Dancing In The Moonlight | Chords + Lyrics (King Harvest)
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 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 have the same name!
But if you listened to the songs in the playlist above, you’d 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 and progression
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 |
We get it,
Verse 1
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
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 |
Everybody,
Verse 2
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
here is out of sight, They don’t bark and they don’t bite, they keep things,
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
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, it’s such a,
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
fine and natural sight. Everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight.
Instrumental 2
| Fm7 Fm9 | Bb Bb6 | Eb Bb/D | Cm7 |
We like our,
Verse 3
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
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, it’s such a,
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm |
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 |
We get it ,
Verse 4
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7 |
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, it’s such a
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7 |
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, it’s such a
| N.C | N.C | N.C | N.C |
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, it’s such a
| N.C | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7 |
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, it’s such a
| Fm | Bb | Eb Bb/D | Cm Cm7/Bb |
fine and natural sight, everybody’s dancin’ in the moonlight. :||
Dancing In The Moonlight (Toploader) chords and 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.
Finally, let’s look at Thin Lizzy’s Dancing In The Moonlight, a completely different song! The addition (It’s Caught Me In It’s Spotlight), which is terrible grammar btw, should always be included if that’s the song you mean.
If only I had a penny for every time musicians showed up at a gig and learned a different song with the same title…!
Dancing In The Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In It’s Spotlight) | Chords + Lyrics (Thin Lizzy)
Intro
| Em7 | D Bm | C (G/B) | G |
| Em7 | D Bm | C (G/B) | G N.C G |
| G N.C |
When I,
Verse 1
| Em | D | C | G (Gsus4) |
passed you in the doorway, well, you took me with a glance.
| Em | D | C | G (C G) |
I should’ve took that last bus home, but I asked you for a dance.
| Em | D | C | G (C G) |
Now we go steady to the pictures, I always get chocolate stains on my pants.
| Em | D | C | G |
And my father, he’s going crazy, he says I’m livin’ in a trance.
Chorus 1
| Em | D | C | G (Gsus4) |
But I’m dancing in the moonlight, it’s caught me in its spotlight (it’s alright, alright).
| Em | D | C | G N.C G | G N.C |
Dancing in the moonlight, on this long, hot summer night.
Verse 2
| Em | D | C | G (C G) |
It’s three o’clock in the morning, and I’m on the streets again.
| Em | D | C | G (C G) |
I disobeyed another warning, I should’ve been in by ten.
| Em | D | C | G (C G) |
Now I won’t get out until Sunday, I’ll have to say I stayed with friends.
| Em | D | C | G |
Oh, but it’s a habit worth forming if it means to justify the end.
Chorus 2
| Em | D | C | G |
Dancing in the moonlight, it’s caught me in its spotlight (it’s alright, alright).
| Em | D | C | G N.C G | G N.C |
Dancing in the moonlight, on this long, hot summer night.
Verse 3
| Em | D | C | G |
And I’m walking home,
| Em | D | C | G |
the last bus has long gone.
| Em | D | C | G | Em | D | C | G N.C G | G N.C |
But I’m dancing in the moonlight.
Instrumental
||: Em | D | C | G :|| x4
Chorus 3
| Em | D | C | G |
Dancing in the moonlight, it’s caught me in its spotlight (it’s alright, alright).
| Em | D | C | G |
Dancing in the moonlight, on this long, hot summer night.
Outro
||: Em | D | C | G :|| x6
Dancing in the moonlight (I’m dancing in the moonlight) it’s caught me in its spotlight (it’s caught me in it’s spotlight).
Dancing in the moonlight (dancing in the moonlight), on this long, hot summer night (it’s got me hot).
Dancing in the moonlight (I’m dancing in the moonlight), it’s caught me in its spotlight (it’s caught me alright) (it’s alright, alright).
Dancing in the moonlight (alright, alright, alright, alright), on this long, hot summer night (got so goddamn hot).
Dancing in the moonlight (I’m dancing), it’s caught me in its spotlight (I’m still dancing).
Dancing in the moonlight (I’m dancing in the moonlight), on this long, hot summer night.
Dancing In The Moonlight (It’s Caught Me In It’s Spotlight) chords and progression
Clearly, a completely different song to Toploader’s cover of that old King Harvest hit, we now basically just move like this:
||: Em | D | C | G :|| x6
I’ve added some more chords for the intro, these basically include the bass line, which may be nice should you play this on your own.
Apart from the intro, the only variation is that over the G chord, you sometimes play Gsus4, or move from G – C/G – G.
I guess there are two questions to answer now: Which of these three songs do you prefer? But more importantly, if you’re looking for a life as a pro guitarist, which one does the band mean when they say: Let’s play Dancing In The Moonlight!
Dancing In The Moonlight chords | Related pages
Dancing In The Moonlight – 5 similar tunes
- Breakfast At Tiffany’s chords
- Brown Eyed Girl chords
- Hooked On A Feeling chords
- Riptide chords
- Valerie chords
King Harvest
King Harvest is best known for their 1973 release of Dancing In The Moonlight, a song one of their band members had already released.
Formed in Paris by American musicians, they recorded their hit, broke up, then reunited when it started getting airplay.
King Harvest on the web
Thin Lizzy
Formed by bass player Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey in 1969, Irish Thin Lizzy would become world famous.
Their best-known tunes include Whiskey In The Jar, The Boys Are Back In Town, Jailbreak, Don’t Believe A Word, and Dancing In The Moonlight.
Thin Lizzy on the web
Toploader
Toploader is best known for a version of the tune Dancing In The Moonlight (1999). The idea to cover it 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
