Black was born as Solomon Schwartz on 14 June 1913 in Whitechapel, England. His parents were Polish and Romanian Jews. He began piano lessons at the age of seven. He was aged only 12 when his first composition was broadcast on BBC Radio and continued his early success by winning a Melody Maker arranging competition aged 15.
In the early 1930s he was employed as a jazz player and composer and had worked with Howard Jacobs, Joe Orlando, Lew Stone, Maurice Winnick and Teddy Joyce by the time he joined Harry Roy in 1936. He had also broadcast and recorded with several American musicians, including jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, who had first heard Black on late night radio shows with Lew Stone's band. When the two eventually met in London, the reviewer Edgar Jackson suggested they record together, and a notable collaboration is a duet version of Honeysuckle Rose.
During World War II, Black joined the Royal Air Force, and became involved in managing the entertainment of servicemen based at Wolverhampton. In 1944 he was appointed conductor of the BBC Dance Orchestra, and remained in the job for almost nine years, broadcasting as many as six nights a week.
By this time he had also begun recording under his own name for Decca. Now well involved with the film industry, he went on to compose, arrange and direct music for about 200 more films, notably after being appointed music director at Elstree Studios in 1958. He was also principal conductor of the Associated British Picture Corporation Orchestra and musical director composer of that organisation from 1958-1963.
Stanley Black's radio work kept him in contact with a large listening audience through his incidental music for shows such as Much Binding in the Marsh and the first two series of The Goon Show. He later presented his own programmes on radio and television, including Black Magic and The Marvellous World of Stanley Black.
In the early 1950s he regularly topped the Melody Maker lists of the most-heard musicians on radio. He was chosen to be included on Decca's first release of long-playing records in the UK in June 1950. This enabled him to continue his conducting, arranging and performing and resulted in a large number of albums. He was particularly popular in United States, as evidenced by his inclusion in the Billboard best-sellers lists.
During his life, he conducted many of Britain's major orchestras, and until the 1990s he was still directing regular broadcast sessions at the BBC studios, despite the onset of deafness in later life.
Stanley Black is remembered for writing numerous scores for radio, television and cinema, including the theme-tune for The Goon Show.
Other films he composed scores for include Laughter in Paradise (1951), The Naked Truth (1957), Blood of the Vampire (1958), Too Many Crooks (1958), The Long and the Short and the Tall (1961), West 11 (1963), The System (1964), Crossplot (1969), and the Cliff Richard musicals The Young Ones (1961) and his orchestral backing for Richard's follow up, Summer Holiday (1962), which won him an Ivor Novello Award. His work also became familiar to millions of cinema audiences as a consequence of his theme tune and music library for Pathé News, written in 1960.
He also recorded many classical works, including collections of Tchaikovsky and George Gershwin. In 1965 he won a Gramophone Award for his version of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol. In addition, he arranged and conducted many commercially successful albums on LP and later CD like Tropical Moonlight, Cuban Moonlight, Black Magic, and series of Film Spectacular and Broadway Spectacular for Decca Records.
Old Devil Moon
Stanley Black Lyrics
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Something in your eyes I see
Soon begins bewitching me
It's that old devil moon
That you stole from the skies
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
You and you glance make this romance
Stars in the night
Blazing their light
Can't hold a candle
To your razzle-dazzle
You've got me flyin' high and wide
On a magic carpet ride
Full of butterflies inside
Wanna cry, wanna croon
Wanna laugh like a loon
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
Just when I think
I'm free as a dove
Old devil moon
Deep in your eyes
Blinds me with love
Stanley Black’s song ‘Old Devil Moon’ is a love song that explores how the power of passion and intense emotions can be overwhelming. The song is about a person who looks into the eyes of their lover and is immediately swept away by the charming, beguiling effect they have on them. The ‘old devil moon’ is a metaphor for the intense and bewitching love that is often impossible to resist. The lyrics describe how the person is unable to ignore the captivating gaze of their lover and are entranced by their razzle-dazzle.
The lyrics convey the passion and intensity of the love that the person is experiencing. The love they feel is described as being too hot to handle, and the stars in the sky are said to pale in comparison to the light in their lover's eyes. The person is overwhelmed by the emotions that they are feeling, which are causing them to fly high on a magic carpet ride. They are experiencing a mixture of emotions, from wanting to cry and croon, to wanting to laugh like a loon.
Line by Line Meaning
I look at you and suddenly
As I gaze upon your face without expectation, an immediate realization is triggered within me.
Something in your eyes I see
Through your gaze, I am able to discern a glimmer of emotion that intrigues me.
Soon begins bewitching me
Almost immediately, an enchanting sensation manifests within me, captivating my very essence.
It's that old devil moon
I attribute this overwhelming feeling to the mystical influence of the celestial body, the moon.
That you stole from the skies
I surmise that it is from within the undeniable allure of your being that you were able to commandeer such an element of nature.
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
It is by virtue of the divine emanation of your captivating gaze that the very essence of the moon appears to reside within you.
You and you glance make this romance
The emotions that I am experiencing are the direct result of not only your person, but also your alluring gaze.
Too hot to handle
The intensity of this feeling is overwhelming to the point of discomfort.
Stars in the night
The celestial luminaries that typically inspire awe and beauty are incomparable to you.
Blazing their light
The stars only serve as an imperfect comparison to the radiance that emanates from your very being.
Can't hold a candle
Any attempt to use the stars as a point of comparison would inevitably result in their underperformance.
To your razzle-dazzle
Your worldly charm and captivating presence completely overshadow any known celestial body.
You've got me flyin' high and wide
The effect that you have on me is analogous to the sensation of being airborne and liberated, free from confinement.
On a magic carpet ride
This sensation of total liberation can only be likened to that which occurs during a mythical and magical mode of transportation.
Full of butterflies inside
Such a feeling is characterized by a fluttering sensation deep within, almost comparable to the fluttering of a butterfly.
Wanna cry, wanna croon
The range of emotions induced by this magical sensation encompasses the full spectrum, from the desire to express a raw and emotional cry, to to bask in the pleasure of indulgent song.
Wanna laugh like a loon
The unfettered happiness that I am experiencing could be likened to the uncontrolled laughter of a wild and unrestrained bird.
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
All of these incredible sensations are sourced from my close proximity to you and the enticing aura that resides in your captivating gaze.
Just when I think
Despite the overwhelming nature of my current emotional state.
I'm free as a dove
It is important to note that I am still in control of myself and my actions.
Old devil moon
Yet, there is still an undeniable element that remains irresistible regardless of my determination.
Deep in your eyes
That element resides in the greatest point of attraction for me - the captivating depths and expression of your alluring gaze.
Blinds me with love
At the end of the day, it is simply love that drives me forward, a force that can only be described as blinding in its intensity.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: Burton Lane, E. Y. Harburg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind