J'ai quatre-vingts ans (my regular readers will understand)

Here, as promised yesterday (the last day I was ever soixante-dix-neuf), is one "moon" song I completely overlooked when putting together my recent post about "moon" songs.

It was famously recorded by the guitar-playing husband-and-wife singing team of Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1951. Their version is notable for introducing over-dubbing to the world. There were 12 guitar tracks laid down by Les Paul and 12 vocal tracks laid down by Mary Ford.

There was also a very popular version of "How High The Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald, complete with her famous and unequalled "scat" choruses. Here is a transcription of her version, made by someone whose resumé undoubtedly said "pays close attention to details":

Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you

Somewhere there's music
It's where you are
Somewhere there's heaven
How near, how far
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon

How high the moon
is the name of this song
How high the moon
Though the words may be wrong
We're singing it
Because you ask for it
So we're swinging it just for you

How high the moon
Does it touch the stars
How high the moon
Does it reach up to Mars
Though the words may be wrong
to this song
We're asking how high, high, high
high, high is the moon

Boo bi yoo bi
Bi yu di di ooh dun
dabba oohbee
Boo di yoo di
Di yu di dee dee doohdun
di di oohnbee
Bu di yu dan dan dan
Dee boognbee
Aheedee doo doo abbi woo do ee
Woah ba bee ba bap beya oh
Ein bap bap dein

Hey ohndalady deepbap
bumblebee
Deedeedeedeedee deedee
Doo doot doop antdoodly wah
Vebeeoopm dabba oohbayoum dabie
oohmbappa eupembappi ah

Baby ohm bap
Baby ooh bee bap bey
Oohtoo undn datley udnda da
Eun bu! eun bi! un ba! un bey!
un bey un bey in byron bay

Moody eetn deeby deepi ah ba
Beebeeoohdibap Da Bap! un boo bay
Deeoohdedootundap lah day
Oohtdee undeedoodee dootn

dadaploday
Beepbee oo'bapbee ootndap bobay
beepbee ootn da loday
a dooblydoobly dooblydoobly
dooblydoobly dooblydoobly
dooblydeetn deepdeedee eudabapoya

Beebeeum beep beebee bebop
Beebeeoohbebap dedap un boobay
Deeodeedoodee dap lady
Oohtdee undeedoodee dootn

dadaploday
Beepbee oo'bapbee ootndap bobay
beepbee ootn da loday

Deudedeu deun daudau baubau
bieubau badee beiu beiu ooh
Heee he a we ah
Heee he a eeah hah
Eeetdee eutandabbie utan
dooiedoodoon'lyba
Bieu bau bau n daisy ba

Beedeedee dedee deDee
Beedeedee ba-oi
Adoodlyoohtndo oohntdo oohntdo
Deedee oothndo baobaobao baeu

Beet-deet-dee doodly'ap'n'boobie
Bootbe up'n babba un baw baw ba-bey
Beedeedee yabadoreda bababo
Baya baba bobobo bi'yabeeba
Though the words may be wrong to this song
We hope to make high, high, high, high
High as the moon


If you don't believe me, go find the video on YouTube. I would have included it in this post but the computer kept crashing and I gave up. And while you're looking, check out the Les Paul & Mary Ford version as well.