Fly Me to the Moon, A Favorite Song
Ranked #1,401 in Music, #37,882 overall | Donates to Earthjustice
Frank Sinatra Sang Fly Me to the Moon
The song, Fly Me To The Moon, was written in 1954 by Bart Howard and originally titled "In Other Words."
There are many recorded versions of this song, but the most well-known is a swinging arrangement by Quincy Jones and sung by Frank Sinatra.
I am a huge Sinatra fan. When Frank died in 1998, I had his version of "Fly Me to the Moon" on my phone answering machine. Whenever I hear it, I smile.
On this page, you will learn more about the history of the song and also hear versions by other singers.
Image Credit: Full Moon - Creative Commons by gnuckx on Flickr
Contents at a Glance
Music puts wings on the human spirit.
What I mean is with a song
in your heart,
it's the only way to fly, buster.
Music and flying,
I'm irresistibly mad for both.
~ Frank Sinatra
Fly Me to the Moon Lyrics by Bart Howard
Let me sing among those stars
(Frank said "swing")
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars
In other words, hold my hand
In other words, baby kiss me
Fill my heart with song
Let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore
In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you
A Little Fly Me to the Moon History
From "Sinatra! The Song is You - A Singer's Art" by Will Friedwald
Regarding the song, Fly Me to the Moon, Friedwald says that the composer, Bart Howard, originally wrote the song as a waltz and there were already hundreds of versions out there before Sinatra recorded it. June Christy and Peggy Lee were two of the bigger names who sang this song.
Quincy Jones had arranged the song as an instrumental for Count Basie. Jones boosted the tempo and changed the time signature to 4/4 for Basie's 1963 album "This Time by Basie."
Sinatra had known Bart Howard for over a decade and wanted to record the song. On the Sinatra-Basie album of 1964, the song explodes with energy and Howard, the songwriter, wrote "Frank changed the lyrics (and the song) so much, which normally would have annoyed the crap out of me but didn't because it worked so well." The song went on to become an anthem for swinging songs.
Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $21.95
The quintessential book on Frank Sinatra songs!
Did You Know?
Diana Krall
Las Vegas 2007
Female Versions of Fly Me to the Moon
| Track | Artist | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly Me to the Moon | Diana Krall | The Very Best of Diana Krall | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Astrud Gilberto | Astrud Gilberto's Finest Hour | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Tierney Sutton | Dancing In the Dark | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) | Nancy Wilson | The Great American Songbook | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Peggy Lee | Miss Peggy Lee | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) [Remastered] | Dinah Washington | Sings the Standards | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) | Julie London | The Very Best of Julie London |
Fly Me to the Moon In the Movies
Here is a video from the movie "Down With Love" starring Renee Zellweger. It combines Astrud Gilberto and Frank Sinatra singing the song. Other movies that include this song are "Wall Street" (in the opening credits) and "Space Cowboys" (in the closing credits).
The Movie Down With Love
Available on Amazon
Down with Love (Widescreen Edition)
Amazon Price: $1.78 (as of 05/31/2012)
List Price: $5.98
Renee Zellwegger is good in just about everything.
Male Versions of Fly Me to the Moon
| Track | Artist | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly Me to the Moon | Joshua Radin | Fly Me to the Moon - Single | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Rod Stewart | Fly Me to the Moon... - The Great American Songbook, Vol. V (Deluxe Version) | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Tony Bennett | If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set (I Don't Need Her) | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Tom Jones & Johnnie Spence | When I Fall In Love | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) [Remastered] | Bobby Darin | The Swinging Side of Bobby Darin (Remastered) | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) | Johnny Mathis | The Essential Johnny Mathis | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) | Nat "King" Cole | The World of Nat King Cole (Deluxe Edition) |
Frank Sinatra Albums
that contain the song "Fly Me To The Moon"
These are a few of the best Sinatra albums that contain the song "Fly Me to the Moon". There are many others!
Las Vegas Bellagio Fountains
dance to "Fly Me to the Moon"
Instrumental Versions of Fly Me to the Moon
| Track | Artist | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly Me to the Moon | Jack Jezzro | Guitar Romance | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Wes Montgomery | Wes Montgomery: Greatest Hits | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (Live at Bohemian Caverns Washington) | Ramsey Lewis Trio | The Ramsey Lewis Trio: In Person (1960-1967) | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Oscar Peterson Trio | Tristeza On Piano (Remastered Anniversary Edition) | |
| Fly Me To The Moon | Ed Thigpen, Ray Brown & Oscar Peterson | The 1964 Yugoslavia Performance | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Atlantic Five Jazz Band | Bar Music Moods, Vol. 1 | |
| Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) | Count Basie | This Time By Basie | |
| Fly Me to the Moon | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | Duke Ellington: The Reprise Studio Recordings (Remastered) |
What are they saying on Twitter?
about Fly Me to the Moon
What do you think of the song "Fly Me to the Moon"?
Share your thoughts.
-
-
Debbie-Dunn May 6, 2012 @ 3:49 am | delete
- Wow! I can tell you put a lot of hard work into this lense. Thanks for sharing!
-
-
-
JaguarJulie Apr 14, 2012 @ 1:51 pm | delete
- Do you know that this was my online theme song from the mid 90s? It used to play on my ThirdAge site ... on several of my pages there. I'm glad to see that you too appreciate the meaning and soulfulness of this song!
-
-
-
curious0927
Jan 24, 2012 @ 3:14 pm | delete
- One of my Fav's for sure! Can't get it out of my head now! Love it! Blessed and liked!
-
-
-
KonaGirl
Jan 7, 2012 @ 8:10 pm | delete
- I love Frank Sinatra and this is one of my favorite songs by him!
-
-
-
DecoratingforEvents
Feb 14, 2011 @ 10:51 am | delete
- Spreading *Cupid Kisses* on Valentines Day!
-
- Load More
About the Author
by kimmanleyort
Mother, wife and photographer who never stops learning. Frank Sinatra is my favorite singer and Fly Me to the Moon is a classic.
My Photography Website:...
more »
- 132 featured lenses
- Winner of 23 trophies!
- Top lens » 25 Ways to Teach Kids Compassion
Explore related pages
- The Song Autumn Leaves The Song Autumn Leaves
- Top 10 Frank Sinatra Love Songs Top 10 Frank Sinatra Love Songs
- Frank Sinatra Concept Albums Frank Sinatra Concept Albums
- Best of Frank Sinatra on Twitter Best of Frank Sinatra on Twitter
- Bobby Darin, Singer Bobby Darin, Singer
- A Tribute to Soul Singer, Lou Rawls A Tribute to Soul Singer, Lou Rawls
Frank Sinatra and Count Basie swing the song "Fly Me To The Moon"
on this CD
It Might As Well Be Swing
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 05/31/2012)
More Music Pages
Latest Posts from my Blog
Be Inspired
