In 1972, the Stewart family (which consisted of his parents, Jermaine, his sisters Norma, Sondra, Leandra, and Leanna, and finally his brother Gene) moved to Chicago, Illinois. He took his first steps towards a career in entertainment there. Stints on both American Bandstand and later Soul Train as a dancer helped to fuel his ambition.
Soon, Jermaine became a backup singer and dancer for several artists such as The Chi-Lites, The Staple Singers and Shalamar while recording backup vocals for such artists as Culture Club. He was featured prominently on the group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers and as a result the group used their influence to help him land a solo recording deal with Arista Records.
The 1986 Frantic Romantic album with the hit single "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" quickly went on to become a million seller, and a second single, "Jody" was released, the inspiration of the song being Jody Watley of Shalamar. A modest success, "Jody" reached both the U.K. and U.S. top 50. Another U.K. only single "Don't Ever Leave Me" was released, reaching number 76 on the British charts. The song was a ballad, and indicative of Jermaine's versatility in any musical style.
Jermaine's third album was probably his most successful internationally. Entitled Say It Again, the production was handled largely by André Cymone who had previously worked with Prince and Jody Watley. The result was an almost flawless collection of pop and dance funk tracks, of which almost any song could have been a successful single.
Supported by international live dates with his band, "The Party", the title track became Jermaine's second U.S. top 40 Billboard hit and also reached the R&B top 10. In the U.K., it made it all the way to number 7, helping the album into the top 40.
The next three singles all received the remix treatment from the production company behind such hits as "You Spin Me Round" by Dead Or Alive and Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." "Get Lucky," "Don't Talk Dirty To Me" and "Is It Really Love" found considerable European success, particularly Germany, where "Don't Talk Dirty To Me" was one of the biggest selling records of 1988, making the top 5.
At this point, Jermaine was highly focused on the mainstream pop market. His fourth and final album under his contract with Arista Records, What Becomes a Legend Most?, was filled with radio friendly catchy pop tunes. The first single "Tren De Amor" reached number 76 in the UK charts, while the follow-up, "Every Woman Wants To," didn't fared as well, only making it to number 95. Commercial success eluded this album, and a label change followed.
In 1992, Jermaine teamed up with Chicago producer Jesse Saunders for his last recorded work, an album for Reprise Records. Entitled Set Me Free, the album marked a return to the dance funk style of Say It Again. The title track was released as a single in the U.S., but found little success. The album remains unreleased.
He died in 1997 of liver cancer, caused by AIDS. Ironically, his hit "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" gained popularity as it was referring to the AIDS scare of the 1980s. In 2003, the song was placed by VH1 in its 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders list.
In 2005, a compilation CD celebrating Jermaine's underrated contribution to '80s R&B which included several of his hits and a few previously unreleased tracks was released by BGF Records, an Ohio record label ran by Jermaine's brother.
Dance Floor
Jermaine Stewart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Dance)
Dance floor
Dance floor
I was took you into go
And you're the type that moves too slow
To the beat, anything you see
Upside down or on your knees
The choice is yours
And versatile, baby
Choose the place, go anywhere
Lollipop or Fred Astaire
Give me room
I need some space to move
If you get a bit confused
And have nothing else to do
Jermaine will tell you what to do
Choose your own
Dance floor
Dance floor
Yeah
Ah, yeah
Uh-huh
If you find a perfect place
On the roof on subway train
The choice is yours
Create a holiday
DJ play something right
Scratch my feet and mix my mind
It's time to go all the way tonight
Hurry up, make up your mind
All until the early light
Never stop
I found a place to be
Streak on earth has got to be
Well, get a blast on every street
Don't predact if you feel it's like you
Choose your own
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance, dance, dance
Dance, dance, dance
Dance floor
A roller side in too keep fit
Another way to move your hip
Cancel down
I've got so far to go
No closet to be locked in
The word is out
Don't tell your friends
It's time for the celebration
Choose your own
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
Dance floor
The lyrics to Jermaine Stewart's "Dance Floor" are a call to everyone to let loose and dance. The song is an invitation to join the party and choose your own adventure on the dance floor. The singer encourages the listener to follow his lead, to get on up and dance to the beat. The choice is yours, whether you want to dance upside down or on your knees. Whether you want to create a holiday on the rooftop or in a subway train, the choice is yours. The lyrics suggest that the dance floor is a place where you can be yourself and dance in any style you want.
In each verse, the singer talks about how he found his place on the dance floor and how he wants the listener to do the same. He tells the listener to make up their mind and not to stop until they dance until the early light. The song suggests that everyone can find their place on the dance floor, and there's no need to be locked in the closet. The lyrics are a call for freedom and fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance floor
The location where the dancing happens
I was took you into go
I took you along with me to the dance floor
And you're the type that moves too slow
You are not dancing fast enough and need to speed up
Get on up and follow next to me
Stand up and dance next to me
To the beat, anything you see
Dance to the rhythm of the music and be creative
Upside down or on your knees
Dance any way you want, even if it's unconventional
The choice is yours
You have the freedom to dance however you like
And versatile, baby
Be versatile in your dancing and try new moves
Choose the place, go anywhere
You can dance anywhere you want, even in unusual places
Lollipop or Fred Astaire
You can dance to any type of music, from pop to swing
Give me room
Make some space for me to dance
I need some space to move
I require some room to dance freely
If you get a bit confused
If you are unsure of what to do
And have nothing else to do
When you have no other activity to engage in
Jermaine will tell you what to do
I'll provide instructions on how to dance if you need them
Choose your own
Choose your own dancing style and preferences
If you find a perfect place
When you discover an ideal location to dance
On the roof on subway train
Even unconventional spaces like a roof or subway train can be suitable for dancing
Create a holiday
Make the dance floor an enjoyable and festive experience
DJ play something right
Ask the DJ to play music fitting for dancing
Scratch my feet and mix my mind
Let the music move and inspire you for an incredible dance experience
It's time to go all the way tonight
Tonight is the night to dance your heart out and have fun
Hurry up, make up your mind
Don't waste time, just start dancing and enjoying yourself
All until the early light
Dance all night until the early morning hours
Never stop
Don't stop dancing and having fun
I found a place to be
I discovered the perfect place for me to dance
Streak on earth has got to be
Dancing is one of the most enjoyable and pleasurable activities on earth
Well, get a blast on every street
Have an amazing time dancing anywhere you please
Don't predact if you feel it's like you
Don't hesitate to dance if you feel like it's what you want to do
A roller side in too keep fit
Roller skating is another way to stay fit while having fun
Another way to move your hip
Roller skating can help you move your hips while dancing
Cancel down
Relax and let loose
I've got so far to go
There's still a lot of dancing and enjoyment to be had
No closet to be locked in
There's no need to hide your passion for dancing
The word is out
Everyone knows that it's time to dance and have fun
Don't tell your friends
Just go and dance without informing anyone, if you wish
It's time for the celebration
It's time to celebrate with dancing
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JERMAINE STEWART, ROY CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind