Polka dots and moonbeams?

I think it's a metaphor used to illustrate that life is all rosy, lovely, beautiful, and without flaws and romantic obstacles.

"It's not all polka dots and moonbeams, you know" seems to be a statement that adulthood isn't all it's cracked up to be. That a thirteen old who is in such a hurry to grow up sees only the fun, the freedom, and beautiful things that make up the life of being an adult but does not see the pain, the stress, and the inevitable obstacles that exist to trip up and challenge the adult individual.

The phrase may or may not come from a pleasant sentimental romantic pop song from 1940.

Writer(s): burke/van heusenA country dance was being held in a gardenI felt a bump and heard an oh, beg your pardonSuddenly I saw - polka dots and moonbeamsAll around a pug-nosed dreamThe music started, and was I the perplexed oneI held my breathe, and said may I have the next one? In my frightened arms - polka dots and moonbeamsSparkled on a pug-nosed dreamThere were questions in the eyes of other dancersAs we floated over the floorThere were questions but my heart knew all the answersAnd perhaps a few things moreNow in a cottage, built of lilacs and laughterI know the meaning, of the words: ever afterAnd I’ll always see polka dots and moonbeamsWhen I kiss my pug-nosed dream


The above is the lyrics of the song. What kind of story does the song tell? A young man danced in a garden party in the moonbeam with a beautiful girl who wore clothes with polka dots?

Tonight was the first time I have ever heard of the song so I'm just guessing as much as you are in terms of the lyrics meanings but by its simple lyrics:
1. boy meets girl (pug nosed dream) at a country dance;
2. Love at first sight ~ polka dots and moonbeams. Lovely and child-like innocent imagery that might imply silly giddiness had taken over the boy;
3. Not sure what the questioning look in the song meant. Maybe it's a hint at a possible class difference between the girl and the boy that the nearby individuals felt wasn't kosher. Or perhaps the term polka dots and moonbeams plus the looks indicate that the boy was inflicted with puppy love which also might make more sense with the pug nosed dream reference and that the crowd of onlookers were skeptical this boy/girl coupling would last;
4. The song apparently flashes forward to some unknown future where the boy and girl are married (?) and living happily (in a cottage, built of lilacs and laughter) in a cottage and now the man understands that as a boy he took a wild chance at romance and that his initial meeting with the girl was puppy love but it worked out anyway.

PLEASE keep in mind that many pop songs aren't perfect and can consist of plot holes and many just don't make sense narrative wise so analyzing the lyrics to a cheesy and sentimental love song might be a red herring or utter nonsense in the first place.

it is obvious to me that the song "polka dots and moonbeams" is about interracial love...in the past an african nose was often referred to as "pug" and although the term in rarely used these days...most african-americans know and understand the term "pug nose"...the "questions" in the eyes of others dancers referenced their surprise or discomfort as they watched an interracial couple "floating" across the floor...however, despite questionable "stares" hearts know the answer...