No Dancing
Elvis Costello & Clover Lyrics
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Like many girls have done so many times before
Time and time again
But he's so strange, I don't know why
But somebody, somebody has to cry
There's gonna be no dancing when they get home
There's gonna be no dancing
There's gonna be no dancing when they get home
Now he's telling her every little thing he's done
Once he glanced at the jackets of some paperbacks
Now he's read every one
He's such a drag (he's such a drag)
He's not insane (he's not insane)
It's just that everybody has to feel his pain
There's gonna be no dancing when they get home
He's getting down on his knees
He finds that her brother's not so easy to please, oh, oh
After all, his nights were just a paper striptease
She's caught it like some disease
If he says "No dancing"
There's gonna be no dancing
There's gonna be no dancing on my own
She can't even speak to him, he can't face her now
He says, "Even though I want to shake your hand
All I ever do is bow
So now do you see, how can it be?
Why can't you give me anythin' but sympathy?"
There's gonna be no dancing
There's gonna be no dancing
There's gonna be no dancing
There's gonna be no dancing
There's gonna be no dancing on my own
The lyrics of No Dancing by Elvis Costello narrate the story of a man who has been played by a girl, just like many men have been played by women before him. The singer paints the picture of this man who is very strange and one no one seems to understand. The man is obsessed with the girl and wants her to feel his pain.
The song takes a shift as the man realizes that he cannot face the girl and the only thing left for him to do is to bow. Therefore, there will be no dancing when they get home. This line could be interpreted in various ways. It could mean that there will be no physical intimacy between them or that there will be no happiness in the house. Moreover, the man's strange behavior is making the girl uncomfortable around him, and she can't even speak to him.
The song is a story of love, obsession, and heartbreak. It draws parallels between the singer and the singer of the song, where we get to understand that love could lead to a lot of pain and misery.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I know that she has made a fool of him
I am aware that the girl has embarrassed the boy
Like many girls have done so many times before
Just like countless other girls have done in the past
Time and time again
Repeatedly
But he's so strange, I don't know why
He's odd, and I am unsure of the reason
But somebody, somebody has to cry
But inevitably, someone has to cry
There's gonna be no dancing when they get home
They won't be dancing once they arrive home
Now he's telling her every little thing he's done
He's sharing every detail of his life with her
Once he glanced at the jackets of some paperbacks
There was a time when he casually looked at book covers
Now he's read every one
Now he has read them all
He's such a drag (he's such a drag)
He's uninteresting and tedious
He's not insane (he's not insane)
He's not crazy
It's just that everybody has to feel his pain
However, he insists that others understand his pain
There's gonna be no dancing when they get home
They won't be dancing once they arrive home
He's getting down on his knees
He's kneeling
He finds that her brother's not so easy to please, oh, oh
He discovers that her brother is difficult to please
After all, his nights were just a paper striptease
His evenings were unfulfilling
She's caught it like some disease
It's as if she's caught an illness
If he says "No dancing"
If he forbids dancing
There's gonna be no dancing
There won't be any dancing
There's gonna be no dancing on my own
I won't be dancing by myself
She can't even speak to him, he can't face her now
She's unable to communicate with him, and he avoids her
He says, "Even though I want to shake your hand
He says, "Although I want to greet you
All I ever do is bow
Instead, I always bow
So now do you see, how can it be?
Do you understand now why it's impossible?
Why can't you give me anythin' but sympathy?"
Why can't you provide me with anything except pity?
There's gonna be no dancing
There won't be any dancing
There's gonna be no dancing
There won't be any dancing
There's gonna be no dancing
There won't be any dancing
There's gonna be no dancing
There won't be any dancing
There's gonna be no dancing on my own
I won't be dancing by myself
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Malcolm Nicoll
This is the perfect venue for an Elvis Costello concert. Have seen Robyn Hitchcock play here and it was awesome.
77hodag
I REALLY wish I could have been there!