Chris joined the "Snowflakes", a vocal group of Claude Thornhill's band, and moved on to become Stan Kenton's lead singer. She recorded for Bethlehem records originally and then began a long association with Atlantic records. Her trademark songs are well known to most people familiar with jazz of the 50s and 60s; among them are "Lullaby of Birdland" and "All about Ronnie."
More-complete bio and discography: http://www.mrlucky.com/songbirds/html/jul99/c_cconnor.html
A good obituary can be found on http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/sep/02/chris-connor-obituary
Ten Cents A Dance
Chris Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
gee that Palace is cheap;
When I get back to my chilly hall room
I'm much too tired to sleep.
I'm one of those lady teachers,
a beautiful hostess, you know,
the kind the Palace features
for only a dime a throw.
Ten cents a dance
that's what they pay me,
gosh, how they weigh me down!
Ten cents a dance
pansies and rough guys,
tough guys who tear my gown!
Seven to midnight I hear drums.
Loudly the saxophone blows.
Trumpets are tearing my eardrums.
Customers crush my toes.
Sometime I think
I've found my hero,
but it's a queer romance.
All that you need is a ticket,
Come on, big boy, ten cents a dance.
Fighters and sailors and bowlegged tailors
can pay for their ticket and rent me!
Butchers and barbers and rats from the harbors
are sweethearts my good luck has sent me.
Though I've a chorus of elderly beaux,
stockings are porous with holes at the toes.
I'm here till closing time,
Dance and be merry, it's only a dime.
Sometime I think
I've found my hero,
But it's a queer romance.
All that you need is a ticket.
Come on, big boy, ten cents a dance.
The song "Ten Cents a Dance" by Chris Connor is a poignant and melancholic piece about the life of an exhausted and overworked cabaret dancer who is forced to dance with strange men for just ten cents. The singer in the song is a beautiful hostess at Palace Ballroom which pays her a pittance. The Palace is cheap, and it takes a toll on her. She returns to her hall room with the chill in the air and is too tired to sleep. She is just one of the lady teachers who are the Palace's featured performers. The men pay her a dime a throw to dance with her, and she calls it a queer romance.
As the night progresses, the music gets louder, and the customers get rowdier. Musicians bang their Trumpets and saxophones, filling her eardrums with loud noise while customers crush her toes. Despite this, there are moments when she thinks she's found her hero for life, probably out of desperation or longing for a better life. Still, she acknowledges the fleeting nature of her encounters with these men who can only offer her a dime for a dance. The song portrays the difficult and impoverished life of many people who work in the entertainment industry and their struggles to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
I work at the Palace Ballroom, but, gee that Palace is cheap;
Though I work at the Palace Ballroom, I find it to be very cheap and unworthy of its name.
When I get back to my chilly hall room I'm much too tired to sleep.
After working at the ballroom, I am exhausted and cannot sleep despite the cold temperature of my hall room.
I'm one of those lady teachers, a beautiful hostess, you know, the kind the Palace features for only a dime a throw.
I am a lady teacher and a beautiful hostess, hired by the Palace to entertain customers for only ten cents per dance.
Ten cents a dance that's what they pay me, gosh, how they weigh me down!
I am paid only ten cents per dance, which is a burden on me both financially and physically.
Ten cents a dance pansies and rough guys, tough guys who tear my gown!
The customers who pay me for dancing are of all kinds, including gentle and rough men, some of whom may even cause damage to my dress during the dance.
Seven to midnight I hear drums. Loudly the saxophone blows.
From seven in the evening until midnight, I hear the loud sound of drums and saxophones.
Trumpets are tearing my eardrums. Customers crush my toes.
Not only do the trumpets cause discomfort to my ears, but the customers also unintentionally hurt my feet by stepping on them.
Sometime I think I've found my hero, but it's a queer romance.
Sometimes, I feel like I have found my true love, but since it occurs at a place like this and for the job I do, it is considered an unusual romance.
All that you need is a ticket, Come on, big boy, ten cents a dance.
All a customer needs to have a dance with me is a ticket costing only ten cents, which I encourage them to buy.
Fighters and sailors and bowlegged tailors can pay for their ticket and rent me!
Customers who are fighters, sailors, or bowlegged tailors can purchase a ticket and have a dance with me.
Butchers and barbers and rats from the harbors are sweethearts my good luck has sent me.
Even customers who work as butchers, barbers, or rats in the harbors can become sweethearts to me through mere chance.
Though I've a chorus of elderly beaux, stockings are porous with holes at the toes.
Despite having a group of elderly admirers, my stockings are poor in quality and have holes in the toes.
I'm here till closing time. Dance and be merry, it's only a dime.
I will be working there until the ballroom closes, so the customers should feel free to dance and have a good time since it only costs a dime.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
laurie winestock
I love Chris Conner, and this is one of her most amazing performances!!! thanks so much for uploading this obscure live performance....she is so alive and expressive here - yet velvety, jazzy, and cool. A great old Rogers and Hart tune.