dancing with tears in my eyes
Nat Shilkret Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause the girl in my arms isn't you,
Dancing with somebody new
When it's you that my hearts calling to
Trying to smile, once in a while,
But I find it so hard to do.
For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes,
The lyrics to Nat Shilkret's song "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" express the painful feeling of being with someone else while yearning for someone specific. The song's protagonist feels a sense of detachment from the person they are dancing with as they try to put on a brave face and enjoy the moment. However, the overwhelming emotion of missing their true love becomes too much to bear, and so they end up dancing with tears in their eyes.
The lyrics capture the bittersweet feeling of being with someone while wishing it was someone else, and the conflicting emotions of trying to move on while still holding onto the past. The singer tries to put on a brave face in public, but that facade is easily broken by the intensity of their emotions. By the end of the song, the singer is left dancing alone, knowing that the person they truly want is not there with them.
Overall, "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" is a poignant and relatable song about the struggles of moving on from a past love. It captures the feeling of being caught between the past and future, between what was and what could be.
Line by Line Meaning
For I'm dancing with tears in my eyes
Despite the smiling facade, tears stream down my face as I dance without you
'Cause the girl in my arms isn't you
The person I'm dancing with is not you, and it hurts me deeply
Dancing with somebody new
I am trying to move on and dance with someone else, but my heart is still with you
When it's you that my heart's calling to
Even though I'm with someone else, my heart still longs for you and calls out to you
Trying to smile, once in a while
Despite the pain, I try to put on a happy face for others and pretend that everything is okay
But I find it so hard to do
However, it's difficult to fake a smile when my heart is breaking
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe Burke, Al Dubin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Bobchai
I once asked my dad if his father , my grandad, who was born in 1875, liked 1920s and 1930s jazz and swing. All musical genres belong to certain generations.
My grandfather was coming of age in the 1890s, a golden age of popular song which is almost forgotten today. Ragtime started in this period and was big until the First World War.
My grandfather turned 50 in the mid-1920s. He owned a movie theater and he was very much involved with Jazz Age culture.
However, I think this waltz was just his speed as he my grandfather adjusted to the new century.
@thaliabirrueta8456
Thank you for sharing your story. That's sounds interesting.
@chrisarchard2009
Ever ask him what his favorite silent-era film was?
@kencarney6667
Heard this for the first time in 1967 on WLS out of Chicago. Winchester Cathedral was a huge hit then and one of DJs dug this
one up and played it. I finally
heard it again 50 years later
and it still sounded good.
@thaliabirrueta8456
Not being able to find a song for that long sounds agonizing.
@dennisferrara6940
A great ballad here as is the vocal versions by Kate Smith on Harmony and Miss Ruth Etting on Columbia!
@Inhumanform
They don’t make ‘em like this anymore!
@Bishbud
If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with <3 :)
@teagan3896
I wish i knew where i recognized this from
@mainaccount131
Super excellent