The songs of the project God Help the Girl belong to the genre of indie pop and resemble the other output of Belle & Sebastian in tone – two songs (Funny Little Frog and Act of the Apostle) were taken directly from the earlier repertory of this group. However, contrary to the earlier work of Belle & Sebastian – a group dominated by male performers, female vocalists (who are not members of the group) play the main role in the project. The songs themselves also tell about the problems of young girls entering adult life.
I'll Have to Dance With Cassie
God Help the Girl Lyrics
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The boys are dressed up fine
Think I'll wait 'till half past eight
To dress myself divine
Ten thirty, I'm in rags
A slutty look accompanies my questionable gaze
Through the strobe light and the haze
Why must I beg for a drink?
Too verbose
You come too close, Sir
Please step back and think
That's the trouble
Flesh attracts the leery look
Rarely does the dream boy come along
He don't exist
A lover with the candour of a friend
I run away
They're playing a decent song at last
I think I'll have to dance with Cassie
'Cause the dream boy never asked
Shuffle to the left
I kick the boy behind to make a little room
Boogie to the right
Cassie dances madly like a boxing kangaroo
Her little Joey buys the drinks
He's in love more than he thinks
They know the dance too well
The bodies heavenly
Move around the autumn sky
With measured dignity
But my Venus and my Mars
Are set to flash
The lover will lay down his sword and swear
He don't exist
A brother to me when the chips were down
I run away
They're playing a decent song at last
I think I'll have to dance with Cassie
'Cause the dream boy never asked
Shuffle to the left
I kick the boy behind to make a little room
Boogie to the right
Cassie dances madly like a boxing kangaroo
Spinnin' on the spot
Hell do I care what I look like when I feel this good
I'll keep on dancing
I'll keep on dancing
I'll keep on dancing
I'll keep on dancing
I'll keep on dancing
The song "I'll Have to Dance With Cassie" by God Help the Girl tells the story of a girl who is out on a Saturday night, waiting for someone special to approach her for a dance. She dresses up and gets ready but is disappointed when no one pays attention to her. She is approached by several men, but they only want to buy her drinks and are not interested in a real connection. She describes them as leery and politely asks them to step back. Eventually, she decides to dance with her friend Cassie who always dances madly and brings joy to her.
The first two stanzas describe the girl's anticipation and feelings of inadequacy. She is impatiently waiting for someone to come along to dance with her, but as the night goes on, she becomes more desperate and increasingly feels like she is not attractive enough. She comments on how the boys around her all look amazing in their outfits, while she feels like a mess in rags. The singer attempts to make herself more attractive with a slutty look and a questionable gaze, but in the end, she still feels like she does not measure up to the other girls in the club.
In the third stanza, she talks about how she wants a real connection with someone but keeps running into men who only want to use her for her body. She describes how flesh attracts the leery look, meaning that the only attention she receives is from men who are only interested in her physical appearance. She longs for someone who will treat her like a friend while also being a lover but has never found someone like this. She comments on how the dream boy, someone who would fit this description, does not exist.
The chorus of the song, "I think I'll have to dance with Cassie because the dream boy never asked," conveys the girl's feeling of resignation. She decides to dance with her female friend because the dream boy never showed up, and she doesn't want to be alone on the dance floor. Cassie dances madly, and the singer enjoys herself, despite feeling like a boxing kangaroo. She finds happiness in her friendship and in the act of dancing, and decides to keep dancing despite not finding the love she was looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
Just another Saturday
It's a typical Saturday
The boys are dressed up fine
The male party-goers look good
Think I'll wait 'till half past eight
She will wait until 8:30 PM to get dressed
To dress myself divine
To dress herself up in a divine way
Ten thirty, I'm in rags
She's now dressed poorly by 10:30 PM
A slutty look accompanies my questionable gaze
She looks promiscuous and unclear
Through the strobe light and the haze
Seeing through the flashing lights and smoke
Take an interest in me
Show her attention
Why must I beg for a drink?
Why does she have to ask for a drink?
Too verbose
Speaking too much
You come too close, Sir
He's invading her personal space
Please step back and think
Asking him to reconsider his actions
That's the trouble
The issue is
Flesh attracts the leery look
Physical appearance catches unwanted attention
Rarely does the dream boy come along
It's rare to meet an ideal partner
He don't exist
An ideal partner doesn't exist
A lover with the candour of a friend
Desiring a partner with the honesty and openness of a friend
I run away
She leaves the area
They're playing a decent song at last
The music becomes better
I think I'll have to dance with Cassie
She'll dance with her friend Cassie
'Cause the dream boy never asked
Because the ideal partner never asked her to dance
Shuffle to the left
Moving to the left slightly
I kick the boy behind to make a little room
She kicks someone to make more space
Boogie to the right
Dancing to the right
Cassie dances madly like a boxing kangaroo
Cassie is dancing wildly, like a boxing kangaroo
Her little Joey buys the drinks
Her friend's little Joey is buying the drinks
He's in love more than he thinks
He may be more in love than he realizes
They know the dance too well
The others are very familiar with the dance
The bodies heavenly
The bodies look amazing
Move around the autumn sky
They dance in a way that resembles autumn sky movement
With measured dignity
They dance with grace
But my Venus and my Mars
Her ideals of love and desire
Are set to flash
Her hopes and dreams are ready to come alive
The lover will lay down his sword and swear
A true partner will declare love and commitment
A brother to me when the chips were down
Someone who acted like a brother when she was in trouble
Spinnin' on the spot
Dancing in one spot, spinning around
Hell do I care what I look like when I feel this good
She doesn't care about her appearance when she feels this happy
I'll keep on dancing
She'll continue dancing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STUART MURDOCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind