Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter, who usually fronts his band The Asbury Jukes.
Lyon grew up in Ocean Grove, New Jersey and graduated from Neptune High School. As an artist, Southside Johnny first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore music scene and be considered part of the Jersey Shore sound, following Bruce Springsteen. Southside's first three albums, I Don't Want to Go Home (1976), This Time It's For Real (1977), and Hearts of Stone (1978), were Stax-influenced R&B arranged and produced by the co-founder of the band and Springsteen confederate Steven Van Zandt and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen. The Van Zandt-written "I Don't Want To Go Home" became Southside's signature song, an evocative mixture of horn-based melodic riffs and sentimental lyrics. Other notable songs included "The Fever","Talk to Me," "This Time It's For Real," "Love on the Wrong Side of Town," and the definitive version of Springsteen's " Hearts of Stone."
Southside has long been considered the Grandfather of "the New Jersey Sound." Jon bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside as "his reason for singing."
In 1982 the Rolling Stone Magazine voted the album Hearts of Stone among the top 100 albums of the 70's and 80's.
Cast under Springsteen's long shadow, national commercial success eluded Southside and the Jukes, and in 1979 they were dropped by their record company. Now working without Van Zandt, they released The Jukes in 1979 and Love is a Sacrifice in 1980. Neither of these achieved much success either. The band's first official live release also came out in 1980, the double album Reach Up and Touch the Sky.
During the 1980s Southside Johnny's recording contracts continued to change almost by album, but he continued to release records: Trash It Up (1983), a disco influenced album written by Billy Rush and produced by Nile Rodgers; In the Heat (1984) an album trying to reach out to "Adult Oriented Radio"; and At Least We Got Shoes (1986) where guitarist and Jersey shore fixture Bobby Bandiera, who often plays a custom guitar built by First Act Guitars took over songwriting and guitar work from Billy Rush and led the Asbury Jukes back to their original sound. Songwriting credits on At Least We Got Shoes also contain a song co-written by Bandiera and singer Patti Scialfa, who was known as a Jukes collaborator since the 1980 album Love is a Sacrifice and who became a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in 1984.
In 1988 Southside Johnny released his first solo record Slow Dance containing ballads and love songs, but also "Little Calcutta" which is still discussed as Southside's most political song of his career, describing the life and environment of the homeless in New York City.
More record label switches, Jukes personnel changes, tours and club dates followed.
Jukes' recording career was re-launched with the album Better Days (1991), which featured production by Van Zandt, songs by Springsteen, and vocal performances from Van Zandt, Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. With Bobby Bandiera driving the band, the Jukes were gaining new energy for a world wide tour supporting the album. But once again, Southside Johnny's bad luck with the industry was shown when the record label went bankrupt while the tour was still rolling.
Southside performed the theme song for the 1990s sitcom Dave's World, a cover of Billy Joel's "You May Be Right."
Southside eventually relocated to Nashville taking a break from the music business. A few members of the Asbury Jukes would end up being part of The Max Weinberg 7 on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien television show, while some others went on tour and into the recording studio with artists like Jon Bon Jovi, Mink DeVille, Graham Parker, Robert Cray.
In 1998 Southside Johnny came back into the spotlight with an independent release titled Spittin' Fire, a live record with a semi-acoustic Jukes lineup released in France containing a 20 song set recorded during a series of 10 shows at the "Chesterfield Café" in Paris, France.
After a decade without a record contract Southside finally founded his own record label in 2001 under the name of Leroy Records, and started releasing and distributing his new records fully under his own control: Messin' with the Blues (2000), Going to Jukesville (2002), Missing Pieces (2004), Into the Harbour (2005).
Southside continues to perform, and maintains substantial audience followings in some regions of the U.S., such as New Jersey, New York, northeast Ohio, and abroad, in the UK and continental Europe, as 2002's Live At The Opera House DVD, filmed at a sell-out performance in Newcastle upon Tyne, demonstrates. As of 2005, he resides on the Delaware Bay. His annual appearances at Springsteen's Asbury Park holiday shows draw as much crowd excitement as Springsteen himself.
