James was born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California, on 25th January 1938, to an unmarried fourteen-year-old mother, Dorothy Hawkins. According to Etta, her mother claimed that her father was the white Rudolph "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, and that they received financial support from him on the condition that they keep his paternity a secret. This seems unlikely, though it has not been definitively disproved. Etta was born in Los Angeles in 1938. At the time, Wanderone was known to be managing a pool hall in Washington, D.C. and had not yet become known to be the cross-country traveller he later became.
She received her first professional vocal training at five years old from James Earle Hines, musical director of the Echoes of Eden choir at St Paul Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Her family moved to San Francisco in 1950, and she teamed up with two other girls to form a doo-wop singing group. When the girls were fourteen, band leader Johnny Otis had them audition. They sang an answer to Hank Ballard's "Work with Me, Annie" called "Roll Wwth Me Henry". Otis particularly liked the song, and against her mother's wishes, James and the trio went to Los Angeles to record the song in 1954. The song was recorded on the label Modern Records. By this time, the trio renamed the song "The Wallflower (Dance with Me, Henry)" and released it in 1955. James named her vocal group The Peaches. Richard Berry, a Los Angeles doo-wop luminary, is featured on some of their records.
"The Wallflower" reached number two on the rhythm and blues charts in February 1955, but was undercut in the wider market by a rushed-out cover version by Georgia Gibbs on Mercury Records; in fact, the very first time Gibbs was recorded in studio, they used the first take recorded and it became number one on the top 100 songs nationally. The song's royalties were divided between Hank Ballard, Etta James, and Johnny Otis, and its huge success attracted the attention of the R&B world, resulting in James going on tour with Little Richard. On the tour, though, according to James, she witnessed and experienced situations to which minors are not usually privy, and she allegedly acquired a drug habit.
Soon after the success of "Wallflower", The Peaches and James parted company, but this did not halt her career. Shecontinued to record and release albums throughout much of the decade, and enjoyed more success. Her follow-up, "Good Rockin' Daddy", became another fifties hit. Other songs however, such as "Tough Lover" and "W-O-M-A-N" failed to gain any significant success. James toured with Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Otis Redding in the fifties, and has cited Watson as the most significant influence on her style..
In 1960, James signed a recording contract with Chess Records. She went on to have the biggest success of her career from this label, recording her biggest and most memorable hits. Chess went into high gear with James, releasing many duets with her then boyfriend, the married Harvey Fuqua, who was the lead singer of the Moonglows. One of her duets with Fuqua, "If I Can't Have You", became a hit on the R&B charts in 1960. As a solo artist however, she had more enduring success. One of her first singles released by Chess in 1960 was called "All I Could Do Was Cry"; this blues number became a big hit on the R&B charts in 1960. Leonard Chess, one of the founders of Chess Records, helped James along the way. He saw the potential for her to go in a more pop-oriented direction, and she started recording more pop tunes for the label.
The year 1961 became a year of great change for James. In 1961 came the release of one of her first pop-oriented tunes called "At Last". The song became a big hit in 1961, reaching number two on the R&B charts. The song even went as far as twenty-two on the pop charts that year. It became her signature song. Other songs, such as "Trust in Me", also became hits, and the 1962 tune "Something's Got a Hold On Me" showed more of James' gospel side, a genre she had sung since childhood.
She had other big hits in the 1960s, but mainly on the R&B charts: the song "Pushover" in 1963 and "Stop the Wedding", "Fool That I Am", and "Don't Cry Baby", were hits for her between 1961 and 1963. Her 1963 album Etta James Rocks the House, recorded at Nashville's "New Era" club, also gave her career a boost. James then became one of the most successful R&B artists of the 1960s, having many more top ten and top twenty hit singles. Performing in Memphis, Tennessee helped make her into a blues icon.
In 1967, James released her next hit single, "Tell Mama", and it became a top ten hit on the R&B charts. After a dry period of no hits for almost four years, the song once more made James a household name. The follow-up, "Security", was also a success, and proved that James had staying power on the charts again. Whilst less success came for James after this hit, she was still on the charts regularly and, despite the death of Leonard Chess, stayed with the Chess label into 1975. Towards the end of the Chess years though, she went into more rock-based songs. She recorded for many other labels, and continued to release albums, such as 1978's Deep In the Night on Atlantic Records.
Despite a dry period during the early to mid 1980s, James got back on track and began to record music again. She received accolades for her 1981 rendition of Randy Newman's "God's Song". Her 1988 album Seven Year Itch proved this comeback capability; the album showed more of her soul side. In 1989, she recorded the song "Avenue D" with David A. Stewart of Eurythmics. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the Robert Wise film Rooftops. She also performed with the Grateful Dead for two shows in 1982. In the 1990s she continued to record and perform. Her albums widely varied in styles and genres. Her 1992 album, The Right Time, was another soul album that was released by Elektra Records. She also began to record more jazz, which became the style for many of her 1990s albums.
Drug-related and romantic problems interfered with her career, but James managed to maintain a career throughout the latter half of the twentieth century. Later in life, she struggled with obesity, experiencing mobility and knee problems. In 2003, she underwent gastric bypass surgery.
