Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own radio show, The Wayfaring Stranger, which popularized traditional folk songs. In 1942, he appeared in Irving Berlin's This Is the Army and became a major star of CBS Radio. In the 1960s, he successfully crossed over into country music, recording hits such as "A Little Bitty Tear" and "Funny Way of Laughin'". Ives was also a popular film actor through the late 1940s and '50s. His film roles included parts in So Dear to My Heart (1948) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), as well as the role of Rufus Hannassey in The Big Country (1958), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ives is often associated with the Christmas season. He did voice-over work as Sam the Snowman, narrator of the classic 1964 Christmas television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Ives also worked on the special's soundtrack, including the songs "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", both of which continue to chart annually on the Billboard holiday charts into the 2020s.
By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
Burl Ives Lyrics
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By the light of the silvery moon,
I want to spoon, to my honey I'll croon love's tune
Honeymoon keep a-shining in June,
Your silv'ry beams will bring love dreams
We'll be cuddling soon,
By the silvery moon
By the light of the silvery moon,
I want to spoon, to my honey I'll croon love's tune
Honeymoon keep a-shining in June,
Your silv'ry beams will bring love dreams
We'll be cuddling soon,
By the silvery moon
By the light of the silvery moon,
I want to spoon, to my honey I'll croon love's tune
Honeymoon keep a-shining in June,
Your silv'ry beams will bring love dreams
We'll be cuddling soon,
By the silvery moon
The song "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" by Burl Ives is a classic example of a love song that speaks to the desire for intimacy and togetherness under the romantic light of the moon. The singer expresses his desire to spoon and croon love's tune to his sweetheart under the shining light of the moon. The moon represents the purity and radiance of their love, and a honeymoon in June represents the start of a new and blissful relationship. The silvery beams of the moon bring love dreams to the couple, and they look forward to cuddling together in the magical light of the moon.
The song conveys a sense of innocence and optimism about love that is characteristic of many love songs from that era. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but they convey a powerful message about the transformative power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
By the light of the silvery moon,
Under the nighttime glow of the moon,
I want to spoon, to my honey I'll croon love's tune
I want to cuddle and sing sweetly to my lover,
Honeymoon keep a-shining in June,
The happiness of our new love should continue to radiate,
Your silv'ry beams will bring love dreams
The moon's light will inspire romantic dreams,
We'll be cuddling soon, by the silvery moon
We will soon embrace each other under the moon's glow,
Contributed by Alice V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.