Fred Astaire (1899-1987) was an American dancer and singer famous for his n… Read Full Bio ↴Fred Astaire (1899-1987) was an American dancer and singer famous for his numerous appearances in the 1920s and 1930s in Vaudeville, on Broadway and on the London stage with sister Adele Astaire; in musical films between the 1930s and 1960s; and on American TV in the 1950s and beyond. Although he teamed with many dancers, including Gene Kelly, his best known screen pairing was with Ginger Rogers, with whom he appeared in 10 films. He continued to act in non-dancing roles in films and TV in the 1960s through 1980s.

In part because of his expressive phrasing and graceful interpretation, Astaire was chosen to introduce many now-classic songs, including standards by Cole Porter (example, "Night and Day"), his friend Irving Berlin ("Let's Face the Music and Dance"), Jerome Kern ("The Way You Look Tonight"), Johnny Mercer ("One for My Baby") and George and Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take That Away from Me").

Fred Astaire is interred at Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, California, USA, the same cemetery where Ginger Rogers, is located. (http://encyclopaediaoftrivia.blogspot.com/2011/09/fred-astaire.html)

A Couple Of Song And Dance Men
Fred Astaire Lyrics

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In us you see a couple of song and dance men
I'm the song
I'm the dance

For laughter, joy and happiness, we're advance men
With a song
And a dance

I sing for my supper
I dance for my lunch
I croon when the landlord comes around

For miles around the women and children pass out cold
When my voice hits the air
And my feet hit the ground

Last night
Out in the moonlight
I came to serenade
A very pretty maid
I sang her to sleep with "Asleep in the Deep"
That always makes them collapse
I saw her eyes close, then she started to doze
But she arose when I sounded taps

Which goes to show what women will do when we're around

And my voice hits the air
And my feet hit the ground

Overall Meaning

The song, "A Couple of Song and Dance Men" is a classic Fred Astaire number that portrays two performers who work to spread laughter, joy, and happiness through their music and dance. The lyrics are sung by Astaire and his partner as they introduce themselves to the audience. Astaire takes on the role of the "song” while his partner is the "dance." Astaire talks about how they sing for their supper and dance for their lunch, which alludes to the hard work and dedication that goes into making it as a performer.

The song takes a humorous turn when Astaire describes how his voice and feet have the power to make women and children pass out cold. He even describes a scenario where he was serenading a beautiful woman with the song "Asleep in the Deep," and she ended up falling asleep. But, when he sounded taps, she woke up. The song is meant to showcase Astaire and his partner's charm and wit along with their musical and dancing talents.

Overall, "A Couple of Song and Dance Men" is an ode to the work that goes into being a performer and the joy that they can bring to the audience. It also speaks to the power of music and dance to create happiness and laughter in the world.

Line by Line Meaning

In us you see a couple of song and dance men
We are talented performers who excel in both singing and dancing.

I'm the song
I specialize in singing and have a great voice to entertain people.

I'm the dance
I'm an expert in dancing and can make people happy by my moves.

For laughter, joy and happiness, we're advance men
We are entertainers who spread laughter, joy and happiness wherever we go.

With a song
We use our singing talent to entertain people and make them happy.

And a dance
We use our dancing skills to make people happy and have fun.

I sing for my supper
I earn my livelihood by singing and entertaining people.

I dance for my lunch
I perform dance shows to earn my meals and make people happy.

I croon when the landlord comes around
I sing softly to please my landlord and keep him happy so that he doesn't evict me for non-payment of rent.

For miles around the women and children pass out cold
Our singing and dancing skills are so mesmerizing that women and children who hear and see us performing faint out of excitement.

When my voice hits the air
Our singing is so melodious that it touches people's hearts and fills the air with magic.

And my feet hit the ground
Our dancing is so skillful and graceful that people can't help but admire our moves.

Last night
On a previous occasion

Out in the moonlight
Under the light of the moon

I came to serenade
I visited to sing songs for someone's amusement or admiration.

A very pretty maid
A very beautiful girl

I sang her to sleep with "Asleep in the Deep"
I sang the song "Asleep in the Deep" to make her fall asleep.

That always makes them collapse
That song is so soothing and calming that it makes people fall asleep.

I saw her eyes close, then she started to doze
I saw her eyes close as she started to fall asleep.

But she arose when I sounded taps
She woke up when I played the sound of taps on my trumpet, which marks the end of a day’s activities in the military.

Which goes to show what women will do when we're around
This incident is a testament to the fact that women are easily affected by our presence, singing and dancing.

Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: I. BERLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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