How many singer/songwriters can say that Elvis Presley recorde… Read Full Bio ↴Biography
How many singer/songwriters can say that Elvis Presley recorded one of their songs and has a co-write with Bob Dylan?
In 1972, the legendary Ahmet Ertegun signed Danny O'Keefe to Atlantic Records, then teamed him with the incomparable producer Arif Mardin, resulting in his top-five Billboard hit "Goodtime Charlie's Got the Blues." This was followed by the classic album Breezy Stories in 1973. Besides Elvis, many other artists including Jerry Lee Lewis; Willie Nelson; Chet Atkins; Waylon Jennings; Leon Russell; Charlie Rich; and Mel Torme went on to record this classic composition.
This tandem combined for three other D O'K classics during that decade: "Angel Spread Your Wings" also recorded by Judy Collins; "The Road" also recorded by Jackson Browne; and "Magdalena" also recorded by Donny Hathaway and Leo Sayer. These songs garnered heavy AM and FM airplay for Danny and were the building blocks for his distinguished performing and songwriting career.
Now, regarding the co-write with Bob Dylan: besides Danny's version, "Well, Well, Well" has been recorded by Mavis Staples; David Lindley; Maria Muldaur; The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Harper and by Bonnie Raitt on her VH1 special.
Other notable co-writes and covers of Danny's compositions include: "Quits," sung originally as a duet with Linda Ronstadt (Andy Williams; Chris Hillman and Gary Stewart); "Along for the Ride" (John Denver); "Souvenirs" (Jimmy Buffet); "Next To You" (Sheena Easton); "Never Got Off the Ground" (co-written with David Mallett and recorded by Alison Krauss and Molly O'Brien); "Into the West" (Tim O'Brien); "When You Come Back Down" (Nickel Creek and Tim O'Brien); and most recently, "Anywhere On Earth You Are" (Allan Jackson on his 2006 CD "Like Red On A Rose.")
Danny believes that music is a powerful means for sharing concern and motivating change on critical issues such as the preservation of "song" in the world. After becoming increasingly concerned with the decimation of songbirds and their habitat, Danny started The Songbird Foundation (www.songbird.org) which works with musical artists to publicize the issue of songbird species decline due to devastation of their habitat. Using his music to publicize and popularize the issue, Danny successfully encouraged other musicians to do the same. Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Jimmy Buffet, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nickel Creek, Jackson Browne and many others have responded by contributing public service announcements, perform benefit concerts and do their part to make audiences aware that to create a truly sustainable world requires changed patterns of consumption, especially with concern to aggressive sun-grown coffee in the rain forests of Latin America.
Danny's voice is a superb mixture blues and Americana; his songwriting speaks for itself.
Discography
1971 - Danny O'Keefe Cotillion Records
Produced by Ahmet Ertegun
1972 - O'Keefe Signpost/Atlantic
Produced by Arif Mardin
Contains the top-ten hit "Goodtime Charlie's Got the Blues"
1973 - Breezy Stories Atlantic Records
Produced by Arif Mardin
Contains the single "Angel Spread Your Wings"
1975 - So Long Harry Truman Atlantic Records
Produced by John Boylan
Contained the single "Quits"
1977 - American Roulette Warner Bros. Records
Produced by John Court and Kenny Vance
1979 - The Global Blues Warner Bros. Records
Produced by Jay Lewis and Danny O'Keefe
1984 - The Day To Day Coldwater Records
Produced by Mathew McCauley and Tony Peluso
Contained the singles "Along for the Ride" and "Someday"
Both singles charted in the "20's" in AC charts
1989 - Redux Beachwood/Chameleon Records
(this is a re-release of The Day To Day with a new title and two new songs)
Contained the singles "Along for the Ride" and "Someday"
Both singles charted on AOR charts in the 20's
VH1 played the video of "Along for the Ride"
2000 - Runnin' From the Devil Miramar
January 25th, 2000
2003 - "Don't Ask" w/Bill Braun
Produced by Bill Braun
All songs written and performed by Danny O'Keefe and Bill Braun
Come Dance With Me
Danny O'Keefe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby come and play with me
And stay with me a while
We'll take a subtle journey
To the Continent of Smile
We'll dance together (Come with me)
We'll dance together (Can't you see)
It's so warm
I know you're no fool
But it's so warm that it's cool
We'll go to where the Magic Circus
Flashes in our eyes
In a room that's overflowing with perfume
(It's just our sighs)
As we dance together (All the Way)
As we dance together (Let it fade away)
All things full of life and love
Like the sea must ebb and flow
I knew we both would come here
I know we both will go
But let's dance together (All the Way)
Let's dance together (Let it fade away)
Baby, come and dance with me
Entrance with me a while
In the land of the Midnight Dancers
On the Continent of Smile
We'll dance together (All the Way)
We'll dance together (Till it fades away)
It's so warm
I know you're no fool
But it's so warm that it's cool
The song 'Come Dance With Me' by Danny O'Keefe is a romantic and joyful ballad about a couple that is urged to enjoy each other's company and live in the moment. The singer invites his loved one to join him in a journey to the Continent of Smile, where they will dance together and let their worries fade away. The lyrics are an invitation to escape from the mundane routine of life and embrace the warmth, happiness, and pleasure that love and companionship can bring.
