When Stephens received several requests for The New Vaudeville Band to tour he had to put together a group, since the song was recorded by studio musicians hired only for the recording session. He contacted a real group, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, which played similar music at the time. Only Bob Kerr from that group was interested, so he left The Bonzos to help Stephens form a touring version of The New Vaudeville Band. The lead singer of the touring version of the group was Alan Klein, who was billed as 'Tristram—Seventh Earl Of Cricklewood'. The group enjoyed success for two years until the novelty wore off. Kerr then formed his own group, Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band, which continues to perform.
In 1967, The New Vaudeville Band released the Finchley Central LP.
Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
New Vaudeville Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was magic abroad in the air.
There were angels dining at the Ritz,
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
I may be right, I may be wrong,
But I'm perfectly willing to swear
That when you turned and smiled at me,
The moon that lingered over Londontown
Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown.
How could he know that we two were so in love?
The whole darn world seemed upside down.
The streets of town were paved with stars,
It was such a romantic affair.
And as we kissed and said goodnight,
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
The verses in this song are detailing a magical night and the emotions that were experienced by the singer. The first verse sets the scene for the magical night, with "angels dining at the Ritz" and a nightingale singing in Berkeley Square. The imagery used in this verse creates a sense of grandeur and enchantment, setting the tone for the rest of the song. The second verse focuses on the moment when the singer and his love interest first saw each other. The sense of magic and enchantment is being attributed to the new relationship forming, as the nightingale seemingly sings at the moment the two lock eyes. The final verse describes the streets of London as being "paved with stars," further adding to the romantic and magical theme of the song. The nightingale singing as the two say goodnight is the last image we are left with, again emphasising the magic of the moment and the emotions experienced.
Overall, the song is about love and the magic that can be experienced when two people meet and fall in love. The nightingale is used as a metaphor for the magic that is present in this moment, emphasising the beauty of the night and the relationships that can be formed.
Line by Line Meaning
That certain night, the night we met,
On the night we met, something magical was happening in the atmosphere.
There was magic abroad in the air.
The ambiance was enchanting, and we felt a connection.
There were angels dining at the Ritz,
There were influential people around, making the air more profound.
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
The natural world seemed to call attention to our meeting with a nightingale's serenade.
I may be right, I may be wrong,
I am uncertain if my perception was accurate.
But I'm perfectly willing to swear
However, I'm convinced that what I'm about to say happened.
That when you turned and smiled at me,
When you smiled at me, something pronounced happened.
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
It felt like the world noticed and celebrated our connection with the nighttime melody of a nightingale.
The moon that lingered over Londontown
While we were connected to each other, the moon illuminated the city.
Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown.
The moon didn't seem to be able to understand our connection.
How could he know that we two were so in love?
There was an inexplicable connection that only we could understand.
The whole darn world seemed upside down.
In that moment, everything seemed to be out of the norm.
The streets of town were paved with stars,
The city's roads seemed extraordinary because of the situation.
It was such a romantic affair.
Our meeting felt like something out of a romance novel.
And as we kissed and said goodnight,
As we parted ways, saying goodnight seemed particularly hard.
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
The nightingale's singing finale made the scene particularly poignant.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Maschwitz, Eric / Sherwin, Manning
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
EGirl62
I loved this album as a child and teenager, and was thrilled when I was able to find it at a used record store. I got to hear the great Bobby Short sing this song live in 1991.
Mike Stander
Childhood memories! My parents had this record and we kids played the hell out of it. "That's All For Now, Sugar Baby" popped into my head today and I had to see if I could find it on YouTube. I wasn't disappointed! Lots of great songs on this album, for sure. Maybe my first exposure to jazz and I didn't even realize it. I became a lifelong fan of jazz.
flyingmerkel6
I know the NVB was a novelty group, but they were a damn good one. Finally found this album in a used record store!
x yz
Only a novelty group to those who knew no better.
Lord John de Brusch
The best thing they have ever recorded! This is the absolute best version of this classic song!
kev michael
I Love this Song and this band I had the same Album when I was in Grade School.... So Neat to Hear this again....the person doing the vocals.. could not be better!!!!.... now I am hooked on this
carmentete
What a beautiful performance! Already in my favorites. Thanks.
Raul Rodriguez
Excelente. Otro mundo aparte musicalmente. Es una pena que no dejarán videos de sus grandes canciones.
flyingmerkel6
My sister got this album for Christmas 1966. We wore it out. Started my love of early jazz. Got another copy years later in a used record store
jazzy jeff
I still have this album. I listen to it all the time when I was a kid!