What A Little Moonlight Can Do
Billie Holiday W/ Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra Lyrics


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Ooh, ooh, ooh
What a little moonlight can do
Ooh, ooh, ooh
What a little moonlight can do to you
You in love
Your heart's fluttering all day long
You only stutter cause you for sure
Just throw that out of the way
I love you
Ooh, ooh, ooh
What a little moonlight can do
Wait a while
Till a little moonbeam comes peepin' through
He'll get bored
You can't resist him
All you'll say
When you have kissed him is
Ooh, ooh, ooh





What a little moonlight can do
Ooh, ooh, ooh

Overall Meaning

In "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," Billie Holiday reflects on the powerful effect that the moon has on love. The soft glow of the moon is enough to enhance a romantic mood, and she sings about the fluttering of the heart and the stuttering of speech that come with being in love. The chorus of the song highlights the power that the moon has to intensify and ignite a romantic connection. With a little bit of moonlight, the song suggests that even those who are ordinarily reticent can express their love candidly.


The song suggests that, with the aid of the moon, couples can experience passionate and transformative love. The moon acts as a force behind this transformation, and the lyrics advise waiting until a moonbeam comes through to experience the full range of emotional connections, ultimately ending in a kiss.


Overall, "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" offers a romantic vision of the moon as a supplementary force that enhances the feelings and connections that people experience in their relationships.


Line by Line Meaning

Ooh, ooh, ooh
Expressing excitement or anticipation


What a little moonlight can do
The transformative power of moonlight on one's mood or romantic feelings


Ooh, ooh, ooh
Continued expression of excitement or anticipation


What a little moonlight can do to you
The impact of moonlight on an individual's emotions and behavior


You in love
Addressing someone who is experiencing romantic feelings


Your heart's fluttering all day long
The physical sensation of being in love and feeling nervous or excited


You only stutter cause you for sure
Being tongue-tied or nervous due to romantic feelings


Just throw that out of the way
Ignoring the nervousness or anxiety and expressing one's feelings freely


I love you
Directly expressing romantic feelings


Wait a while
Taking time to allow feelings to manifest or deepen


Till a little moonbeam comes peepin' through
Waiting for the moonlight to transform one's emotions and behavior


He'll get bored
Referencing the moonbeam or moonlight as a personification of love or romantic feelings


You can't resist him
Being unable to ignore or resist the transformative effects of romantic feelings


All you'll say
The expression of emotions or thoughts when under the influence of love or moonlight


When you have kissed him is
The culmination of romantic feelings or actions under the influence of moonlight


Ooh, ooh, ooh What a little moonlight can do
Repeated expression of the transformative power of moonlight




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY WOODS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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