Destination Moon
Before his international acclaim as a pop vocalist, Nathaniel Adams Coles b… Read Full Bio ↴Before his international acclaim as a pop vocalist, Nathaniel Adams Coles built an indelible reputation as a jazz pianist in the groundbreaking combo, The King Cole Trio. Born into a musical family, young Nat Coles (later changed to Cole) recorded with his older brother, Edward, in 1936 for the Decca label. The four sides cut by Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers gave the general public its first glimpse of Nat's gentle yet lively piano riffs. After touring with a revival show of Eubie Blake's revue Shuffle Along, Cole settled in Los Angeles, playing various nightclubs as a soloist. In 1937, club owner Bob Lewis suggested that Cole assemble a small band to work at his Swanee Inn on North La Brea. The group's unorthodox instrumentation and size - they had no drummer and, at the time, big bands were the rage - featured Wesley Prince on bass and the innovative phrasings of electric guitarist Oscar Moore. The Trio's blend of jump blues and jazzy instrumentals with bouncy vocal stylings was a collective effort, while Cole occasionally took the lead on standard ballads. After an uneventful 1939 session for the Davis & Schwegler recording company in Hollywood, The Trio accompanied Lionel Hampton on two recording dates the following summer. Their association with Hampton helped, and that winter The Trio signed with Decca. Their 1940-41 sessions for the label yielded sixteen songs and captured the attention of fellow musicians, fans and a handful of critics. Later that fall, The Trio sounded right at home with drummer Lee Young on a four-song session for the Ammor label. In 1942, Cole recorded with Red Callender and saxophonist Lester Young for the Philo/Aladdin label, Oscar Moore with Cole at the piano. Image courtesy of the Dave Dexter, Jr. Collection.producing a handful of recordings that became benchmarks in their individual careers. Signing with Capitol Records in 1943, The Trio consisted of Cole, Moore, and Johnny Miller, who had settled in as the permanent bassist. Moore left the fold in 1947 and Irving Ashby replaced him. Capitol Records featured The Trio less and less after that, while Cole was singled out as a vocalist often backed by lush string orchestras. By the 1950's, Cole's reputation as a singer had reached a wide pop audience and, upon his death in 1965, his place in music history was forever cemented. His fellow jazz peers, however, never forgot his equally unique touch on the piano and the influence his early trio work had on later performers such as Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, and Tommy Flanagan.

Destination Moon
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come and take a trip in my rocket ship
We'll have a lovely afternoon
Kiss the world goodbye and away we fly

Destination moon
Travel fast as light 'til we're lost from sight
The earth is like a toy balloon
What a thrill you get ridin' on a jet

Destination moon
We'll go up up up up
Straight to the moon we two
High in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we steal in a space-mobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!

Destination moon
There once was a time when the colorful thing to do
Was to call for a date on a bicycle built for two
But cars and trains and even planes

All have had their day
Now the time is due to call for you
In the modern atomic way
We'll go up up up up
Straight to the moon we two
High in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we steal in a space-mobile

A supersonic honeymoon




Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination moon

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song "Destination Moon" is a playful and imaginative piece about traveling to the moon in a rocket ship. The lyrics conjure up the excitement and thrill of leaving Earth behind and embarking on a fantastic journey through space. The first verse invites the listener to join the singer on this adventure, promising a lovely afternoon and an escape from the world below. The chorus emphasizes the speed and wonder of the trip, with the singer describing the Earth as a toy balloon and the sensation of riding on a fast jet.


In the second verse, the song references the many modes of transportation that have come before the rocket ship, and suggests that in the present day, the most exciting and impressive way to travel is through atomic power. The final chorus repeats the refrain of the first, with the singer urging the listener to leave their cares behind and join in the excitement of traveling to the moon.


"Destination Moon" is a classic example of the science fiction-inspired space race pop music of the mid-20th century. It reflects the era's fascination with space exploration and the potential of technology to transform human experience. The song also showcases Nat King Cole's smooth vocals and the Trio's tight musicianship, with sprightly piano and bass lines that evoke the sense of a rocket taking off.


* The song was written by Marvin Fisher and Roy Alfred in 1958.
* Nat King Cole first recorded the song in November 1958 with his jazz trio.
* Peggy Lee recorded a version in 1966 with Quincy Jones and His Orchestra.
* The phrase "destination moon" was later used as the title of a science fiction movie in 1950, and as the name of a jazz band in the late 1990s.
* In 1967, Hal Leonard published a choral arrangement of "Destination Moon" for male voices.
* A version of the song was played during the opening credits of the 1985 science fiction film "Amazing Stories."
* A jazz fusion arrangement of "Destination Moon" by bassist Jaco Pastorius was released posthumously in 2003.
* The song was covered by the B-52s in 1992 for the movie "The X-Files."
* "Destination Moon" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
* The song has been featured in several video games, including "Civilization IV," "Fallout 4," and "Saints Row IV."


