Fellow musician...we played together in his later years. Banjo player and jazz guitarist extraordinaire. Bob passed away this past Christmas morning 2019.
I'm so sorry to hear that. I used to watch the Drew Carey Show and heard this song as the intro, but I haven't seen it in well over a decade. I don't know why this song just got in my head a few minutes ago, so I decided to look it up. So here I am, listening to Moon Over Parma for the first time ever by its original author, Robert McGuire. May he rest in peace.
I was born in Toledo and I love this song. anyone from that area should not be offended by these lyrics! It’s a charming reference to just regular folk.
I love how this guy sang this song and years later it became practically famous when Drew Carey performed it for his show. It's a shame this guy may not have gotten any royalties from it.
Other than Cleveland what is the connection between Bob McGuire and Drew Carey? How did this end up as the original theme song for Drew Carey Show? I am genuinely curious.
This show that Bob appeared on is the Little John and Big Chuck show, and before that it was the Hoolihan and Big Chuck show. It's been a local late night Friday night TV show since the early 70s. It's the kind of show our parents would stay up let us stay up late and watch. It always featured some terrible scary movie and they would have these periodic intermissions where Big Chuck and little John would do comedy skits. And sometimes they would have guests like Bob on the show. And I assure you this show is where Drew Carey discovered the song "Moon over Parma" Parma is Cleveland's biggest suburb. And it's about a 30 mile hike to Eastlake where the woman in the song is from. Solon is not en route between Parma and Eastlake. I think it just gets mentioned because it rhymes with Bowling. And nobody from Cleveland ever visits Ashtabula. It's a worn down little town on the lake. Might have been nice 100 years ago. Linndale is Cleveland's smallest suburb. Measured in single digit acres not square miles. About 500 ft from one side to the other on I-71 and that 500 feet used to be the busiest speed trap east of the Mississippi.
[D7] [G7] [C] [G7] [C] Moon over Parma, bring my [G] love to me tonight. [G7] Guide her to East Lake under[C]neath your silvery [C7] light. [F] We met in Ashta [Fm] bula. [C] She was doing the [A7] hula. I [D] handed her my radishes and [G7] pledged my love that night. [C] Moon over Parma, won't you [G] bring my love to me. [G7] Shine on the freeway to [C] guide her AM[C7]C. [F] Get her past the radar [Fm] mounties. [C] Bring her to Lake [A7] County. [D7] Moon over [G7] Parma, to[C]night. [Gdim] [Dm7] [G7] [G7] (Kazoo solo!) [C] Moon over Parma, shine on [G] I-271. [G7] Cause we can't get together in the [C] warm light of the [C7] sun. [F] I'm asking you [Fm] don't fail. [C] Get her safely through [A7] Lindale. I [D] can’t go to Parma cause my [G7] Edsel will not run. [C] Moon over Parma, where those [G] pink flamingos stand. [G7] I need her kisses and the [C] soft touch of her [C7] hand. [F] We're going [Fm] bowling, [C] so don't lose her in [A7] Solon. [D7] Moon over [G7] Parma, to[C] night, I said to[A7]night. [D7] Moon over [G7] Parma, [D7] Moon over [G7] Parma, [D7] Moon over [G7] Parma, to[C]night.
Carey's crediting McGuire gives even less reason to wonder. The songwriter was 60 when Drew covered the song and made McGuire slightly more well-known.
