"The Moonlight Madam" (2011)

For this post, I'm revisiting a song I wrote with composer Matt Glickstein in 2011.

Matt and I had started collaborating for the first time in June of that year. By the end of the summer, we had a handful of new songs that felt like a promising start to the partnership (which is now in its fifteenth year). We did a lot of work that first summer, and in late September, I wrote a new lyric called "The Midnight Madam," which was eventually renamed "The Moonlight Madam." Here's the original post: LINK

Of all the songs I plan to examine here, this will likely be the most eccentric; it was an outlier in our catalog from early on, and we never pursued it much after an original pass, which resulted in a piano/vocal demo that Matt recorded. That's the form it's lived in, filed away, for many years.

It's a song that I've always felt had some potential, despite its lack of commercial viability. As a writer, I tend to root for the underdog and the outcast; this one is no exception. "The Moonlight Madam" is one of two light-jazz, piano bar-inspired songs we wrote that summer.  I'll share the other one here in the coming weeks.  Of the two, this is my personal favorite. 

My goal for the lyric was to explore concepts of desire, obsession, loneliness, and deception, perhaps even self-deception. I wanted to find a metaphor that could dramatize how, as humans, we often wish to pursue things that may not be in our best interest, with a sense of hubris that we can control or redeem the situation and come out unscathed.  

To explore those ideas, I settled on the image of a mysterious, gothic figure: a woman who remains unnamed in the lyrics beyond her title. The singer presents the song as a cautionary tale to the audience. It's never clear just who (or what) the madam is. A lady of the night?  A dealer? A black widow? A drug? Jealousy? Perhaps something more sinister or supernatural. Is she simply temptation personified?

The song never completely vilifies the madam. Rather, I tried to present her as a more tragic figure- a victim of the curse she now spreads. Although the song isn't a traditional story song, I wanted it to suggest a progression; by the end of the first chorus, it is largely about fascination/obsession with a warning that you might be victimized by an encounter. By the end of the second chorus, there's more danger implied with the final line: "You'll share the moonlight madam's curse, and time won't be forgiving." There's a possibility you could become like her if you fall to desire. 

In all honesty, I intended it to be about a vampire (the clues are obvious if you know to look for them). I thought it could work as a vehicle for all the themes I wanted to cover, but I purposely blurred the focus just enough to leave that open to question. If I remember correctly, Matt and I went back and forth on that decision for a while before ultimately deciding to leave the song ambiguous and encourage listener interpretation.

Matt set the lyric to a smoky, soft-jazz feel that perfectly suited its atmosphere. I loved his music for the piece. Writing the song was a fun learning exercise, and it played to our theatrical impulses. It also helped me practice tightening my use of imagery and symbolism (which, at that point, was still in overdrive) through a sustained metaphor. It was a more disciplined approach than I'd used before. Listening to it now, I can hear my musical theatre voice beginning to emerge, imperfect as it was (and often still is).

In any case, we soon moved on from the song and never did anything with it.

Still, I would think of the song from time to time. I'd imagine it as a noir scene- set in a dark piano bar with cigarette smoke spiraling upward around the stage, where a breathy-voiced singer performs the song to a near-empty room with a tenor sax providing backup.

The magic of modern technology has allowed me to take the old piano/vocal demo and transform it into the soundtrack for just such a scene, true to the original composition from so long ago. It's presented below as proof of concept...

The Moonlight Madam (2011)- 2026 Demo
Music by Matt Glickstein
Lyrics by Jason Spraggins

(revised lyrics)

She lives by night near city lights

and stalks the streets 'til morning.

She'll sense your sin, invite you in,

then leave without warning.

She plays with dreams and owns the scene.

Her heart will make you suffer.

She haunts the tortured minds of men

who gave their souls to touch her.

Her past has placed within her eyes

oceans filled with sorrows.

Her loss of love has led her down

a path you dare not follow.

Beware the beauty of her smile;

don't fall to desire.

Her game of wills is all too real.

She'll trap you in her fire.

Her needs like pins will pierce the skin.

Her kiss will kill you slowly.

She'll weave a web of lies and lust,

eclipsing all things holy.

You'll be possessed,

a ghost among the living.

You'll rue the moonlight madam's name,

and time won't be forgiving.

We're only here on borrowed time;

the sands are quickly falling.

Why side-step fate and try to be

the answer to her calling?

Temptation lives in many forms—

it preys on thirst and hunger.

Don't share the moonlight madam's cup;

her spell will pull you under.

Her needs like pins will pierce the skin.

Her kiss will kill you slowly.

She'll weave a web of lies and lust,

eclipsing all things holy.

You'll be possessed,

a ghost among the living.

You'll share the moonlight madam's curse,

and time won't be forgiving. 

*The updated demo was created from the original demo recordings and sheet music using a combination of virtual instruments and AI-assisted production and vocal recreation. The recording follows the original melody, harmony, and arrangement and is intended as a faithful, expanded recreation of the original composition. It is presented here solely as a demonstration of concept and as part of an ongoing effort to curate, catalog, and preserve the work.