Let's Dream in the Moonlight is a popular song with music by Matty Malneck and lyrics by Raoul Walsh. The exact year of composition is undocumented, though it dates from the era when Malneck was active as a violinist, arranger, and songwriter in the 1930s big band and film music scenes. Malneck's broader catalog includes well-known works such as "Stairway to the Stars" and contributions to Hollywood film scores, and Let's Dream in the Moonlight represents one of his lesser-known efforts in the Tin Pan Alley songwriting tradition. The composition is structured as a standard popular song suitable for vocal performance with instrumental accompaniment, consistent with the lyrical, romantic style of the period. While it never achieved the widespread recognition of Malneck's most famous songs, the tune attracted the attention of notable jazz vocalists. Billie Holiday recorded at least two versions, placing it within the orbit of the jazz vocal repertoire. More recently, Samara Joy included the song on her 2021 debut album, produced by Matt Pierson, bringing renewed attention to this largely overlooked composition. The tune's survival in the repertoire, however sporadic, reflects the quiet durability of well-crafted songs from the golden age of American popular music, even those that never became widely performed standards.
