His build earned him a nickname and a signature song, "Mr. Five by Five" ("he's five feet tall and he's five feet wide"). His best known recordings are probably those of "Going to Chicago" with Basie and "Harvard Blues" with the famous saxophone solo by Don Byas. George Frazier, author of "Harvard Blues", called Rushing's distinctive voice, "a magnificent gargle".
He died of leukemia in 1972 in New York City.
Shine On Harvest Moon
Jimmy Rushing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For the moon refused to shine.
Couple sitting underneath a willow tree,
For love they did pine,
Little maid was kinda 'fraid of darkness
So she said, "I guess I'll go."
Boy began to sigh, looked up at the sky,
Told the moon his little tale of woe:
"oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon,
So shine on, shine on harvest moon, for me and my gal!"
I can't see why a boy should sigh,
When by his side is the girl he loves so true,
All he has to say is:
"Won't you be my bride,
For I love you,
Why should I be telling you this secret,
When I know that you can guess?,"
Harvest moon will smile,
Shine on all the while,
If the little girl should answer "yes."
"Oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon
So shine on, shine on harvest moon - for me and my gal !"
The Dave Brubeck Quartet's song "Shine on Harvest Moon" is a romantic, playful tune that tells the story of a couple sitting under a willow tree on a dark, moonless night. The boy is desperate for some affection, lamenting that he hasn't had any loving since January, February, June or July. The little maid, however, is too scared of the dark and decides to leave. The boy is left alone and looks up at the sky, pleading with the moon to shine on him and his gal. He tells the moon his troubles, hoping to elicit some kind of response or comfort in his time of need.
The second verse is a response to the boy's plea, with the singer wondering why the boy is sighing when he has the girl he loves right by his side. The singer suggests that the boy should simply ask the girl to be his bride, whispering his love for her. If the girl answers "yes," the harvest moon will continue to shine on them and their love will flourish. The song is a lighthearted and charming tale of young love, told through the lens of a dark and ominous night.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was mighty dark so you could hardly see,
The darkness was overwhelming, making it nearly impossible to see anything.
For the moon refused to shine.
The moon was not shining tonight.
Couple sitting underneath a willow tree,
A pair of lovers were sitting under a willow tree.
For love they did pine,
They were longing for each other's love.
Little maid was kinda 'fraid of darkness
The girl was scared of the dark.
So she said, "I guess I'll go."
Feeling scared, the girl said she had to leave.
Boy began to sigh, looked up at the sky,
The boy let out a sigh and gazed up at the sky.
Told the moon his little tale of woe:
He shared his woes with the moon.
"oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
He begged the moon to shine bright.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
He hadn't experienced any love for a long time.
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon,
It was too cold outside to spend time cuddling.
So shine on, shine on harvest moon, for me and my gal!"
He wished for the moon to shine on him and his girl in their love.
I can't see why a boy should sigh,
It's unclear why the boy was feeling down.
When by his side is the girl he loves so true,
The girl whom he loves is right beside him.
All he has to say is:
He only needs to say one thing.
"Won't you be my bride,
He asks her to be his wife.
For I love you,
Because he loves her.
Why should I be telling you this secret,
He wonders why he's sharing this secret.
When I know that you can guess?",
He knows that she likely already knows.
Harvest moon will smile,
The moon will bring good luck.
Shine on all the while,
The moon will continue to shine.
If the little girl should answer "yes."
If the girl says yes, all will be well.
"Oh, shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky.
"Once again, he pleads with the moon.
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June or July
He is still in need of love.
Snowtime ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon
It's just too cold to spend time cuddling outside.
So shine on, shine on harvest moon - for me and my gal !"
He hopes the moon will shine his love luck.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACK NORWORTH, NORA BAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind