I Won't Dance
Jerome Kern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't dance, don't ask me.
I won't dance, madame, with you.
My heart won't let me do things they should do.
You know what? You're lovely.
[She]And so what? I'm lovely.
[He] But, oh what you do to me.
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore;
[She]When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle,
'Specially when you do the Continental.
[He] But this feeling isn't purely mental,
For heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos.
And that's why I won't dance, why should I?
I won't dance, how could I?
I won't dance. Merci beaucoup.
I know that music leads the way to romance,
So if I hold you in my arms, I won't dance.
The lyrics of Jerome Kern's song I Won't Dance are an interesting blend of seduction and resistance. The male character is the one resisting the advances of the female character, claiming that he won't dance with her, despite her attractiveness. However, it becomes clear that he is not resisting her as much as he's trying to resist his own attraction towards her. He claims that his heart won't let him do things he should do, indicating that he knows he's fighting a losing battle, but nonetheless tries to maintain some control over the situation.
The female character responds assertively, claiming that her attractiveness is not enough to seduce him, and suggests that there must be something deeper that's drawing him to her. The male character admits that indeed there is, and that he's like an ocean wave that's been bumped on the shore, indicating that he's overwhelmed by his feelings for her. The female character points out that he's charming and gentle when he dances, and he admits that his feelings for her go beyond just mental attraction.
The song thus becomes a dance of seduction and resistance, with the male character trying to maintain some distance from the female character, even as he's deeply drawn to her. The lyrics are cleverly written to convey a sense of tension and playful banter between the two characters, making the song a classic in the genre of musical love songs.
Line by Line Meaning
I won't dance, don't ask me.
I refuse to dance, please don't request me to.
I won't dance, madame, with you.
I won't dance with you, though you are a lady.
My heart won't let me do things they should do.
My emotions stop me from doing what I should.
You know what? You're lovely.
You are gorgeous, it's a fact.
And so what? I'm lovely.
Yes, I am beautiful, but why does that matter?
But, oh what you do to me.
You have a profound effect on me.
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore;
I feel like an ocean wave that crashed on the beach;
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor.
I am entirely bewildered and don't know how to proceed.
When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle,
When you dance, you're enchanting and convivial,
'Specially when you do the Continental.
Especially when you perform the Continental.
But this feeling isn't purely mental,
This feeling isn't just in my head,
For heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos.
I'm not fireproof, so I'm vulnerable to your allure.
And that's why I won't dance, why should I?
That's why I refuse to dance, why should I give in?
I won't dance, how could I?
I can't dance, how could I?
I won't dance. Merci beaucoup.
I won't dance. Thank you very much.
I know that music leads the way to romance,
I understand that music paves the path to love,
So if I hold you in my arms, I won't dance.
Therefore, if I hold you in my embrace, I won't dance.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern, Jimmy Mc Hugh, Oscar Hammerstein Ii, Otto Harbach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hello goodbye
I love that Voces8 is also incorporating vocal jazz into their repertoire. They're so amazing!!!
TheDougTube
Well this is a little different for VOCES8 .... and I LOVE it!! So versatile and multi-talented. Everything you do turns out so magnificent.
L P
Bravo Voces8-so entertaining! I'm smiling non stop through the whole video-great to see you let your stage acting skills fly!
Nara Duncan
Delighted to see Euan featured! Andrea is wonderful as always. Your modern stuff is wonderful- and shows off your incredible versiti;ity. Bravo!
Brian Crowle
Wonderful to see and hear this much anticipated video. Spectacular all round - it exceeds my wildest expectations. Euan and Andrea are just superb.
I'd just like to compliment the arranger and choreographer - there are so many different layers to this performance, I'm looking forward to watching and listening a few more times to get it all.
Richard Forshaw
The vocal mastery is superb! There are many close harmony groups past and present but Voces8 supersedes them all.
It takes real skill to harmonise with perfect tuning.
Bravo!
JS GuitarGeek
Exactly what I was thinking
SteveL2012
Utterly charming and sung as usual with the pristine vocal standards established by Voces8. The choreography is humorous and cute, if slightly over the top. :) But I just love this group so much, I can find no fault. Fantastic arrangement too!
David Frech
Sung with style, flair and as always, the Voces8 top notch musicality! So enjoyable.
Shilliam Wakespeare
Love this song. I'm a big Sinatra fan, so this is approved. More of my gen z brothers and sisters need to hear music like this