'Dancing In The Moonlight' is one of those tunes that you somehow know all the lyrics to, thanks to countless family gatherings and school dances over the years.

However, despite its cheerful melody, did you know there's actually a rather heartbreaking story behind the lyrics?

The song was originally penned by American singer Sherman Kelly and first recorded in 1970 by his band Boffalongo, before King Harvest also turned it into a hit in 1972.

As with any popular song, there have been numerous covers, the most notable being the version by British band Toploader, released in 2000.

Toploader's rendition has garnered over a billion streams on Spotify and is frequently featured in TV shows and movies, much like the original.

If you need a refresher, the lyrics of the chorus are: "Dancing in the moonlight / Everybody's feelin' warm and bright / It's such a fine and natural sight / Everybody's dancing in the moonlight."

The popular song actually has a very dark story behind it (Getty Stock Image)

It sounds happy and joyous, right? Well, not quite.

Sherman Kelly composed the song in 1969, while he was recovering from a brutal attack by a gang, which inspired him to 'envision an alternate reality' and 'dream of a peaceful and joyful celebration of life'.

In a conversation with Vinyl Dialogues, the singer detailed how he and his friends, who were managing a nightclub in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands at the time, decided to rent a yacht and sail to St. Croix for the day in 1969.

However, he and his girlfriend soon discovered they were prone to seasickness, so upon arriving, they let their friends go for dinner while they waited on the beach.

The group returned with their food and went back on the boat, but it was still swaying violently, so the couple chose to remain in town for the night.

Unfortunately, Kelly had left his wallet on the boat and had no money to secure a hotel room for the night.

After being turned away by several establishments, Kelly's girlfriend suggested they sleep on the beach since it was a 'beautiful night,' and so they did.

Tragically, they fell victim to a 'St. Croix street gang,' and Kelly was brutally beaten by five gang members reportedly wielding baseball bats.

The song became a huge hit and Toploader went on to cover it in 2000 (Vevo/Toploader)

Reports indicate that Kelly regained consciousness during the assault and fought back, making enough noise to scare off the attackers, before they followed the lights along the shore to the St. Croix hospital.

It has been reported that the couple were among the first victims of the Fountain Valley Gang, who later murdered eight tourists.

Amazingly, the singer survived his severe injuries and went on to write 'Dancing In The Moonlight,' reflecting an idealised version of that horrific night.

He shared with Vinyl Dialogues: “I envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyous celebration of life. It was just me imagining a better world than the one I had just experienced in St. Croix.

“It was incredible. People enjoyed the song from the very beginning. I liked it too, but I couldn’t have predicted that it would become such a big hit."

So there you have it, you'll never hear that song in quite the same way again!