See also Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band. Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band… Read Full Bio ↴See also Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band. Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band have been teaming up since 1982 to revive interest in traditional carols and hymns and 18th century drinking songs. The band and Maddy Prior of course have their own separate projects and only work together from time to time. See also Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band. For more information see this Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maddy_Prior).

My Dancing Day
Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day,
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
And call my true love to my dance.

Chorus:
Sing O my love, O my love, my love, my love
This have I done for my true love.

Then was I born of virgin pure,
Of her I took fleshly substance.
Thus was I knit to man's nature,
To call my true love to my dance.

Chorus

In manger laid and wrapped I was,
So very poor this was my chance,
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass,
To call my true love to my dance.

Chorus

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day,
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
And call my true love to my dance.

Chorus

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band's song "My Dancing Day" describe the anticipation of the singer for their true love to see their dance. The song refers to the singer's birth as a virgin pure, and how they took fleshly substance to be knit to man's nature, all in order to call their true love to their dance. The singer was born in a manger, wrapped in poor circumstances and between an ox and a silly poor ass.

These lyrics are a metaphor for the story of Jesus Christ's birth, presenting an allegory of Christ asking his true love, humanity, to participate in the dance of his life. The references to being born of a virgin, being laid in a manger and wrapped in poor circumstances, show a clear resemblance to the story of Christ's birth as presented in the Bible.

Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of the Christian faith's central tenets of love, sacrifice, humility and the power of music to bring us all together in the dance of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day,
I will showcase my dancing skills tomorrow

I would my true love did so chance
I wish my true love could witness it

To see the legend of my play,
To witness and admire my impressive performance

And call my true love to my dance.
To invite my true love to join me in the dance.

Sing O my love, O my love, my love, my love
Expressing my love in song

This have I done for my true love.
My dance is a dedication to my true love

Then was I born of virgin pure,
I was born from a pure virgin.

Of her I took fleshly substance.
I took physical form from her.

Thus was I knit to man's nature,
I became one with human nature.

To call my true love to my dance.
So I could invite my true love to dance with me.

In manger laid and wrapped I was,
I was laid and wrapped in a manger.