Midnight Moon

Midnight Moon

Words & Music by Duke Nguyen Browning

I was inspired to write this song as I recall a conversation with friends, Charlie Precourt and his wife, Lynne.

Charlie was about to leave Johnson Space Center (NASA) where he had been working as an astronaut to start a new job. He shared some of his experiences and discussed possibilities for the future of the space program’s quest to go to Mars.

Since I had always been fascinated with the moon and the space program, our conversation during our visit helped broaden my imagination as I thought of how man may someday be on the moon, working, or even living.

Then one evening outside my house coming home from a store, I was watching a full moon and thinking about Charlie, his team, and the people working on the space program. What they started may someday make the dreams of mankind reality – taking man from earth to the moon and perhaps to Mars, and beyond.

What fascinated me even more was that in a space program, it seems that people of different cultures, languages, and political backgrounds could work together so well. Perhaps that is so because such a program is intended for the common good of all mankind; it seems as if we are all together trying to conquer something for the entire human race, whether it be scientific, technological, or find a way to cure a certain disease. For that reason, the lyrics before the last line I have the words “for love and peace, for the world to see” to emphasize the advancement of mankind as a result of unity our space program.

After finishing the original draft of the song, I modified the lyrics somewhat to bring out metaphorical level of the song so that it could also be a love song. I think that universally, the moon often associated with romance, hope, dreams, and love, and perhaps mystery.

~ Duke Nguyen Browning ~

Midnight Moon
Words, Music, and sung by Duke Nguyen Browning

For the Men and Women of the Space Program

Midnight, ask the moon if she will shine
Midnight, winter skies waiting moon light
For you and me, for joy and peace, for the world to see
Moon light, you brighten my whole world’s skies

You shine, the darkness of my world bright
You shine, the darkest of my life bright
Just you and I, for me you shine, you brighten my life

Tomorrow, I shall arrive
And I will be next to your side

If today, I have arrived
Together we are side by side
Sharing our lives, our love our time.

Midnight, and the Moon says she will shine
Midnight, summer skies with full moon lights
For you and me, for love and peace, for the world to see
Moonlight, you brighten my whole world’s skies.