I Could Have Danced All Night
My Fair Lady Lyrics


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Bed, bed I couldn't go to bed
My head's too light to try to set it down
Sleep, sleep I couldn't sleep tonight
Not for all the jewels in the crown

I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things
I've never done before

I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night

It's after three now
Don't you agree now?
She ought to be in bed

I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things
I've never done before

I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night

I understand dear
It's all been grand dear
But now it's time to sleep

I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things
I've never done before

I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight




I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night

Overall Meaning

The song "I Could Have Danced All Night" from the 1956 Broadway musical My Fair Lady is sung by the character Eliza Doolittle after a ball where she is the talk of the town. In the song, Eliza expresses her excitement and happiness about the evening and her dance partner. She initially cannot go to bed because she is too excited, and is still buzzing from the energy that comes with dancing with her dance partner. She further explains how she could have danced all night and spread her wings and done a thousand things she has never done before. Eliza is trying to convey that she is not ready for the evening to end and she just wants to keep dancing with her partner.


Eliza's joyful and exuberant lyrics are accompanied by music that conveys her happiness and gives the song a light and upbeat feel. The song is a metaphor for how Eliza feels about the transformation that she has undergone from an illiterate flower girl into a sophisticated woman capable of charming high society. The song ends with Eliza acknowledging that she needs to sleep, but she still wishes she could keep dancing with her partner.


Line by Line Meaning

Bed, bed I couldn't go to bed
I was so exhilarated that I couldn't possibly rest


My head's too light to try to set it down
I'm feeling so light-headed after all the dancing that I can't even think about trying to sleep


Sleep, sleep I couldn't sleep tonight
My mind is still racing from the excitement of the evening, and I can't seem to calm down enough to sleep


Not for all the jewels in the crown
Even if you offered me all the riches in the world, I still wouldn't be able to sleep


I could have danced all night, I could have danced all night
I had so much energy and joy from the dancing that I could have kept going forever


And still have begged for more
No matter how long I danced, I wouldn't have gotten tired of it


I could have spread my wings and done a thousand things
I felt like I had so much potential and possibility in that moment that I could have done anything


I've never done before
I felt like I was experiencing something completely new and exciting


I'll never know what made it so exciting
I can't quite put my finger on what made the evening so magical and exhilarating


Why all at once my heart took flight
But it was like my heart was soaring with joy and excitement just from being there and dancing


I only know when he began to dance with me
I can't pinpoint exactly what made the evening so special, but I know that dancing with him had a lot to do with it


I could have danced, danced, danced all night
I truly could have kept dancing forever and ever in that moment




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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