Passacaglia
Bendik Lyrics
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Passacaglia
I'd like to tell you about a very old dance
Ring-a-ring o'roses, renaissance trance
And though it's old the steps come easy to you
You just do, do, do what you have to do
Yeah, yeah, ina passacaglia
You sense a woman, say Miss mary Go-Round
Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down
The two of you will find your own way
Passacaglia goes down, down, down all the days
Let's go up to the mountain top
Let's go swimming in your pond again
We move in circles 'round and 'round, lift our bodies
off the ground
Let's seek that volcano dear
Your water fountain should be near
Daddy's with the secret police
That might be why I'm hard to please
In Bendik's song Passacaglia, he refers to an old dance called the ring-a-ring o'roses or renaissance trance. He highlights how despite its ancient roots, the dance steps come naturally to everyone. The lyrics seem to symbolize the cyclical nature of life, where certain patterns repeat themselves, and people have to follow the steps to get through them. The song's catchy chorus repeats the phrase "ina passacaglia," which translates to "in a Passacaglia," indicating that the song's theme revolves around this particular style of dance or musical composition.
Bendik mentions the woman Miss Mary Go-Round in the verse, which sounds like a reference to the popular British folklore song "Ring Around the Rosie." The verse also features the playful interpolation of the rhyme's lyrics - "atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down." The Passacaglia dance style is traditionally slow and mournful, evoking feelings of sadness, and the song reflects those emotions with the line "Passacaglia goes down, down, down all the days."
The lyrics of the song also allude to a desire for escape and adventure. He mentions climbing to a mountain top, swimming in a pond, circling around, and lifting bodies off the ground. The mention of a nearby volcano and a water fountain adds a mystical element to the song, indicating that Bendik is searching for something beyond the mundane. The last line "Daddy's with the secret police, That might be why I'm hard to please" insinuates that the singer is facing some kind of personal struggle or oppression, which could be why he's searching for an escape.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to tell you about a very old dance
I want to share with you the history of an ancient dance
Ring-a-ring o'roses, renaissance trance
The dance is rhythmic and trance-like, and invokes the memory of an old nursery rhyme
And though it's old the steps come easy to you
Even though the dance is old, you find it easy to learn and follow
You just do, do, do what you have to do
You simply move your body in the way that feels natural to you
Yeah, yeah come rolling
Let's get started with the dance, come on!
Yeah, yeah, ina passacaglia
We are moving in the rhythm of a passacaglia, a classical music piece played at a moderate pace
You sense a woman, say Miss mary Go-Round
There is a woman you have taken note of, we'll call her Miss Mary Go-Round
Atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down
The two of you fall madly in love - like the common children's rhyme where everyone falls down
The two of you will find your own way
As you two embark on this newfound love, it'll be your own unique journey
Passacaglia goes down, down, down all the days
You'll continue to dance to the passacaglia rhythm as the days go by, forever moving downwards
Let's go up to the mountain top
Let's embark on a journey to the summit of a mountain
Let's go swimming in your pond again
Let's revisit a special place of yours, a pond where we can swim together
We move in circles 'round and 'round, lift our bodies
off the ground
As we dance in this pond, we float in circles and lift our bodies up above the water's surface
Let's seek that volcano dear
Let's explore another destination, a volcano that piques your interest
Your water fountain should be near
We expect to find a water fountain near the volcanic region
Daddy's with the secret police
There is a looming, uncomfortable presence that may be hindering our free-spirited adventure - like the secret police, run by the government
That might be why I'm hard to please
Perhaps the obstacles in our way are the reason for my dissatisfaction, despite the beauty we encounter on our journey
Contributed by Charlotte B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B Miller
One of my favorite albums of all time. One of the most brilliant and surprising moves ever made by a band was Mike Mainieri finding Bendik on the other side of the planet - arguably the one guy on the planet most qualified to join Steps Ahead and bring something new and special after Brecker, and combined with Bendik wanting that more than anything in his life then. And then he gave us IX!