Dancing In The Streets
Martha The Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 (dancing in the street)
Down in New Orleans (dancing in the street)
In New York City (dancing in the street)
There'll be music everywhere (everywhere)
There'll be swinging, 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 (dancing in the street)
They're dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
This is an invitation across the nation
A chance for folks to meet
There'll be laughing, singing, and music swinging
Dancing in the street
Philadelphia, PA (dancing in the street)
Baltimore and D.C., now (dancing in the street)
Can't forget the Motor City (dancing in the street)
All we need is music, sweet music (sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet music)
There'll be music everywhere (everywhere)
There'll be swinging, swaying (swaying)
And records playing (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 (dancing in the street)
Way down in L.A. (dancing in the street)
Every day, they're dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
Let's form a big, strong line (dancing in the street)
Get in time, we're dancing in the street (dancing in the street)
Across the ocean blue (dancing in the street)
Me and you, we're dancing in the street
Martha and the Vandellas' song "Dancing in the Street" is an upbeat and infectious Motown classic celebrating the joy of dancing and the universality of music. The song opens with an iconic call to action, "calling out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?" and then proceeds to list various cities where people are dancing and having a good time, including New York City, Chicago, and New Orleans. The song's central message is that music has the power to bring people together regardless of their backgrounds, and dancing is a universal form of expression that can bridge cultural divides.
The song's lyrics also convey a sense of excitement and urgency, urging everyone to join in the celebration and dance together. The chorus repeats the phrase "they're dancing in the street" multiple times, emphasizing the universality of the experience and creating a sense of community and togetherness among the listeners. The song's upbeat tempo, catchy melody, and positive message make it an enduring classic that continues to be loved and celebrated today.
Line by Line Meaning
Calling out around the world,
It's a call to everyone around the world to come together.
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Asks if everyone is ready to dance to a new type of music.
Summer's here and the time is right
For dancing in the street.
Summer is the perfect time to dance outside in the streets.
They're dancing in Chicago,
Down in New Orleans,
In New York City.
People are dancing in cities all over the United States.
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.
All that is needed to dance in the street is music; everyone will swing and sway to the beat of the music.
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.
It doesn't matter what clothes you wear as long as you come and dance. Men should ask women to be their dance partners, and everyone around the world will dance.
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.
The song is an invitation for everyone to come and dance together; it's also an opportunity to meet new people while having fun dancing in the streets.
Philadelphia, P.A.
Baltimore and D.C. now.
Can't forget the Motor City.
The song mentions different cities in the United States where people are dancing.
Way down in L.A. ev'ry day,
They're dancing in the street.
(Dancing in the street.)
Even in Los Angeles, people are dancing in the streets every day.
Let's form a big, strong line, get in time,
We're dancing in the street.
(Dancing in the street.)
Let's come together to form a large group to dance in sync in the streets.
Across the ocean blue, me and you,
We're dancing in the street.
Even across the ocean, you and I can dance together in the streets.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, 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!