The first stanza of the song establishes the singer's invitation to his loved one to share a playful and subtle journey. He emphasizes that the journey will lead them to a happy place where they can dance together and enjoy each other's company. In the second stanza, the singer describes the magic of the Circus and the sensual atmosphere that surrounds them. The room is full of perfume, and he suggests that they are lost in each other's embrace.
In the third stanza, the singer acknowledges that everything in life must ebb and flow, and that their time together will eventually end. However, he urges his loved one to seize the moment and share a dance together until it fades away. The fourth and final stanza is a repetition of the invitation to dance, emphasizing that the Continent of Smile is a place where they can experience joy and delight together.
Overall, the lyrics of 'Come Dance With Me' are an invitation to live in the moment and embrace the joy and happiness that love can bring, even if it is only for a fleeting time.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby come and play with me
Invitation for someone to spend time together
And stay with me a while
Suggestion to stay together for a period of time
We'll take a subtle journey
We will go on a pleasant and delicate adventure
To the Continent of Smile
A place where happiness and joy are found
We'll dance together (Come with me)
Invitation to dance together
We'll dance together (Can't you see)
Suggestion to recognize the joy of dancing together
It's so warm
The atmosphere is pleasant
I know you're no fool
Acknowledgement of the other person being smart
But it's so warm that it's cool
The temperature is enjoyable as it is
We'll go to where the Magic Circus
We will visit a place where wonders happen
Flashes in our eyes
Something dramatic and enchanting will catch our attention
In a room that's overflowing with perfume
A space filled with sweet fragrance
(It's just our sighs)
The wonderful aroma is created by our own breathing
As we dance together (All the Way)
As we share this moment of dancing happily
As we dance together (Let it fade away)
Let this moment last as a sweet memory
All things full of life and love
Everything that embodies vitality and affection
Like the sea must ebb and flow
Just like the natural cycle of the tide
I knew we both would come here
Foreknowledge of being in this situation
I know we both will go
Acceptance that everything has an expiration
But let's dance together (All the Way)
Enjoy the moment and dance together happily
Let's dance together (Let it fade away)
Let this memory be cherished and last forever
Baby, come and dance with me
Invitation to share a romantic moment
Entrance with me a while
Spend some time being enchanted by each other
In the land of the Midnight Dancers
In a place of serenity
On the Continent of Smile
Where happiness can be found everywhere
We'll dance together (All the Way)
We will dance with joy together
We'll dance together (Till it fades away)
Dancing together until it becomes a sweet memory
It's so warm
This atmosphere is so inviting
I know you're no fool
Recognizing the intelligence of the other person
But it's so warm that it's cool
The pleasant environment is cool in its own intrinsic way
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Southern Style
on Shooting Star
Southern Style
I appreciate your posting the lyrics to this song, however I don't think the lyrics shown in the second verse were the lyrics penned by O'Keefe. I know every Lyric site shows it as presented here but as this is a song about unrequited love I feel it necessary to try to define the word "Electra"/"Elektra" which, at one point in time, referred to "pre-dawn"; Think sun rays coming over the horizon prior to sunrise. So what you have, in effect, is "morning waiting for Elektra but Elektra is mourning for the NIGHT". There is your unrequited love; Morning loves Elektra but Elektra loves Night.