In 1997, Ryan began a relationship with Young Life performing regularly throughout the U.S. at their more than twenty camps. By the end of 1998 he had released his debut record, Cry for Me, produced by Michael Aukofer at Word/Myrhh studios in Nashville. Cry is filled with a host of skilled contributors including Phil Keagy, Phil Madeira, and Cristi Johnson of Alathea and with such diverse instrumentation as Hammond organ, hammered dulcimer, and Celtic bagpipes.
The following year as audiences and attention grew larger for Long, two compilations featuring his music were released. Paste put out their Paste Music Sampler 1 containing “Face It Alone” from Cry for Me. Also that year, The Awakening Compilation, vol. 3 was released with Long’s title track from Cry for Me.
In 2000, Alathea recorded a version of “Gypsy”, originally co-written by Long and Brad Layher. That same year Ryan also recorded “Gypsy” on his new record, Waiting by the Window. Produced by Aukofer at the Whitehouse in Nashville, Waiting was later dubbed the ”Best Follow-up CD” of the year by Paste Music. Waiting, while having the same intimacy, capable cast, and dynamic instrumentation as Cry, really stands out for its soulful and bluesy melodies that move you as much as the stories they -----set the stage for do. As more critical acclaim came for Long, Grassroots Music added the opening cut from Waiting entitled “The Wind in Me” to their Dialects compilation for Americana/Folk.
For Send Up a Flare, recorded in 2003, Long worked with producer Ed Cash. Bringing in only three other musicians (Ken Lewis, Ben Shive, and Byron House), Cash focused on Long’s vocals and guitar. With this minimalistic approach, Ryan’s vibrant and stimulating music and his complex lyrical narratives lend obvious depth to Flare. Great advances in maturity are revealed on this record through his sincere vocals and inventive guitar accompaniments.
Although Ryan’s recordings have been filled with supporting artists, he has chosen throughout the years to travel as a solo artist. His personal and introspective lyrics and his intimately connecting stage presence have brought him an ever-increasing number of staunchly loyal fans and friends every year. Thanks to these folks Ryan has sold over 20,000 CD’s as an independent artist.
Ryan currently lives on Signal Mountain in Chattanooga with his wife Carmen and his daughter Rebecca, and son Carson.
Dance With Me
Ryan Long Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
just ate the last of my mother's pie
its the fifth of december and I act like I don't know
where it is she wants to go
she pushed back her chair and took my hand
come into the living room and put on my
favorite band
Dad its my birthday dont miss your chance
so I said dance with me
dance with me Jen
I love to feel you in my arms again
dance with me
dance with me jen
I love to feel you in my arms again
several years later my daughter and I
can't get along no matter how hard I try
shes got herself a boyfriend who lives on down our road
his intentions, I dont know
on her birthday that same year
I went and put on that music she loved to hear
I said girl its your birthday I don't wanna miss my chance
I'm gonna ask you to dance
I said dance with me
dance with me Jen
I'd love to feel you in my arms again
dance with me
dance with me Jen
I'd love to feel you in my arms again
she turned her head and grabbed her coat
she didn't look back when she slammed the door
she took a bus down to texas with that boy down the road
had no idea that he'd leave her there alone
she was drinking her freedom and wheathering the cold
too stubborn to come back home
she finally got a job at a night time club
she was dancing on tables for men she didn't love
she thought if my daddy could see me now,
he'd never take me back no way no how
oh how she longed to hear him say
dance with me
dance with me Jen
I'd love to feel you in my arms again
dance with me
dance with me Jen
I'd love to feel you in my arms again
found out from her boyfriend who lived down the road
he left her in texas and he'd moved back home
he had her address and I drove all night long
just to find that she was gone
it was 10 in the morning when I found out what she did
I left a note at the club
got in my car drove home again
when she read it she cried alone
hopped a bus and headed home
cause that note it read
dance with me
dance with me Jen
I'd love to feel you in my arms again
dance with me
dance with me Jen
I'd love to feel you in my arms again
"Dance With Me" by Ryan Long is a heartfelt song that tells the story of a father and his daughter, Jen. The first verse shows a sweet moment between the two, where they finish eating pie and Jen asks her dad to dance on her birthday. The second verse shows that years have passed, and the two are not getting along despite the father's efforts. It is revealed that Jen has a boyfriend who leaves her in Texas, causing her to fall into a dangerous lifestyle of dancing in a night club for men she doesn't love. The song ends with the father leaving a note for Jen and her finally coming back home, where they dance together once again.