Chords (key of C):
Intro: C Am Dm G7
Verse 1: C Am Dm G7
Chorus: F Am Dm G7
Verse 2: C Am Dm G7
Chorus: F Am Dm G7
Outro: C Am Dm G7


Line by Line Meaning

Come and take a trip in my rocket ship
Join me on an otherworldly journey in my spacecraft


We'll have a lovely afternoon
We'll enjoy a pleasant time together


Kiss the world goodbye and away we fly
Leave all worldly matters behind as we embark on our adventure


Travel fast as light 'til we're lost from sight
Move at unimaginable speed until we disappear from view


The earth is like a toy balloon
The planet we're leaving behind seems insignificant compared to the vastness of space


What a thrill you get ridin' on a jet
It's an exhilarating feeling to ride on a fast-moving vehicle


Destination moon
Our ultimate goal is to reach the moon


We'll go up up up up
We'll ascend higher and higher in altitude


Straight to the moon we two
Our spacecraft will take us directly to the moon


High in the starry blue
We'll be soaring through the indigo skies filled with stars


I'll be out of this world with you
Together, we'll transcend the limitations of our world


So away we steal in a space-mobile
We'll depart quickly in our futuristic vehicle


A supersonic honeymoon
Our futuristic journey to the moon will be a romantic adventure


Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Forget about all your problems on Earth and let's blast off into space together


There once was a time when the colorful thing to do
In the past, the popular way to travel with your date was on a tandem bicycle


Was to call for a date on a bicycle built for two
A romantic outing on a bicycle made for two was a popular activity


But cars and trains and even planes
Over time, more advanced forms of transportation became popular


All have had their day
All modes of transportation have had their time in the spotlight


Now the time is due to call for you
It's time to invite you on a futuristic, otherworldly adventure


In the modern atomic way
Using modern atomic energy, we'll travel at unprecedented speeds




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARVIN FISHER, ROY ALFRED

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@f346ok6

Come and take a trip in my rocket ship
We'll have a lovely afternoon.
Kiss the world goodbye and away we'll fly,
Destination moon!
We'll travel fast as light 'til we're out of sight,
The Earth will be like a toy balloon.
What a thrill you'll get ridin' on my jet,
Destination moon!
We'll go up! Up! Up! Up!
Straight to the moon, we two
High in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we'll steal in my spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination moon!
We'll go up! Up! Up! Up!
Straight to the moon, we two
We'll be high in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we steal in a spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination! We flying high up in the sky
Destination moon!



@f346ok6

Come and take a trip in my rocket ship
We'll have a lovely afternoon.
Kiss the world goodbye and away we'll fly,
Destination moon!
We'll travel fast as light 'til we're out of sight,
The Earth will be like a toy balloon.
What a thrill you'll get ridin' on my jet,
Destination moon!
We'll go up! Up! Up! Up!
Straight to the moon, we two
High in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we'll steal in my spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination moon!
We'll go up! Up! Up! Up!
Straight to the moon, we two
We'll be high in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we steal in a spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination! We flying high up in the sky
Destination moon!



All comments from YouTube:

@pixiebubbles2628

I recognize the Fleischer Studios animation, anywhere! Great choice!
Boop boop be doop!

@Twinkle3067

Beautiful song & velvet vocals by the wonderful Nat.He most certainly was one of the very best to grace the land.Natalie has sadly left us too, with her beautiful songs to be remembered. I would like to think they are in heaven singing duets together once again! God rest their souls.

@MjayzToonz

+Twinkle3067 I don't think Nat ever made a bad record,he was such a fabulous singer and Natalie was too,in her own right....

@thchification8955

i knw its old, but i just love the song

@weeyin1155

I've not heard this song before Mick... it's wonderful. Thank you for a new one. Have a great day my friend. God bless you. ♥

@MjayzToonz

Joan Cuthill Hi Jan,glad you enjoyed this little known song by Nat,he was a wonderful singer and made many hundreds of records,not all hits of course,but all top class !... Have a great weekend !

@em.c.spiteri6161

I used to love big bands.I just wonder what happened to them all.

@MjayzToonz

***** There's still a few of them around Em,we just don't see them on TV anymore !

@f346ok6

Come and take a trip in my rocket ship
We'll have a lovely afternoon.
Kiss the world goodbye and away we'll fly,
Destination moon!
We'll travel fast as light 'til we're out of sight,
The Earth will be like a toy balloon.
What a thrill you'll get ridin' on my jet,
Destination moon!
We'll go up! Up! Up! Up!
Straight to the moon, we two
High in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we'll steal in my spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination moon!
We'll go up! Up! Up! Up!
Straight to the moon, we two
We'll be high in the starry blue
I'll be out of this world with you
So away we steal in a spacemobile
A supersonic honeymoon
Leave your cares below, pull the switch, let's go!
Destination! We flying high up in the sky
Destination moon!

@akemiiida5007

Hi, nice video! Matches the song really well. Could you tell me the name of the animation and where I can find it? Is it a part of a cartoon?

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