Songfacts®:

• Bruno Mars penned this song with his songwriting/production team the Smeezingtons, along with Jeff Bhasker, who helped craft Fun's breakthrough album, Some Nights, Miike Snow front man Andrew Wyatt and Amy Winehouse collaborator Mark Ronson. "I was in Zanzibar on my honeymoon when I got this call: 'Do you want to meet Bruno?'" recalled Ronson to Rolling Stone. "I was only kind of familiar with his music, but we met up in London a month later and he won me over. I found out what a phenomenal talent he is."
• Moonshine is a very high proof distilled spirit. The word is believed to derive from early English smugglers who used to smuggle brandy by moonlight. Later it used to describe the illegal whisky made by Appalachian distillers at night using the moon's light.
• Mars told Rolling Stone that the origins of this sexed-up disco groover were in a night out boozing. He recalled: "We all went out one night, and they had actual moonshine on the menu. We drank it all night, then headed to the studio - Jeff (Bhasker) got on keyboards, Mark (Ronson) starts playing electronic drums that sound like '80s Prince and I started screaming, 'Moonshine, take us to the stars!'"
• Here are some more songs about moonshine:
  "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle.
  "Mexican Moonshine" by Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers.
  "Moonshine" by Paul Weller.