Jim Lesses

I Have To Dance! 
I heard a song with a groovy beat, 
Made me want to tap my feet. 
Hit the floor like a crazy fool, 
Like Fred and Ginger; cool man, cool. 

So I wrote my own sweet tune, 
A bit of swing, and a bit of croon. 
A touch of jazz to fill it out, 
And then - a final big band shout. 

Now my head just won’t keep still, 
The doctor said, Son, take this pill. 
But I just threw the drugs away,
I want to feel my body sway. 
And though I ache from constant swing, 
I don’t care, it don’t mean a thing. 
Bring me my jacket, and press my pants, 
I’ve lost control, and I have to dance! 

I’ve lost control. I have to dance! 
I want to find sweet romance. 
Like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, 
I have to dance, and I don’t care where. 
I want to spin across the stage, 
Ignore my aches, forget my age. 
So, take me back where I belong, 
Right inside that swinging song… 
And go, cat, go!

© 2005, Jim Lesses. All Rights Reserved. 

NOTE: About 15 years ago, I was listening to the radio one Saturday morning and the presenter played a song with a groovy beat, and I thought, I really like that. I should write a song with a groovy beat, too. So I did, and this is it.

All the old dance footage is sourced from the Archive.Org website, a massive repository of old books, movies, television shows and music that is either in the public domain or has been shared under a Creative Commons licence.