Words & Music:
Ben Weisman
Sylvia Dee
Let's go on a moonlight swim
Far away from the crowd
All alone upon the beach
Our lips and our arms
Close within each other's reach
Will be on a moonlight swim
Let's go on a moonlight swim
To the raft we can race
After just a little while
I'll sit and pretend
That you're on a desert isle
With me on a moonlight swim
Though the air is cold
With kisses oh so sweet
I'll keep you warm
So very warm from head to you feet
Let's go on a moonlight swim
We're in love and above
There's a crazy balloon
That sits winking down
And inviting us to come on in
On a moonlight swim
Recordingdate: 1961/03/22, first released on: Blue Hawaii (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Moonlight Swim:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(ukelele)
(ukelele)
(steel guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(piano)
(celesta)
(harmonica)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(sax)
Availability
Find available albums with Moonlight Swim.
I actually hate this song. It represents all the badness of the Hollywood songs rolled into one. Awful girl chorus, stupid movie scene, and a 26 year old King wanting to be crooner and singing with none of the edge we all know he possessed.
I cringe everytime I hear it which is not often believe me. Pure sap.
There were 11 very enjoyable tracks on the soundtrack LP "Blue Hawaii" and there was one subpar, but fortunately very short one ("Ito Eats). There was also two mediocre ones, "Beachboy Blues" and this one. The song isn't bad and Elvis sings it well, but what is up with the girl chorus? Where did they get them from? They just about spoil the track. As far as criticizing Elvis for not having an edge in his voice while singing MS, it is hardly the kind of song you would sing with an edge and he had edgeless songs in the past. Most noteably on his 2nd LP with cuts like "First In Line" and "Old Shep". I will take MS over these two anyday even with the girl chorus.
This song I don´t like to much but I don´t hate it and it doesn´t make me cringe because NO Elvissong bring those feelings to me. Fortunately there were 6 or 7 really good songs on the album and a couple of good ones to .
"Moonlight Swim", not a favorite song of mine, either, but thankfully before and after, Elvis recorded much better music. Hollywood almost ruined his recording career.
Unable to defend this song one bit. Rubbish puré rubbish one for the trash can.
Well I don't like everything he recorded, but I find this enjoyable, and welcome a girl backing group, as a refreshing change. The whole production is jaunty, happy and conveys a good feel factor. Songs like I Feel So Bad are superb, but I have been a long term fan because he varied his style, and created different moods
This isn't a great song, but I've always found it to be very enjoyable to listen to and the girl backing group fit in very nicely on this recording too. There are no songs from the "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack album that I don't like listening to. When I listen to this soundtrack album, I never skip any of the songs.
I can defend this. It is a terrible song with a horrible arrangement. The lyrics are especially bad. And yet, Elvis' voice floats above it all. It is very much one of Elvis' most Dean Martinesque songs and vocals. But Elvis had a high range that Dino didn't. He just floated along the surface of this and managed to sound graceful, no matter how bad the material. And, honestly, it is an experimental kind of vocal from Elvis, with nothing quite so crooner-like before. "Pocketful of Rainbows" is far better, but also showed off Elvis' ease and range. It does point the way toward some of the excesses of the worst of the Hollywood years, I think this track maintains a little charm due to Elvis' vocal. ("Ito Eats" on the other hand, goes on the bottom of my list with "Yoga Is...", "Datin'", "Old MacD" and "He's Your Uncle"....and others)
One of the songs I don´t like on this otherwise great album, from childhood I loved Rock-A-Hula Baby and Almost Always True, as older I really like Can´t Help Falling in Love and Ku-U-I-Po too. Elvis is in great voice throughout the whole album though.
Just listen when Elvis sings along with the girls. Amazing! A poor song, but what a performance by E.P. I just don't know why such songs were given to Elvis at this stage. He never recorded anything before Blue Hawaii that resembles this, did he? Then why did people write these songs for our man, instead off the material he was used to.
Talk about absolute garbage. This song is it. Pure tackiness to end side 1 of the soundtrack "Blue Hawaii", which for the life of me, I don't understand how this soundtrack pablum was Elvis' biggest selling album back in 1961.
It's easy for me to see why the "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack album was such a huge seller in 1961. #1 - The location setting. #2 - The iconic wedding scene at the end... Not to mention Elvis' fabulous singing voice on "Can't Help Falling In Love", "No More", "Blue Hawaii", and a few others. As for the song "Moonlight Swim"... it's just a fun filler song.
There's a line or two in this recording by Elvis where he sounds very, very much like Dean Martin.
I continue to cringe when listening to this crap; unfortunately, it sticks in your gray matter. "Let's go on a moonlight cringe..."
Light breezy song. I do like when he is singing with the girls. Sounds better in the movie than on the album.
Well... I like "Moonlight Swim," and I think it's such a delightful tune. The reason why many of these post-Army soundtrack songs here on ElvisNews are being bashed is just because they were featured in movies Presley made in the '60s. I'm quite shocked at all the unimaginable amount of harshness pointed at it here in the comments above, because tunes like "Moonlight Swim" (not to mention "Island of Love," "Ku-U-I-Po," "Hawaiian Sunset," and "Aloha Oe") make you almost smell the ocean and feel the tropical breezes.
Some folks just don't know when to tolerate fun. I love "Moonlight Swim" and it's one of my favourite cuts from Blue Hawaii. Love the female backing also, nothing wrong with that.
Great recording from one of Elvis's best musical films. It doesn't all have to R 'n R