Shall We Dance?
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Drop that long face
Come on, have your fling
Why keep nursing the blues?
If you want this old world on a string
Put on your dancing shoes
Stop wasting time
Put on your dancing shoes
Watch your spirits climb

Shall we dance, or keep on moping?
Shall we dance and walk on air?
Shall we give in to despair?
Or shall we dance with never a care?
Life is short, we're growing older
Don't you be an also-ran
You'd better dance, little lady




Dance, little man
Dance whenever you can

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cassandra Wilson's "Shall We Dance?" are a gentle encouragement to stop being gloomy and enjoy life. The singer urges the listener to put on their dancing shoes, forget their sorrows and catch the rhythm of the music. The song highlights the transient nature of life and how every moment should be celebrated while it lasts. Rather than giving in to despair, Wilson implores the listener to dance with abandon, as much as possible.


The song's lyrics encourage people to develop a positive perspective, to see life as an opportunity to be happy and do whatever we want. These are positive and uplifting lyrics that teach the listener to embrace the joy of living. The lyrics also showcase the healing quality of music, and how it has the potential to lift the spirits of the listener. The upbeat sound of the music also reinforces the positive message of the lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

Drop that long face
Stop looking sad and downcast


Come on, have your fling
Let loose and enjoy yourself


Why keep nursing the blues?
Why dwell on negative thoughts and feelings?


If you want this old world on a string
If you want to feel like you have complete control over the world


Put on your dancing shoes
Get ready to dance and have fun


Stop wasting time
Quit procrastinating and start living life to the fullest


Watch your spirits climb
See your mood and energy improve


Shall we dance, or keep on moping?
Should we dance and be happy or continue to be depressed?


Shall we dance and walk on air?
Should we dance and feel elated?


Shall we give in to despair?
Should we succumb to hopelessness?


Or shall we dance with never a care?
Or should we dance without any worries?


Life is short, we're growing older
Life is brief and we are aging


Don't you be an also-ran
Don't be someone who follows the crowd without thinking for themselves


You'd better dance, little lady
It would be better for you to dance


Dance, little man
Dance with joy and enthusiasm, regardless of gender


Dance whenever you can
Take every opportunity to dance and enjoy life




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein Ii

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

reglagirl

Woke up this morning with this song on my mind, and after watching Yul and Deborah dance which was wonderful, btw, I was amazed at how few artists had recorded this.
I love this and Jody Sandhaus', and both were difficult to find for some reason.
I had forgotten what a fabulous musician and singer Cassandra is and I LOVE her note choices in her second pass through the melody here so most likely I'll be listening to this for DAYS as they say❤

Michael Hayes

I might actually learn to play music again just to play along with her recordings. That's called creating hope.

Willie Jordan

I love the arrangement of this tune and Cass sings it wonderfully.

reglagirl

She's a fantastic musician and has done interesting interviews.

working2hrd

Lovely song, She is fabulous !

Kimberly Murray

Improvisation is the greatest joy of jazz.

Raul Richards

So Cool and Sweet.♫♪♫ Music for The Heart & Soul. ♥

Alberta Alexandre

You give me hope that I can still dance

Petlito

On a bright cloud of music ... Nice.

KlukvaNju5555

ache voice.. await in Lviv from love

More Comments