In 2011, a vocal sample from Etta's "Something's Got a Hold on Me" was used in "Levels" by Avicii. "Levels" became a monster EDM hit, making Etta's "sometimes I get a good feeling" one of the most recognizable samples in 21st century music.
She died on 20th January 2012.
By the Light of the Silvery Moon
Etta James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cast two, me, you, sound of kisses floating on the breeze.
Act one, begun. Dialogue, "Where would you like to spoon?"
My cue, with you, underneath 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,
By the silvery moon.
Act two, scene new, roses blooming all around the place;
Cast three, you, me, Preacher with a solemn looking face.
Choir sings, bell rings,Preacher: "You are wed for evermore."
Act two, all through, every night the same encore.
By the light, (By the light, By the light),
Of the silvery moon, (The silvery moon).
I want to spoon, (Want to spoon, Want to spoon)
To my honey I'll croon love's tune.
Honeymoon, (Honeymoon, Honeymoon),
Keep a shining in June. (Keep a shining in June)
Your silvery beams will bring love dreams,
We'll be cuddling soon,
By the silvery moon.
Your silvery beams will bring love dreams,
We'll be cuddling soon,
By the silvery moon. (The silvery moon).
By the light that's silvery!
The song "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" by Etta James is a romantic tune about a couple in love. The lyrics describe a scene in a park, where the silvery moon is shining through the trees, casting a dark and romantic atmosphere. The couple, played by the singer and her lover, are embracing and kissing each other, enjoying the sound of the kisses floating on the breeze. They talk about where they would like to spoon, a romantic reference to cuddling, and decide to do it underneath the silvery moon.
In the second act, the singer and her lover are joined by a preacher and a choir singing around them, creating a solemn and romantic atmosphere. The preacher marries the couple, and they become wed for evermore. The act ends with every night having the same encore, a reference to them cuddling close to each other and enjoying each other's company.
The song is a beautiful love ballad that describes the romantic mood of the couple and their strong bond. It is a tribute to the enduring power of love and the passion that it can bring to one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Place park, scene dark, silvery moon is shining through the trees;
In a secluded park, under the cover of darkness, the silver light of the moon radiates through the trees.
Cast two, me, you, sound of kisses floating on the breeze.
With just the two of us present, the gentle sound of our kissing is carried softly by the breeze.
Act one, begun. Dialogue, "Where would you like to spoon?"
The first act of our romantic date has started, and we ask each other, "Where would you like to cuddle?"
My cue, with you, underneath the silvery moon.
I recognize my prompt and join you for an intimate embrace beneath the shimmering silver moon.
By the light of the silvery moon,
I am guided by the radiant light of the silver moon,
I want to spoon, to my honey I'll croon love's tune,
All I desire is to cuddle with my beloved and serenade them with a loving melody.
Honeymoon keep a shining in June,
Our love for each other will flourish and shine bright like a honeymoon during this beautiful month of June.
Your silvery beams will bring love dreams, we'll be cuddling soon,
The gentle rays of the silver moon will bring us sweet dreams of love, and we will soon cuddle anew.
Act two, scene new, roses blooming all around the place;
The second act commences, and we find ourselves amongst the blooming roses of a new area.
Cast three, you, me, Preacher with a solemn looking face.
We are now accompanied by a solemn-looking preacher, creating a group of three.
Choir sings, bell rings,Preacher: "You are wed for evermore."
As the choir sings and the bell rings, the preacher joins us together in marriage, binding us together for all eternity.
Act two, all through, every night the same encore.
Act two continues repeatedly, with each night bringing the same encore.
By the light, (By the light, By the light),
Once again, I am guided by the silver light of the moon,
Of the silvery moon, (The silvery moon).
And I am reminded of the enduring radiance of the beautiful silver moon.
I want to spoon, (Want to spoon, Want to spoon)
All I desire is to cuddle with my beloved,
Honeymoon, (Honeymoon, Honeymoon),
And to experience the passion and magic of a beautiful honeymoon.
Keep a shining in June. (Keep a shining in June)
May our love shine bright and undiminished during the month of June.
Your silvery beams will bring love dreams,
The gentle rays of the silver moon will inspire sweet and loving dreams
We'll be cuddling soon,
And we will soon find ourselves intimately cuddled together,
By the silvery moon. (The silvery moon).
Guided and inspired by the enduring radiance of the silver moon.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Madden, Gus Edwards
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shizue Leigh Hicks
Oh, my! The days when singers could sing and didn't need AutoTune. God bless, Etta!
Sean Calvin
Great performance of this classic, Gene Vincent also sings it well. Cheers
Billy
Sean Calvin Terrible female singer,This is so much of noice so I was not able to hear it. My favorite version is by Ada Jones,but like a version Billy Murray did with Hayde’n Quartet too. If you can I enjoy this I not understand you
I gives this version and Etta James 0 stars. I will not hear her in another songs. I not like her here
Keki Engineer
The world gets transfixed and everything suddenly seems to be perfect by the light of the silvery moon. There is peace and love and hope for happiness. Everyone gets captivated by the magic of the moment. Keki.
Billy
Terrible version. Only much of noise. I was not able to hear it. I love hear Ada Jones sing this song.
Stephanie Baird
This version rocks!