Dancing In The Moonlight | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
| Cm7 | Fm7 (A) | Bb69 | Eb Bb/D |
| Cm7 | Fm7 (A) | Bb69 | D7sus4 G | Cm7 N.C |
We get it,
Verse 1
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
almost every night, when that moon gets so big and bright, it’s a super-
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
natural delight, everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight.
Instrumental 1
| Fm7 (A) | Bb69 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 N.C |
Everybody,
Verse 2
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
here is out of sight, they don’t bark and they don’t bite. They keep things
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
loose, they keep things light, everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 1
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right, it’s such a,
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
fine and natural sight. Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight. We like our,
Verse 3
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
fun and we never fight, you can’t dance and stay uptight. it’s a super-
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
natural delight, everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 2
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right, it’s such a
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
fine and natural sight. Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Instrumental 2
| Fm7 (A) | Bb69 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
| Fm7 (A) | Bb69 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 N.C |
Everybody,
Verse 4
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
here is out of sight, they don’t bark and they don’t bite. They keep things,
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
loose, they keep things light, everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight. Everybody’s
Chorus 3
||: Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
||: Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right, it’s such a
| Fm7 (A) | Bb7 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 :|| x4
fine and natural sight, everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s. :|| x4
Who wrote Dancing In The Moonlight?
Everybody in the U.K. knows Dancing In The Moonlight by Toploader, released in 1999, was a cover. As a single, it did very well, becoming a worldwide hit, selling 1.8 million copies in the U.K. alone.
The album (which the song featured on) sold almost 1 million copies, clearly down to the fact that Dancing In The Moonlight is on there.
Most people know Dancing In The Moonlight is also a song by Thin Lizzy (1977) and you’d be forgiven for believing this is what Toploader covered since Thin Lizzy’s song was also a hit and they (kind of) have the same name.
The Thin Lizzy tune is actually called Dancing In The Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In Its Spotlight), which is a mouthful!
Listen to them both and you’ll soon realize that these are two completely different songs.
What Toploader covered was actually a song written by Sherman Kelly, way back in 1969. First recorded by his band Boffalongo in 1970 and then covered, with more success by King Harvest in 1972.
It’s the King Harvest version that Toploader covered almost 30 years later.
The serious guitarist looks at all three songs’ chords and lyrics so when somebody requests it, they can say: Which one? King Harvest, Toploader, or Thin Lizzy?
Dancing In The Moonlight (King Harvest) Chords: Learn the progressions!
Apart from the intro, the entire chord progression is just II – V – I – VI. With the 7th of the I chord as a leading note to chord VI. Like this:
||: Fm7 | Bb7 | Eb Eb/D | Cm7 :||
Starting on chord II makes it feel as if the loop can carry on forever. Looking at my top 10 chord progressions, this is a combination of #4, the II – V, and #7, the minor fall.
Let’s now take a look at Toploader’s cover version released in 1999. They’ve changed the chords and lyrics.
Dancing In The Moonlight | Chords + Lyrics (Toploader)
Intro
| Fm7 Fm9 | Bb Bb6 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 Cm7/Bb |
| Fm7 Fm9 | Bb Bb6 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
Verse 1
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
We get it almost every night, when that moon is big and bright, it’s a super-
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
natural delight, everybody dancin’ in the moonlight.
Instrumental 1
| Fm7 Fm9 | Bb Bb6 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
Verse 2
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
Everybody here is out of sight, They don’t bark and they don’t bite.
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
They keep things loose, they keep it tight. Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 1
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right.
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
It’s such a fine and natural sight. Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Instrumental 2
| Fm7 Fm9 | Bb Bb6 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
Verse 3
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
We like our fun and we never fight, you can’t dance and stay uptight, it’s a super-
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
natural delight. Everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 2
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right.
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm |
It’s such a fine and natural sight. Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Instrumental 2
| F7sus4 | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Bb |
| Fsus4 | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7 |
Verse 4
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7 |
We get it almost every night, when that moon is big and bright, it’s a super-
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
natural delight. Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 3
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right.
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7 |
It’s such a fine and natural sight, everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 4 (breakdown)
| N.C | N.C | N.C | N.C |
Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right.
| N.C | N.C | N.C | N.C |
It’s such a fine and natural sight, everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 5 (breakdown)
| N.C | N.C | N.C | N.C |
Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right.
| N.C | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7 |
It’s such a fine and natural sight, everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Chorus 6
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
||: Dancin’ in the moonlight, everybody’s feelin’ warm and right.
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
It’s such a fine and natural sight, everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight. :||
Dancing In The Moonlight (Toploader) Chords: Learn the progressions
Toploader has simplified the progression, there’s no extra D7sus4 or G chord in the intro, and the Bb69 is now just a Bb6.
Instead of Eb/D, they play Bb/D, and perhaps most importantly, the bass carries on down to a Cm7/Bb at the end of the loop.
- The intro/instrumental section is now this: Fm7 – Fm9 – Bb – Bb6 – Eb – Bb/D – Cm7 – Cm7/Bb
- The breakdown is new, looks like this: F7sus4 – Bb – Eb – Bb/D – Cm – Bb
- The verse loop is: Fm – Bb – Eb – Bb/D – Cm – Cm7/Bb
Dancing In The Moonlight Chords | Related Pages
Intermediate Acoustic
Most intermediate acoustic tunes can’t be played using just basic open-position chords. We have to move up the fretboard and play CAGED barre chords as well.
We incorporate bass lines, add licks, extend chords, and play vocal melodies. Most importantly, we’ll invent second guitar parts and play these songs together.
Five similar tunes with chords and lyrics
- Breakfast At Tiffany’s chords by Deep Blue Something
- Brown Eyed Girl chords by Van Morrison
- Dancing In The Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In Its Spotlight) chords by Thin Lizzy
- Hooked On A Feeling chords by Blue Swede
- Valerie chords by Amy Winehouse
King Harvest tunes
King Harvest is best known for their 1973 hit Dancing In The Moonlight, a tune one of their band members had already released.
Formed in Paris by American musicians, they recorded their hit, broke up, and then reunited when it started getting airplay.
King Harvest on the web
Toploader tunes
Toploader is best known for covering Dancing In The Moonlight (1999). The idea came from their producer Dave Eringa.
Recording their debut album when the music industry was full of cash, they spent time in both London and Los Angeles studios.
Toploader on the web
Pop & Rock
Whenever a tune doesn’t fit into a specific genre, it tends to end up here, in the Pop & Rock section.
Learn tunes from Tom Petty, Eagles, Toto, Oasis, Elvis, Clapton, John Mayer, Kings Of Leon, R.E.M., Radiohead, Bruno Mars, and more.
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about Dancing In The Moonlight chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
