A Kiss to Build a Dream On is a classic American jazz standard with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. It began as Moonlight on the Meadow, a 1935 tune written for the Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera but not used, later revised and retitled. The most famous early recording is Louis Armstrong's 1951 rendition, released as a single and featured in the film The Strip, with Kay Brown delivering the first theatrical release in August 1951. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951. Since then it has been covered by many artists including Bing Crosby, kd lang, Rod Stewart and Deana Martin, and it has appeared in films such as Sleepless in Seattle. It remains a staple of the jazz standard repertoire and a touchstone of mid-20th century American popular music.
