Crazy Horse has also released 5 albums of its own. They have received inconsistent critical reaction, partially due to the band's frequent and radical lineup changes; though bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina appear on every album, few other musicians have appeared on more than one. The band's first and best-received self-titled album also featured Jack Nietzsche, Nils Lofgren, and Danny Whitten, who became the topic of various Neil Young songs after his heroin overdose in late 1972. On Crazy Horse's 1972 album, "Loose," they were all replaced with John Blanton, Greg Leroy, and George Whitsell, who was a member of Crazy Horse's predecessor The Rockets. Crazy Horse's third album also released in 1972, "At Crooked Lake," replaced those three with Rick and Mike Curtis.
Later that decade in 1978, Crazy Horse released another album under its own name entitled "Crazy Moon." This would feature, along with the steady Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina, some guest work by Neil Young and guitarist Frank Sampedro, who had joined the band in 1975 for Young's album "Zuma." This lineup would be used for many of Crazy Horse's albums with Neil Young through the rest of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. In the late 1980s, Young used Frank Sampedro in his R&B-styled Bluenotes backing band, but did not use Molina or Talbot as he thought their style was unfitting. Now without Sampedro, Crazy Horse recruited Sonny Mone and Matt Piucci for their most recent album, "Left For Dead," released 1989. Piucci would later play on Billy Talbot's 2006 solo release. The album's title track is a pointed remark about their frustrating relationship with Young in the late 1980s, and included a number of other references to Neil Young and his work.
Dance Dance Dance
Crazy Horse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had a rainbow on it
Used to think a cloud
Was a nightmare
That was up until
I first met you
Now I go around
Hoping you care
Dance, dance
Feel it all around you
Dance, dance, dance
Never thought love
Had a rainbow on it
See the girl dance
See the girl dance
Mississippi mud
Never touched her fingers
California sand
Lies in her hand
Love her more than life
As the daylight lingers
Early in the morning
I'll be her man
Dance, dance
Feel it all around you
Dance, dance, dance
Mississippi mud
Never touched her fingers
See the girl dance
See the girl dance
The lyrics of Crazy Horse's song Dance Dance Dance are about falling in love and experiencing a newfound sense of joy and happiness. The opening lines suggest that the singer never believed that love could be so pure and beautiful, with a "rainbow" shining down on it. He once looked at clouds and saw them as nightmares, until he met the person he's singing to. The recipient of his affections has changed his perspective on love and life in general.
The chorus of the song is an invitation to dance, emphasizing the idea that the joy of this newfound love should be celebrated and felt in the body. The second verse again references the beauty of the person he is singing to, describing their hands holding "California sand" and the singer loving them more than life itself.
The final lines again invite the listener to dance, this time referring to the idea of dancing on "Mississippi mud" which has "never touched" the object of affection. Throughout the song, there is a joyful and upbeat feeling that reflects the singer's newfound love.
Line by Line Meaning
Never thought love
The singer never believed love could be beautiful.
Had a rainbow on it
The singer now understands that love can have beauty and color.
Used to think a cloud
The singer used to believe anything could be a nightmare.
Was a nightmare
The artist defined clouds as nightmares in the past.
That was up until
The artist’s perspective changed when they met someone special.
I first met you
The singer met someone special and their perspective on love changed.
Now I go around
The singer now goes around with a hope of being loved in return.
Hoping you care
The artist hopes that their loved one cares for them.
Dance, dance
The artist is encouraging people to dance.
Feel it all around you
The artist wants the listeners to feel the music and experience joy that comes with it.
Never thought love
The singer is reinforcing the fact that love is beautiful.
Had a rainbow on it
The artist wants to emphasize the beauty of love.
See the girl dance
The singer is referring to a particular girl with happiness and enthusiasm.
See the girl dance
The singer is again referring to the same girl that he wanted people to see earlier in the song.
Mississippi mud
The singer is referring to a type of dirt that is common in the southern states of America.
Never touched her fingers
The artist is stating that the girl he is talking about has never been involved with any dirt or illegal activity.
California sand
The artist is referring to the sand in California beaches.
Lies in her hand
The girl is holding the sand from the beach in her hand, which the singer finds romantic.
Love her more than life
The singer loves the girl he is talking about more than anything else in the world.
As the daylight lingers
The artist is using sunset as a metaphor to indicate that his love for the girl will continue even as time passes.
Early in the morning
The artist wants to take care of the girl he loves, starting from the morning.
I'll be her man
The artist promises to take care of and support the girl he loves.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind