After graduating from high school in 1967, she worked as a secretary and performed part-time as a singer for a local folk band called Sweet Rain. Her singing caught the attention of Russ Regan (then head of 20th Century Records) in 1972 when he heard a demo she had recorded. At the time, Regan was searching for a singer to record "The Morning After" (the theme from The Poseidon Adventure) for release as a record. He hired McGovern sight unseen to record the song, which led to her signing with 20th Century Records. After it won an Oscar for Best Original Song, "The Morning After" quickly climbed the pop charts, reaching #1 in 1973.
In 1974, she recorded two movie themes: "We May Never Love Like This Again" (from the disaster film The Towering Inferno, in which she made a short appearance when she is seen singing the song as the evening's entertainment) and "Wherever Love Takes Me" (from the British disaster film Gold). The former won an Oscar (though it was only a minor pop hit), and the latter received an Oscar nomination. These two songs (along with "The Morning After") led the media to call McGovern "the Disaster Theme Queen."
McGovern's contract with 20th Century ended in 1976. By this time, her career went downhill and she ended up broke, due to being cheated out of her earnings by her managers and producers. To begin her life over again, she moved to Marina del Rey and took a secretarial job under an assumed name. However, she was still in demand occasionally for international live concerts. Her career made a turn for the better when she was asked to record a version of "Can You Read My Mind," the love theme from 1978's Superman, which was not recorded for the film. The single achieved minor success on the Pop charts. Toward the end of the decade, she recorded "Different Worlds," the theme from a short-lived TV sitcom entitled Angie. The song was her only other Top 40 single aside from "The Morning After," reaching #18 on the Pop charts in 1979 and also spending two weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In 1980, she made a cameo appearance as the singing nun, Sister Angelina, in the comedy-disaster movie Airplane!.
At the beginning of the 1980s, McGovern gave up movie themes to begin a career on Broadway, despite having no acting experience. In 1981, she made her Broadway debut as Mabel in a revival of Gilbert & Sullivan's musical The Pirates of Penzance. She then performed in two productions with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera: The Sound of Music (1981; as Maria) and South Pacific (1982; as Nellie Forbush). She continued her theatrical career throughout the eighties and originated the role of Mary in the Off-Broadway production of Brownstone in 1985.
In 2005, McGovern returned to the Broadway stage as Marmee opposite Sutton Foster's Jo in the musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. Plagued by negative reviews, it quickly closed, but McGovern reprised her role for the successful subsequent national tour.
She slowly returned to music in the mid-eighties, contributing songs to musical soundtracks and recording for various-artist compilations. She also returned to touring and performing in concerts and began establishing herself as a classy, jazzy nightclub and cabaret performer. Starting in 1987, she released three albums for CBS in three years - Another Woman in Love (a voice/piano album), State of the Heart (a fully orchestrated album), and Naughty Baby (a live album).
In 1989, she performed her debut concert in Carnegie Hall, singing a collection of songs by George Gershwin. The concert was recorded live and released that year as an album entitled Naughty Baby; it features a very first recording of a lost Gershwin song "A Corner of Heaven With You" (written ca. 1917).
From the nineties into the 21st century, McGovern continued her careers in musical theatre, performing in concerts, and recording albums, and she occasionally made guest appearances on television. Other recordings include Baby I'm Yours (1992), a collection of her favorite songs from 1955 to 1970, and Out of This World (1996), a collection of songs by Harold Arlen. She was twice nominated for a Grammy, for her albums The Music Never Ends (1997), a collection of songs by Alan & Marilyn Bergman, and The Pleasure of His Company (1998), another voice/piano album.
In 2003, Out of This World and The Music Never Ends were rereleased by Fynsworth Alley Records; both albums included bonus tracks, the former two, and the latter three.
The Continental
Maureen McGovern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dangerous rhythm
It's something daring, the Continental
A way of dancing that's really ultra new
It's very subtle, the Continental
Because it does what you want it to do
An invitation to moonlight and romance
It's quite the fashion, the Continental
Because you tell of your love while you dance
Your lips whisper so tenderly
His eyes answer your song
Two bodies swaying, the Continental,
And you are saying just what you're thinking of
So, keep on dancing the Continental
For it's a song of romance and of love
You kiss while you're dancing
It's continental, oh oh oh, it's continental
You sing while you're dancing
Your voice is gentle, oh oh oh, and sentimental
You'll know before the dance is through
That you're in love with him and he's in love with you
You'll find while you're dancing
That there's a rhythm in your heart and soul,
A certain rhythm that you can't control
And you will do the Continental all the time
Beautiful music
Dangerous rhythm
Beautiful music
Dangerous rhythm
The Continental
Maureen McGovern's song, The Continental, is a love song that describes a way of dancing that is ultra-new and subtle, called the Continental. The dance is passionate and invites romance under the moonlight. The beauty of the dance is that the people dancing can say what they want to say to each other without necessarily uttering a word. The lyrics convey the message of love and affection, and the whole atmosphere of the dance helps to create the perfect romantic setting. The lyrics also talk about the couple kissing while dancing, with the song being the perfect melody that captures the romance and love that they feel for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Beautiful music
The Continental is a dance set to beautiful music
Dangerous rhythm
The rhythm of the Continental is risky and thrilling
It's something daring, the Continental
The Continental is a bold and courageous dance
A way of dancing that's really ultra new
The Continental offers a modern and innovative style of dance
It's very subtle, the Continental
The Continental is delicate and understated in its movements
Because it does what you want it to do
The Continental allows the dancers to express themselves exactly as they wish
It has a passion, the Continental
The Continental is filled with deep emotion and desire
An invitation to moonlight and romance
The Continental creates an atmosphere of love and intimacy
It's quite the fashion, the Continental
The Continental is a popular trend in dance
Because you tell of your love while you dance
The Continental allows the dancers to express their feelings of love and desire through movement
Your lips whisper so tenderly
The dancers communicate their affection through touch and movement
His eyes answer your song
The dancers share a deep and meaningful connection through their movements
Two bodies swaying, the Continental,
The dancers move together in a synchronized, flowing motion
And you are saying just what you're thinking of
The dancers use the Continental to express their deepest desires and emotions
So, keep on dancing the Continental
The dancers should continue to enjoy the passionate and romantic atmosphere of the Continental
For it's a song of romance and of love
The Continental is a celebration of love and desire
You kiss while you're dancing
The dancers share intimate moments of physical affection while moving to the Continental
It's continental, oh oh oh, it's continental
The feeling of dancing the Continental is indescribable
You sing while you're dancing
The dancers express their feelings of love and desire through movement and song
Your voice is gentle, oh oh oh, and sentimental
The dancers' voices are soft and emotional as they express their affection through song
You'll know before the dance is through
The dancers will realize their true feelings for each other while dancing the Continental
That you're in love with him and he's in love with you
The dancers will discover that they are deeply in love with each other
You'll find while you're dancing
The dancers will uncover new and unexpected emotions and feelings through the Continental
That there's a rhythm in your heart and soul,
The Continental creates a powerful and intoxicating rhythm that resonates in the dancers' hearts and souls
A certain rhythm that you can't control
The Continental creates a feeling of losing control and giving in to passion and desire
And you will do the Continental all the time
The dancers will continue to enjoy the thrill and passion of the Continental forever
Beautiful music
The Continental is set to beautiful and romantic music
Dangerous rhythm
The Continental's rhythm is powerful and exhilarating
Beautiful music
The Continental's music is filled with emotion and passion
Dangerous rhythm
The Continental's rhythm is thrilling and irresistible
The Continental
The Continental is a dance that celebrates love, passion, and desire
Contributed by Peyton E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
peterabbit69
This is by far the best version of "The Continental" ever recorded. Maureen McGovern's voice is transcendent. It is a great pity that this song is not available on itunes.
Franck Leprince
I agree. "The Continental" never sounded as good as this. I did eventually manage to find this on CD, from Ms. McGovern's own website.
John Allan
peterabbit69 . Who needs it? We have it here.
Mc Ribs
Rick Jordon That is an understatement! Both Sinatra versions!
Marcos Santos
Fully agreed, mate! Wonderful version!
Colin Glass
🤠😍I'm in heaven when I hear this song wonderfull singer this single in my playlist of greatest song of the century
Hugo Cargnelutti
The Continental: Todavía no se ha podido superar la hermosa canción y espectacular interpretación
Colin Glass
One of my favourite ever ever ever songs of the seventies beats all other competition by a mile this is truly unique
Remote Viewer
This extraordinary recording was up against giants like The Who, Pink Floyd, The Sex Pistols, ELO, ABBA, et al during a period of even more extraordinary new musical influences, like Disco, Prog Rock, Glam Rock, New Wave, etc., that were emerging and still secured a memorable place in music history. Yeah!
Colin Glass
Exactly