Dance of the Robe
Aida Lyrics


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Aida
It's knowing what they want of me that scares me
It's knowing, having followed, I must lead
It's knowing that each person there compares me
To those in my past whom I now succeed
But how can whatever I do for them now be enough?
Be enough
Nubians
Aida! Aida!
All we ask of you
Is a lifetime of service, wisdom, courage
To ask more would be selfish, but nothing less will do
Aida! Aida!

Nehebka
Your robe should be golden, your robe should be perfect
Instead of this ragged concoction of thread
But may you be moved by its desperate beauty
To give us new life, for we'd rather be dead
Then live in the squalor and shame of the slave
To the dance! To the dance!

Nubians
Aida! Aida!
All we ask of you
All we ask is a lifetime of service, wisdom, courage
To ask more would be selfish, but nothing less will do
Aida! Aida!

Aida...!

Aida! Aida!
Aida! Aida!
Aida!

Aida
I know expectations are wild and almost
Beyond my fulfillment, but they won't hear
A word of a doubt or see signs of a weakness
My nigh on impossible duty is clear
And if I can rekindle our ancestors' dreams, it's enough
It's enough
It's enough

Nubians
Aida! Aida! Aida!
Aida! Aida! Aida!

Aida
It's enough!





Nubians
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...

Overall Meaning

In "Dance of the Robe," Aida expresses her fears and anxieties about fulfilling the expectations that others have placed upon her. As a leader of her people, she feels the weight of their hopes and dreams, as well as the pressure of being constantly compared to those who came before her. Despite these anxieties, Aida knows that she must push forward and lead her people to a better future. She hopes that she can rekindle the dreams of their ancestors and bring new life to her people, even if it means constantly striving to meet impossible expectations.


The Nubians echo these sentiments, recognizing the importance of Aida's leadership and the sacrifices she must make to fulfill her duties. They acknowledge that they ask a great deal of her, but they do so with the understanding that anything less would be insufficient.


Nehebka adds his voice to the mix, urging Aida to embrace her power and recognize the strength and beauty in her ragged robe. He hopes that her willingness to give her all to her people will inspire them to new heights and lead them out of the squalor and shame of slavery.


Overall, "Dance of the Robe" is a powerful testament to the sacrifices and challenges of leadership, as well as the importance of hope and faith in the face of adversity.


Line by Line Meaning

It's knowing what they want of me that scares me
The idea of knowing the high expectations others have of me is daunting and unsettling.


It's knowing, having followed, I must lead
As someone who has always been a follower, the idea of leading others is intimidating and challenging.


It's knowing that each person there compares me
The realization that others will judge and compare me to previous leaders is overwhelming.


To those in my past whom I now succeed
I am aware that I am succeeding those who came before me in this role.


But how can whatever I do for them now be enough?
I wonder how I will be able to meet their high expectations and make a meaningful impact.


All we ask of you / Is a lifetime of service, wisdom, courage / To ask more would be selfish, but nothing less will do / Aida! Aida!
The Nubians are asking for complete dedication and loyalty from Aida as their leader, recognizing that anything less would not be adequate.


Your robe should be golden, your robe should be perfect / Instead of this ragged concoction of thread / But may you be moved by its desperate beauty / To give us new life, for we'd rather be dead / Then live in the squalor and shame of the slave / To the dance! To the dance!
Nehebka is suggesting that Aida's appearance should match her high status, but that he hopes the sight of the Nubians' impoverished and oppressed condition will inspire her to help them escape slavery.


I know expectations are wild and almost / Beyond my fulfillment, but they won't hear / A word of a doubt or see signs of a weakness / My nigh on impossible duty is clear
Aida recognizes that expectations are extremely high and difficult to meet, but she knows that she cannot show any doubt or weakness as her role is crucial.


And if I can rekindle our ancestors' dreams, it's enough / It's enough / It's enough
The goal of Aida's leadership is to revive and achieve the dreams of past Nubian leaders, which is a sufficient objective to strive towards.


Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...
This line is a repetition of background vocals that do not add any specific meaning to the song.




Contributed by Nolan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@insertyoutubechannelnamehe7422

It's knowing what they want of me that scares me
It's knowing, having followed, I must lead
It's knowing that each person there compares me
To those in my past whom I now succeed
But how can whatever I do for them now be enough?
Be enough
Aida! Aida!
All we ask of you
Is a lifetime of service, wisdom, courage
To ask more would be selfish, but nothing less will do
Aida! Aida!
Your robe should be golden, your robe should be perfect
Instead of this ragged concoction of thread
But may you be moved by its desperate beauty
To give us new life, for we'd rather be dead
Then live in the squalor and shame of the slave
To the dance! To the dance!
Aida! Aida!
All we ask of you
All we ask is a lifetime of service, wisdom, courage
To ask more would be selfish, but nothing less will do
Aida! Aida!
Aida!
Aida! Aida!
Aida! Aida!
Aida!
I know expectations are wild and almost
Beyond my fulfillment, but they won't hear
A word of a doubt or see signs of a weakness
My nigh-on-impossible duty is clear
And if I can rekindle our ancestors' dreams, it's enough
It's enough, it's enough
Aida! Aida! Aida!
Aida! Aida! Aida!
It's enough!
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah



@jimenanor9762

It's knowing what they want of me that scares me
It's knowing, having followed, I must lead
It's knowing that each person there compares me
To those in my past whom I now succeed
But how can whatever I do for them now be enough?
Be enough
Aida! Aida!
All we ask of you
Is a lifetime of service, wisdom, courage
To ask more would be selfish, but nothing less will do
Aida! Aida!
Your robe should be golden, your robe should be perfect
Instead of this ragged concoction of thread
But may you be moved by its desperate beauty
To give us new life, for we'd rather be dead
Then live in the squalor and shame of the slave
To the dance! To the dance!
Aida! Aida!
All we ask of you
All we ask is a lifetime of service, wisdom, courage
To ask more would be selfish, but nothing less will do
Aida! Aida!
Aida!
Aida! Aida!
Aida! Aida!
Aida!
I know expectations are wild and almost
Beyond my fulfillment, but they won't hear
A word of a doubt or see signs of a weakness
My nigh-on-impossible duty is clear
And if I can rekindle our ancestors' dreams, it's enough
It's enough, it's enough
Aida! Aida! Aida!
Aida! Aida! Aida!
It's enough!
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Traducir al español



All comments from YouTube:

@CalebMiofsky

The fact that Heather could do that 8 times a week is astonishing

@anadelaney2657

THE GOOSEBUMPS I GOT DURING THE LAST NOTE!!!! Broadway neeeeds to do a revival of this musical!!!!

@dbrooks9068

Ana Delaney they are doing a revival this Spring. I can’t wait!

@sharleenann6009

D Brooks :(

@dallascoffey9735

when everything gets quiet and aida wants to run away for the last time right before the big note and how mereb goes over to her and hands her the robe in most productions, almost always makes me cry, i was mereb in my senior show and i miss it

@kristenl5650

In my production we had Nehabka give it to Aida because for us it made more sense for Nehabka to give it to her since shes singing about in her solo

@talon3684

Turn your volume up. WAY UP. Favorite song of the play Saw this live years ago and was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed EVERY time I hear it. Stood up and cheered at the end. That last note Heather does is EVERYTHING. Phenomenal vocals happening here. If you're not moved, check your pulse. 🫀

@irisnache9379

My name is Aida, and I think I have been named after this musical and to be fair quite proud of it . Also I love the fact they can say it right

@maatahoua811

I was fortunate enough to play the role of Aida in 2012 & man, listening to this song sends me throwbacks😭 miss it so much!

@isabelsummers8017

Me too because my sister is Aida and she so good sing this song

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