How High the Moon
June Christy & The Kentones Lyrics

June Christy & Stan Kenton's "How High The Moon" is a love song that addresses the longing and anticipation that accompany being separated from someone you love. The song opens with the statement, "Somewhere there's music, how faint the tune," which creates a sense of longing and search for something that is not yet within reach. The next line, "Somewhere there's heaven, how high the moon," elevates the importance of the idea presented in the first line. The concept of music is given almost religious proportions as it reveals what is occurring in a distant place, while the moon is used metaphorically to represent ideal love or the height of being in love.

The song continues as June Christy & Stan Kenton sing, "There is no moon above when love is far away too / Till it comes true that you love me as I love you." These lines emphasize the importance of being reciprocated in love before one feels complete, and until that happens, the absence of true love is felt deeply. The song's bridge, "Somewhere there's music, how near, how far / Somewhere there's heaven, it's where you are," continues the theme of separation and searching for something that feels almost out of reach.

The song concludes with the repeated idea from the beginning, "The darkest night would shine if you would come to me soon / Until you will, how still my heart, how high the moon." The lyrics reveal a sense of overwhelming hopelessness and longing while emphasizing that true love is all-consuming and all that matters.