A Kiss to Build a Dream On is a popular song composed by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, with lyrics later adapted by Oscar Hammerstein II. The music was originally written in 1935 under the title Moonlight on the Meadow for the Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera, but it was cut from the final production. Hammerstein subsequently reworked the lyrics, and the song gained wide recognition in 1951 when Louis Armstrong recorded it with Sy Oliver's Orchestra, featuring an ensemble that included Cutty Cutshall on trombone, Billy Kyle on piano, and Sy Oliver as arranger and conductor. Armstrong also performed the song in the 1951 film The Strip and reprised it live at the BBC in 1968. The composition follows a classic AABA song form characteristic of Tin Pan Alley writing, with a smooth, lyrical melody that conveys romantic yearning and lends itself naturally to swinging interpretations. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951, losing to In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening. The song has been covered widely across pop and jazz traditions by artists including Bing Crosby, Hugo Winterhalter, k.d. lang, Rod Stewart, and Deana Martin. While not a core jazz standard, it remains a beloved entry in the Great American Songbook, with Armstrong's definitive version securing its place in the repertoire.
