Change Partners
Harry Connick Jr. Lyrics


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Must you dance every dance
With the same fortunate man
You have danced with him since the music began
Why don't you change partners and dance with me

Must you stand quite so close
With your lips touching his face
Can't you see I'm longing to be in his place
Why don't you change partners and dance with me

Ask him to sit this one out
And while you're alone
I'll tell the waiter to tell him
He's wanted on the telephone

You've been locked in his arms
Ever since heaven knows when




Why don't you change partners and then
You may never want to change partners again

Overall Meaning

The song "Change Partners" by Harry Connick Jr. is a plea by a man who is in love with a woman but feels frustrated that she only ever dances with one man. Throughout the song, the singer implores the woman to dance with him instead, suggesting that she should take a chance and try something new. The first verse asks why the woman only dances with one man and suggests that she should broaden her horizons by dancing with the singer. In the second verse, the singer laments that the woman is standing too close to her current partner and suggests that he wants to be in the other man's place.


These lyrics are a metaphor for taking risks in relationships and embracing change. The singer is essentially asking the woman to step outside her comfort zone and try something different. The bridge of the song includes the suggestion that the woman ask her current partner to sit out a dance, which would give her an opportunity to dance with the singer. Finally, the last line of the song suggests that the woman may find that she never wants to dance with her old partner again.


In conclusion, "Change Partners" is a song that encourages people to take risks in their relationships and try new things. The lyrics explore the idea that sometimes people get stuck in comfortable patterns and need to step outside their comfort zones in order to find true happiness.


Line by Line Meaning

Must you dance every dance
Do you have to dance with the same person for every dance


With the same fortunate man
Do you have to dance with that guy that you've been dancing with all night


You have danced with him since the music began
You've been dancing with him since the start of the music


Why don't you change partners and dance with me
Why not dance with me instead and switch things up


Must you stand quite so close
Do you have to stand that close to him


With your lips touching his face
Your face is so close to his that your lips are touching


Can't you see I'm longing to be in his place
I really want to be the one close to you and dancing with you


Ask him to sit this one out
Tell him to skip this dance


And while you're alone
When you're free of him


I'll tell the waiter to tell him
I'll ask the waiter to pass on a message to him


He's wanted on the telephone
Saying that he needs to make a phone call or something


You've been locked in his arms
You've been in his embrace for the entire night


Ever since heaven knows when
For as long as anyone can remember


Why don't you change partners and then
Why not try dancing with someone else instead


You may never want to change partners again
You might like it so much that you don't want to dance with anyone else besides me




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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