Tune-Dex Card Moonlight on the Prairie 1943 Bob Nolan ASCAP Lead Sheet For Sale

This Tune-Dex card offers a direct connection to the golden age of American popular and Western film music, containing the lead sheet for “Moonlight on the Prairie,” a song originally copyrighted in 1934 by M. Witmark & Sons of New York City, New York County, New York. The card itself was copyrighted in 1943 by George Goodwin and printed at 1619 Broadway in New York City, with a stamped date that appears to read July 15, 1943 or 1944, placing it squarely in the wartime period when such index cards were essential professional tools for bandleaders, arrangers, and music librarians. The song was co-written by Bob Nolan, a founding member of the legendary Sons of the Pioneers and a central figure in the development of Western music and cowboy ballads, alongside Vernon Spencer. The card explicitly states that the piece comes from the Warner Bros. picture “Moonlight on the Prairie,” making it a collectible artifact for film music historians as well as fans of the genre.The information side of the card lists the publisher address at 1250 Sixth Avenue in New York City and notes the piano copies were available in the key of E-flat at fifty cents. The performing rights organization is ASCAP, reflecting the industry standard of the era. A prominent warning printed on the card states that the copy was intended for professional use only and that reselling it would result in prosecution under copyright law, a historical curiosity that adds to the card’s authenticity and original purpose. This warning does not affect the collectibility or legality of selling the card today as vintage ephemera.The reverse side presents the lead sheet in standard notation with a treble clef melody line, chord symbols, and lyrics in a valse moderato tempo, key signature of E-flat major with three flats. The visible lyrics begin with imagery of moonlight on the prairie, campfires burning low, and soft winds blowing, consistent with the pastoral, romantic style of Western popular songs from the 1930s. The copyright line for the composition is repeated on this side.The physical condition of the card is good for its age. The paper has a uniform light yellowing or tanning, which is typical of stock from the 1940s. Edges are relatively clean with only minor softening at the corners, and there are no major creases, tears, or folds. The surface appears free of heavy stains or smudges, and all printed text, musical notation, and stamped dates remain clear and legible. This Tune-Dex card is a compact piece of music industry history that links the worlds of film, publishing, and performance, and it will appeal to collectors of vintage sheet music, Western music memorabilia, and ephemera from the mid-twentieth century.