Dancing in the Street
Martha Reeves/Vandellas Lyrics
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Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer's here and the time is right
For dancing in the street.
They're dancing in Chicago,
Down in New Orleans,
In New York City.
There'll be music everywhere.
There'll be swinging and swaying and records playing,
Dancing in the street.
Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear,
Just as long as you are there.
So come on, every guy, grab a girl.
Everywhere around the world
They'll be dancing.
They're dancing in the street.
It's an invitation across the nation,
A chance for folks to meet.
There'll be laughing, singing, and music swinging,
Dancing in the street.
Philadelphia, P.A.
Baltimore and D.C. now.
Can't forget the Motor City.
All we need is music, sweet music.
There'll be music everywhere.
There'll be swinging and swaying and records playing,
Dancing in the street.
Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear,
Just as long as you are there.
So come on, every guy, grab a girl.
Everywhere around the world
They're dancing.
They're dancing in the street.
Way down in L.A. ev'ry day,
They're dancing in the street.
(Dancing in the street.)
Let's form a big, strong line, get in time,
We're dancing in the street.
(Dancing in the street.)
Across the ocean blue, me and you,
We're dancing in the street.
Martha Reeves's song "Dancing In The Street" was released in 1964 and instantly became a hit. It's an upbeat, energetic dance song that invites people from all over the world to come together and dance with joy. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, emphasizing the universality of dancing and music. The opening lines "Calling out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?" convey the excitement and anticipation that people feel about dancing to a new, groovy beat. The chorus, "All we need is music, sweet music. There'll be music everywhere. They'll be swinging and swaying and records playing, dancing in the street," reinforces this message and encourages people to come together and celebrate life through music and dance.
Throughout the lyrics, Reeves mentions various cities where people are dancing in the streets, including Chicago, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C., and L.A. The song highlights the unity and joy that music can bring to people from different backgrounds and cities, and emphasizes that the only requirement for joining in the fun is a love for music and dance. The upbeat energy and positivity of "Dancing In The Street" continues to resonate with people today, making it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Calling out around the world,
Making a proclamation to people globally,
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Do you have the eagerness for a fresh rhythm?
Summer's here and the time is right
It's summertime and favorable
For dancing in the street.
To dance outside is the perfect idea
They're dancing in Chicago,
In Chicago, they're dancing
Down in New Orleans,
In New Orleans, they are enjoying
In New York City.
They're having a blast in New York City
All we need is music, sweet music.
All we require is music, pleasant music.
There'll be music everywhere.
Music will be present in all locations.
There'll be swinging and swaying and records playing,
People will move rhythmically and songs will play.
Dancing in the street.
Dancing on the roads.
Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear,
Your attire isn't important
Just as long as you are there.
As long as you take part
So come on, every guy, grab a girl.
All males, get a female!
Everywhere around the world
In all corners of the globe
They'll be dancing.
People will be dancing.
It's an invitation across the nation,
It's a request spanning the country,
A chance for folks to meet.
A prospect to socialize.
There'll be laughing, singing, and music swinging,
People will be laughing, singing, and dancing.
Dancing in the street.
Dancing outdoors.
Philadelphia, P.A.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Baltimore and D.C. now.
Baltimore and Washington D.C., presently
Can't forget the Motor City.
Don't overlook the Motor City-Detroit.
Way down in L.A. ev'ry day,
All the time in Los Angeles
They're dancing in the street.
They are dancing outside.
(Dancing in the street.)
Dancing on the roads.
Let's form a big, strong line, get in time,
Formation of a massive, robust queue, in sync.
We're dancing in the street.
Too, we're dancing outside.
(Dancing in the street.)
(Dancing on the roads.)
Across the ocean blue, me and you,
You and me over the blue sea
We're dancing in the street.
The two of us are dancing outside.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, Ivy Hunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy
They were literally singing for our civil rights. ❤️
@debcrockett366
I think they were singing about freedom in America & fun in the Summertime..NO POLITICS!
@danf321
There is someone to politically charge every subject.
@lexluger3490
Lol, it's literally what they were singing about. The song was a euphemism for civil rights rallies happening at the time. 😅 Almost 60 years later and most people are still clueless. America treated black Americans like shit for a very long time, face it, it did happened. Want to fix it? Then fix it. It's not political, it's factual.
@cressapellom4205
@@debcrockett366uh no. It was about civil rights. A simple Google search will tell you that.
@ericafair9983
Now, we can literally let that go because whispers we's free now. 😮
@DudemeisterNL
I absolute love that the timeline I live in has given us Motown!
@hansg6336
It's hard to exaggerate how much influence the Motown sound has had on American pop music. Great stuff to listen to a thousand years from now.
@nickwride2023
The Motown Sound will live for a long time.
@cleaningtim
I could not agree more!