The song's lyrics are emotionally charged, revealing the father's love for his daughter, their struggles, and the longing for a fresh start. The song showcases the power of music and dance, that even after years of separation and hardship, they can still connect through it. The line "I'd love to feel you in my arms again" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the bond between the father and daughter.
Ryan Long's "Dance With Me" is a touching story built upon the foundation of love between a father and his daughter. It speaks to the importance of family relationships, forgiveness, and never giving up on those we care for. The song shows that it's never too late to reconnect and cherish the moments we have with our loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
There at the table my daughter and I
The singer is sitting at the table with his daughter.
just ate the last of my mother's pie
The singer and his daughter just finished eating the last of his mother’s pie.
its the fifth of december and I act like I don't know
It's December 5th, but the singer pretends he doesn't know where his daughter wants to go.
where it is she wants to go
The daughter wants to go somewhere, but it's unclear where.
she pushed back her chair and took my hand
The daughter gets up from the table and takes her father’s hand.
come into the living room and put on my favorite band
The daughter wants to listen to the father’s favorite band in the living room.
Dad its my birthday dont miss your chance
It's the daughter’s birthday, and she wants her father to ask her to dance.
ask me to dance
The daughter wants her father to ask her to dance.
so I said dance with me
The father accepts the daughter's request and asks her to dance.
dance with me Jen
The father addresses his daughter by her name and requests her to dance.
I love to feel you in my arms again
The father misses the feeling of holding his daughter, and this moment brings back the emotion.
several years later my daughter and I
Years have passed since the last scene, and the artist is still accompanied by his daughter.
can't get along no matter how hard I try
The singer and his daughter don't have a good relationship, despite the father trying his best.
shes got herself a boyfriend who lives on down our road
The daughter has a boyfriend who lives down their street.
his intentions, I dont know
The father is unsure of the boyfriend's intentions towards his daughter.
on her birthday that same year
It's the daughter’s birthday, and it's the same year as the previous scene.
I went and put on that music she loved to hear
The father plays the music that his daughter used to love to hear.
I said girl its your birthday I don't wanna miss my chance
The father doesn't want to miss the chance to dance with his daughter on her birthday.
she turned her head and grabbed her coat
The daughter becomes frustrated and quickly grabs her coat.
she didn't look back when she slammed the door
The daughter leaves the room without looking back and slams the door behind her.
she took a bus down to texas with that boy down the road
The daughter runs away to Texas with her boyfriend from down the street.
had no idea that he'd leave her there alone
The daughter didn't know that the boyfriend would leave her alone in Texas.
she was drinking her freedom and wheathering the cold
The daughter is alone in Texas, drinking to enjoy her freedom but also enduring the cold weather alone.
too stubborn to come back home
The daughter is stubborn and refuses to come back home.
she finally got a job at a night time club
The daughter gets a job at a nightclub to make ends meet.
she was dancing on tables for men she didn't love
The daughter dances on tables for strangers at the nightclub, not feeling any love towards the men.
she thought if my daddy could see me now, he'd never take me back no way no how
The daughter believes her father would be ashamed to see her in this situation and would never take her back.
oh how she longed to hear him say
The daughter longs for father’s voice and wants to hear him speak to her.
found out from her boyfriend who lived down the road
The father hears from the daughter's ex-boyfriend who lived down the street about her location.
he left her in texas and he'd moved back home
The daughter's boyfriend leaves Texas and goes back home, leaving her alone.
he had her address and I drove all night long
The father gets the daughter's address and drives all night to find her.
just to find that she was gone
The father arrives at the address and realizes that the daughter has left the location.
it was 10 in the morning when I found out what she did
The father receives the news about the daughter's whereabouts and actions at 10 in the morning.
I left a note at the club
The father writes a note and leaves it at the nightclub where the daughter works.
got in my car drove home again
The father leaves the nightclub and drives back home.
when she read it she cried alone
The daughter reads the note and cries alone.
hopped a bus and headed home
The daughter takes a bus and heads back home.
cause that note it read
The father’s note conveyed what he wanted to communicate to his daughter.
dance with me
The father's note reiterates his desire to dance with his daughter.
dance with me Jen
The father reminds his daughter of their relationship and uses her name while requesting her to dance.
I'd love to feel you in my arms again
The father misses holding his daughter and wants to feel it again.
Contributed by Bella E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.