About The Song
In early 1965 Bobby Bare and Skeeter Davis entered RCA Victor Studios in Nashville to record their first duet album together. Produced by Chet Atkins, the sessions yielded the twelve-track LP *Tunes for Two*, released by RCA Victor under catalog LSP 3336 later that year. Among the highlights was the dreamy ballad “In the Misty Moonlight,” a two-minute-and-forty-four-second track written by Cindy Walker. It appeared as track three on the album, nestled between the lead single “A Dear John Letter” and “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine.” The duet marked the beginning of a successful collaboration between two of RCA’s biggest country stars of the era.
Cindy Walker, one of Nashville’s most respected songwriters, had penned the number as a gentle celebration of love that needed no special setting to flourish. Jerry Wallace had taken the original version to the pop and country charts in 1964, but Bare and Davis gave it a warm, conversational country twist. The song’s simple premise—that any place feels right as long as the loved one is near—fit perfectly with the easygoing chemistry the two singers had developed as labelmates and friends in Nashville’s tight-knit music community.
The lyrics unfold like a shared daydream. Skeeter sings of misty moonlight and flickering firelight, while Bare adds that a faraway fancy place or even one little room with a table and chair would suit him fine. The chorus repeats the central idea with quiet conviction: any place is all right long as I’m with you. Walker’s writing avoided dramatic declarations in favor of quiet contentment, creating a romantic portrait that felt intimate rather than grandiose and perfectly suited the duet format.
Bare’s warm, slightly husky baritone blended seamlessly with Davis’s sweet, clear soprano. Their harmonies felt natural and unforced, as though the two old friends were simply singing to each other rather than performing for an audience. Chet Atkins kept the arrangement light and understated, featuring gentle guitar lines, soft percussion, and a touch of steel guitar that gave the track a classic country warmth without overpowering the vocals. The result was a relaxed, radio-friendly sound that appealed to both traditional country fans and the growing audience for smoother Nashville productions.
Although “In the Misty Moonlight” was never released as a charting single, it earned steady airplay as an album cut and helped *Tunes for Two* become a commercial success. The LP also featured other popular duets such as “Too Used to Being with You” and “We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds.” The project demonstrated Bare and Davis’s ability to bring fresh life to established material while showcasing their easy rapport. It paved the way for a second duet album, *Your Husband, My Wife*, released in 1970.
Over the decades the track has remained a favorite among fans of classic country duets. It has appeared on various compilations and reissues, including Bear Family’s comprehensive box sets that document Bare’s complete RCA catalog. Listeners continue to appreciate the song’s gentle message and the natural chemistry between two of country music’s most distinctive voices from the 1960s.
More than fifty years after its release, “In the Misty Moonlight” stands as a charming example of Bobby Bare and Skeeter Davis’s collaborative talent. What began as one track on a successful duet album became a lasting reminder that the simplest expressions of love often make the strongest country music. The recording captures the warmth and effortless harmony that made their partnership one of the most enjoyable chapters in both artists’ careers.
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Lyric
In the misty moonlight by the flickering firelight
[ Skeeter ]
Any place is all right long as I’m with you
[ Both ]
In a faraway land on the tropic sea sand
[ Bobby ]
If your hand’s in my hand I won’t be blue
[ Both ]
Way up on the mountain a way down in the valley
I know I’ll be happy anyplace anywhere I don’t care
In the misty moonlight by the flickering firelight
Any place is all right long as you are there
[ Skeeter ]
You know I could be happy in just one little room with only a table and a chair
As happy as I’d be in a kingdom by the sea darling if you’re there
[ Bobby ]
And I could be rich or I could be poor but if you were by my side
I could be anyplace in the whole wide world and I know that I’ll be satisfied
[ Both ]
Way up on the mountain…
Any place is all right long as you are there