Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes


"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" is a country song about a man away from home who is worried that his paramour may unwittingly stray from their relationship. It was written by Winston L. Moore and published in 1952. The song has been recorded in many different styles by many performers, with Perry Como's version hitting number 1 in both the US and UK.
The title comes from the opening refrain:

Chart performance

The song was first recorded by Slim Willet and the Brush Cutters and then by Ray Price. Skeets McDonald followed with a Western swing version, reaching No. 1 and staying on the Country charts for 18 weeks. His version was released by Capitol Records. Slim Willet and Tommy Hill also wrote the female answer song "I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes", which was performed by Hill's sister, Goldie Hill.The most popular recording of the song, selling over a million and a half copies, was a pop version recorded by Perry Como with The Ramblers on November 4, 1952. It was released in several countries:
In the UK, "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" first entered the sheet music charts on January 17, 1953. The song peaked at No. 1 on February 7, its fourth week on chart, staying there for a week. In total, it spent 16 weeks on the sheet music charts. The first recording to be issued in the UK was a British recording by Dennis Lotis in December 1952. The following month, versions were released by Gisele MacKenzie, Perry Como with The Ramblers, Jack Gray, Red Foley and veteran performer Gracie Fields. Other versions issued in the UK were by Troise and his Novelty Orchestra with The Four-in-A-Chord, Lola Ameche and Bobby Maxwell with The Windy City Symphony. Como's version was issued on 45rpm in March 1953 as a separate release to his 78rpm single. That month also saw a parody version by Mickey Katz and his Orchestra released, titled "Don't let the Schmaltz get in your eyes". The versions by Ameche and Maxwell were re-issued by Mercury in June 1954.
The same week that the song entered the British sheet music charts, Como's version also entered the UK's singles chart, based on record sales. The latter chart had only been launched in November 1952, and "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes" thus became the first of Como's many UK chart hits. It peaked at the top of the singles chart the same week that the song made No. 1 on the sheet music listing. Como's recording – the only one to chart in the UK – spent five weeks at No. 1, and 15 weeks on chart in total.

Other recorded versions