I Can't Dance
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(J. Lyon/M. Noble)
I was so in love with the sounds I was hearing
When I was a child
But lately I can't find that rhythm and I, well I don't know why
I tell myself my ears are still ringing
From life going upside my head
Well I'm a wild child again
Yes I am
You know I can't dance and I never could
But when I feel that rhythm
Well, it sounds do good, I wish I could
I wanna dance dance dance
But I can't dance
I wanna dance dance dance
Oh, I can't dance
I've been walkin' round this mean old town
A sad and lonely boy
Seems I've forgotten those garage band days
When everything was a joy
We'd ride around in Garry's rusty Ford
With that radio turned up so loud
And head on down to the Upstage Club
And join that madding crowd
Now when I hear those old soul songs
Well it makes my heart just swell
You know I love to hear that one by Archie Bell and the Drells
Yea that one
I wanna dance dance dance
No, I can't dance
I wanna dance dance dance
But I'm afraid to take that chance
I can't dance
No never mind
I'm not gonna get on the floor and make a fool of myself
Just so you guys can have a laugh, forget it
Yea I wanna dance dance dance
I wanna dance one time
I got to dance, need to dance
I wanna dance dance dance
No no, but I can't dance
I wanna dance dance dance
I wanna dance but I know
That I can't dance, I can't dance
Oh, I'd love to get out there on the floor
Just like I used to see the old Cadillacs do it
Get up and dance
Ain't it beautiful
Blue Harp Inc.
Matt Noble Music
The song "I Can't Dance" by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes is about the singer's love for music and his desire to dance, despite his inability to do so. He reminisces about his youth and the joy he felt listening to music, but now he struggles to feel that same rhythm. The lyrics suggest that the difficulties and hardships of life have impacted his ability to enjoy music in the same way. Despite this, when he hears "old soul songs," he feels the urge to dance and to once again become a "wild child."
The chorus repeats the phrase "I can't dance" and then contrasts it with "I wanna dance dance dance," which creates an interesting dynamic. He acknowledges his inability to dance, but still longs to do so, further emphasizing the strong connection he has to music. The lyrics also touch on themes of loneliness and isolation, as the singer describes himself as a "sad and lonely boy" walking around the "mean old town." The nostalgia for a simpler time is palpable in the description of riding around in a rusty car with the radio turned up, and joining the "madding crowd" at the Upstage Club.
Overall, the song captures the joy and release that music can provide, as well as the feeling of being disconnected from that joy at times. The imagery in the lyrics evokes a distinctly Americana feeling, with references to classic soul music, Cadillacs, and garage bands. The longing expressed in the lyrics is relatable and universal, and the upbeat tempo of the song creates a sense of excitement and energy.
Line by Line Meaning
I was so in love with the sounds I was hearing
When I was a child
But lately I can't find that rhythm and I, well I don't know why
As a child, I was crazy about the music I heard. But now, I can't feel the same rhythm anymore and I am unaware why this happened.
I tell myself my ears are still ringing
From life going upside my head
But when I hear that sweet soul singin'
Well I'm a wild child again
Yes I am
Sometimes, I convince myself that I can't hear the rhythm because of the troubles in my life. But when I hear that sweet and soulful music, my spirit becomes alive again.
You know I can't dance and I never could
But when I feel that rhythm
Well, it sounds do good, I wish I could
I wanna dance dance dance
But I can't dance
I have never been a good dancer, but when I hear a good rhythm, I wish I could dance. Unfortunately, my dancing skills are not up to par with the music.
We'd ride around in Garry's rusty Ford
With that radio turned up so loud
And head on down to the Upstage Club
And join that madding crowd
In the past, we used to ride around in Garry's beat-up car with loud music blaring, and then go to Upstage club to join other people in enjoying the music and the energy of the crowd.
Yea that one
I wanna dance dance dance
No, I can't dance
I wanna dance dance dance
But I'm afraid to take that chance
I can't dance
There is a particular song that I love, and it makes me want to dance. Nonetheless, I am hesitant to go out and dance because I am not skilled in dancing.
No never mind
I'm not gonna get on the floor and make a fool of myself
Just so you guys can have a laugh, forget it
I have decided not to dance and stumble on the dance floor, becoming an object of mockery for others.
I got to dance, need to dance
I wanna dance dance dance
No no, but I can't dance
I wanna dance dance dance
I wanna dance but I know
That I can't dance, I can't dance
Oh, I'd love to get out there on the floor
Just like I used to see the old Cadillacs do it
Get up and dance
Ain't it beautiful
Although I cannot dance, I feel like I must dance to the rhythm of the music. I want to dance, but I understand my limitations. This music reminds me of the beautiful music of old Cadillacs and their graceful movements on the dance floor.
Contributed by Harper Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.