MOONLIGHT SONGS: "MOONLIGHT DRIVE" AND OTHER EXAMPLES

Moonlight has inspired countless lyrics throughout music history; it is a natural element capable of suggesting metaphysical excursions and romantic leaps of the imagination.

Also susceptible to its allure was Jim Morrison, who dedicated the title of a wonderful song to the moonlight: "Moonlight Drive", included on The Doors' second LP ("Strange Days", released in September 1967).

The lyrics of this composition clearly point to the moonlight as a symbol of a freedom to be regained. We can do this by freeing ourselves from the external limitations imposed on our happiness, such as the dominant culture. We can also regain our freedom by letting go those constrains originating within ourselves, such as fears and insecurities.

The moon illuminates this track, which unfolds its marvelous catchy groove and allows the listener to distinguish its wonderful sound details in the silvery half-light created by Earth's magical satellite.

As we said at the beginning, many artists have been attracted by the moonlight and have translated its mysterious and benevolent charm into some of their tunes. Here are two examples that predate "Moonlight Drive" concerning the year of their official release, but also feature moonlight as their main theme.

The first one is "What A Little Moonlight Can Do" (written by H. Woods), in the 1935 version sung by Billy Holiday. At that time, the singer was accompanied by a band consisting of some of the best jazz musicians in history: Ben Webster (tenor saxophone), Teddy Wilson (piano), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Benny Goodman (clarinet), etc.

With her sweet and floating voice, the singer tells of how uncertainties and shyness in love can be overcome if we are illuminated by the poetic light of the moon.

Complementing this fast-paced composition are the short, fine solos of the clarinet, tenor saxophone and trumpet, played in a swing style. The small orchestra that accompanies Holiday adds a touch of intimacy to the atmosphere, in way that would have been lost with a full-fledged swing big band.

The second example comes from another great jazz vocalist: Ella Fitzgerald with the song "Moonlight Becomes You", written by Van Heusen and Burke in the early 1940s. Fitzgerald's interpretation, which we have chosen from the many recorded versions of this song, dates from 1959 and is found on the album "Get Happy!”.

In this case, the band backing Fitzgerald's perfect voice consists of more than ten elements, but the arrangement is unobtrusive, leaving the singer's incomparable qualities in the foreground. Despite a twenty-five-year career behind her back, here her voice is unaltered in its clear, sensual purity.

The song unfolds languidly, staying true to the swing genre, although with its warmest developments it often touches the pop genre of that period.

In this track, the moonlight makes the image of the beloved even more romantic and seductive, surrounding her/him with its charming, yet discreet and subdued brightness.

The transformative effect of the moonlight is the thread that ties these three compositions together. A transformation induced by the magical properties of the light emitted by the moon.

The moon is thus the bearer of positive changes in the individual. In the case of "Moonlight Drive" by The Doors, it can show everyone the way to a life that is truly free and able to express itself fully.