I'll Get By", "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter", "Mean to Me" and "Walkin' My Baby Back Home"; lyricist Leslie also wrote the words to "For Me and My Gal", and was the director of ASCAP for many years. Frank Sinatra thought enough of this song to record it at Columbia (1945), Capitol (1958) and Reprise Records (1965), where he used it as the coda to his underrated Moonlight Sinatra album.

Lyrics:

The moon was yellow, and the night was young.
A smile brought us together,
And I was wond'ring whether
We'd meet again some day.

The moon was yellow, and a song was sung.
That vocal inspiration
Gave me the inclination
To give my heart away!

Here we are. Is our romance to continue?
Will it be my luck to win you?
May I look that far?

My love is mellow, and my hopes are strung
Around that cupid fellow.
Behold! The moon is yellow,
And the night is young.

Recorded By:

Dorsey Brothers
Frank Sinatra
Mario Lanza
Russ Morgan
Laurindo Almeida & Charlie Byrd