When Kitt was young his father and uncles formed a successful touring folk group so Kitt grew up surrounded by music, and he himself began performing live sets while studying music technology at Trinity College, Dublin. He recorded and mixed the eight tracks of his debut release in his bedroom and this debut LP, the quietly magnetic Small Moments (Rough Trade) which was followed by the expansive ambient textures and looping pop mantras of The Big Romance (Blanco y Negro, 2001); his biggest selling record.
During this period Kitt concentrated on touring Britain and mainland Europe and graced the stage with record collection heroes such as Television, Yo La Tengo, Arab Strap and Tindersticks, discovered harmony-pop lovelies The Magic Numbers were his biggest fans and was invited by David Bowie to perform at the Bowie curated Meltdown Festival at Royal Festival Hall in 2002.
Then came Square One (WEA) in 2003; the soundtrack to falling in love, and The Black & Red Notebook (Rough Trade, 2005) which was, quite simply, a covers album. A snapshot tribute to a record collection, with fascinating gimmick-free Kitt-style workovers of Sonic Youth, Thin Lizzy, JJ Cale et al. 2006’s return to original material, Not Fade Away (Rough Trade) captured an artist dealing with the post-relationship whirlwind of excess and contemplation.
Kitt's most recent album is The Nightsaver, his sixth LP. The result of two years of late-night experimentation, caught in the reverie of writing and recording in a home studio at the top of a winding staircase somewhere along Dublin’s Grand Canal. Without any of the baggage of collaboration or record company influence he allowed his natural influences to filter through this collection of, what are essentially, concise songs. The free-flowing nuances of disco, Kraftwerk, 90’s house music, hip-hop of all eras and the evolving legacy of crafted synth-pop from Hall & Oates to Junior Boys can be heard throughout.
Perhaps The Nightsaver’s most significant breakthrough is that of Kitt’s role as producer, an evolving process in which he learned to trust his instincts, his skills and his own ears. He embraced the spontaneity of these early hours sessions, capturing moments of loose musicianship or slightly out of tune singing, marrying unlikely electronic rhythms with classic pop-crafted melodies. The only guest is the apparitional voice of Waterford artist Katie Kim on Beat A Retreat and Don't Wake Me Up. Otherwise it’s all David.
From the dreamy chimes of opener Move It On, through the clipped disco swagger of It’s Yours and the breathtaking mantra-style vocals and spitting electronic distrotion of Learning To Say Goodbye right through to the creaky folk-blues hip-hop of No Truth in Your Eyes, The Nightsaver is very much David Kitt’s clean slate record.
Dancing in the Moonlight
David Kitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you took me with a glance
I should have took that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance
Now we go steady to the pictures
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
And my fathers going crazy
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
It's got me in its spotlight
It's alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
Well It's three o'clock in the morning
And I'm on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I should have been home by ten
I won't get out until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
But it's a habit worth forming
If the means justify the end
I'm Dancing in the moonlight
It's got me in its spotlight
It's alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
I'm walking home
The last bus is long gone
I'm walking home
The last bus is long gone
I'm Dancing in the moonlight
It's got me in its spotlight
It's alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
The lyrics to David Kitt's song "Dancing in the Moonlight" depict a classic tale of summer love and youthful rebellion. The singer sees a girl that catches his eye, and despite the late hour and his father's disapproval, he decides to stay out and dance with her under the moonlight. The chorus repeats the refrain "dancing in the moonlight" as a sort of declaration of joy and freedom, encapsulating the carefree spirit of the moment.
The second stanza reveals further consequences for our protagonist's actions - he disobeys a warning to come home and must lie to his parents about his whereabouts. However, the song suggests that this is all worth it for the magical feeling of being young and alive in the moment. The final stanza finds the singer walking home after missing the last bus, perhaps adding a bittersweet note to the story, but also reinforcing the idea that the night was so good that it was worth any inconvenience.
Overall, "Dancing in the Moonlight" is an anthem for those who seize the chance to experience the fun and wonder of summertime adventures, even if it means staying out past curfew or enduring a long walk home. The song strikes a balance between youthful recklessness and newfound maturity, celebrating the dreams and desires of young people while acknowledging the consequences of their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I passed you in the doorway
I saw you as I came through the door
And you took me with a glance
You caught my attention with just a single look
I should have took that last bus home
I should have gone home earlier
But I asked you for a dance
But I couldn't resist asking you to dance with me
Now we go steady to the pictures
Now we're a couple and we go to the movies together
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
I always make a mess when I eat chocolate during the movie
And my fathers going crazy
And my dad is very upset
He say's I'm living in a trance
He says that I'm not thinking clearly
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
But I'm enjoying myself by dancing under the moonlight
It's got me in its spotlight
The moonlight has me captivated
It's alright
It's okay
Dancing in the moonlight
Dancing happily under the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
On a hot summer night, when the weather is perfect for dancing outside
Well It's three o'clock in the morning
It's very late at night
And I'm on the streets again
And I'm outside again
I disobeyed another warning
I ignored another piece of advice
I should have been home by ten
I should have gone home much earlier
I won't get out until Sunday
I won't be able to leave until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
I'll have to lie and say I spent the night at a friend's house
But it's a habit worth forming
But it's a behavior that is worth keeping up
If the means justify the end
If it leads to a positive outcome
I'm Walking in the moonlight
I'm walking under the moonlight
The last bus is long gone
I missed the last bus
I'm Dancing in the moonlight
I'm still dancing under the moonlight
It's got me in its spotlight
I'm still captivated by the moonlight
It's alright
Everything is okay
Dancing in the moonlight
Still dancing happily under the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
On a hot summer night, when the weather is perfect for dancing outside
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sherman Kelly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Calypso-0
Seriously this is my literal favorite song i saw it in The Blacklist and i don't even go one day without hearing it
@gathutoalex
I'm also here from The Blacklist, there's just something about this song that moved me and made me come look for it..
@MrYoursomesanta
Remember buying the album as soon as it was released, still listening all these years later. ❤
@Calypso-0
WHY IS THIS SO UNDERATED OMG I'm here for any of you who are barely finding this song
@ForgivnesPro
Ive been listning to this song for so long now, pretty much grew up with it. Never grown tired of it, gives me such a good feeling to listen to it. Such a random song that I found on spotify years and years ago, and I'll always have it with me. Absolutely love it ❤
@messyties
Ive been listening to this song for years. Love it. Best version by far
@rud25
Years later this cover is still amazing 💕
@alaricloftus6277
I have spent the better part of a day looking for this song... I heard it once the other day and I was immediately entranced, so glad that my quest has concluded.
@kendingo39
this is such a great version wow
@hoojks
Finally was added to youtube.... lol. I bought the albulm becuase I heard this song once about a year ago, and went crazy to find it. Ever since on my Itunes its #1 by a long shot. 302 plays, compared to my second most played song being 128.