Arrington played in various local bands before joining and touring with The Murphy's, a lounge band out of Toledo, Ohio, in 1975. Approximately a year later, Arrington relocated from Ohio to San Francisco, California where he learned Latin percussion and drumming from Coke Escovedo and Pete and Shelia Escovedo (aka Shelia E.). He joined the funk group Slave (founded 1975) in 1978 originally to play percussion, then became the drummer and a backing vocalist. Eventually Arrington took over lead vocals on such hit songs as "Just a Touch of Love", "Watching You" (which has been sampled by Snoop Dog, etc), and "Wait for Me". Arrington left Slave in 1982, forming Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame and had hit singles such as "Weak At The Knees" (which was sampled by Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri, NWA, and more), and "Nobody Can Be You But You". His most successful album was his 1985 solo album, Dancin' in the Key of Life, whose title track became a Top Ten R&B hit, while another single from the album, "Feel So Real" reached #6 in the UK national singles chart in May that year. He was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Best Male Artist of 1986. In 1984, Arrington experienced a religious conversion and later became a minister, by 1990 he left pop music.
In October of 2009, he re-emerged on the music scene with the independent release of "Pure Thang."
Dancin' in the Key of Life
Steve Arrington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinking of you
Get out of bed and
Put on my dancing shoes
Hey, hey
I don't have a worry
Not a care in the world
With my favorite girl
Don't you know that
(CHORUS)
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life
Working Monday to Friday
Waiting for my payday
Go to church on Sunday
Where I kneel to pray
You know it
I thank God for making
My dreams come true
When the demon
Tries to make a play
You know you always
Pulled me through, oh, oh
(CHORUS)
My dancing feet are nothing
Without the spirit within
I know I'm gonna be there
When the saints go marching in
I'm just out here grooving
To the universe's heartbeat
Just want to spread some joy
To all the people I meet
The good news of the father
You just can't ignore, uh uh
When the fight starts to hit you
You want more and more and more
Now my dancing feet are nothing
Without the spirit within, yeah
I know I'm gonna be there
When the saints go marching in
Oh, oh
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life
From generation to generation
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing feet
Dancing in the key of life...
The lyrics of Steve Arrington's song "Dancing in the Key of Life" are all about joy, gratitude, and the power of music to lift the spirit. The song opens with the singer waking up in the morning and thinking of his loved one. He puts on his dancing shoes and lets the music transport him, leaving all his worries behind. He feels carefree and happy, dancing in time with his favorite girl.
The chorus repeats the refrain "Dancing feet, dancing in the key of life" four times, emphasizing the idea that dancing is a metaphor for living life to the fullest. The singer is so caught up in the music that he doesn't even notice the days passing by, from Monday to Friday, until he reaches Sunday, where he goes to church to thank God for making his dreams come true. He acknowledges that life can be a struggle, but believes that music and faith can help him overcome any obstacle.
The bridge of the song emphasizes the importance of spirituality in the singer's life. He says that his dancing feet are nothing without the spirit within, and he knows he will be there when the saints go marching in. He is just out here grooving to the universe's heartbeat, spreading joy to all the people he meets. The song ends with the repeated chorus, suggesting that the joy of dancing is something that can be passed down from generation to generation.
In summary, Steve Arrington's "Dancing in the Key of Life" is a song about the joy, freedom, and power of music. It is a celebration of life, faith, and the importance of connecting with others through music and dance.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up in the morning
I start my day with a thought of you
Thinking of you
Your presence brings joy in my life
Get out of bed and
I begin my day with positivity
Put on my dancing shoes
I am ready to move and groove
Hey, hey
An expression of excitement
I don't have a worry
Feeling carefree and happy
Not a care in the world
No concerns or anxieties
I'm dancing in time
My movements sync up with the music
With my favorite girl
Dancing alongside the person I love
Don't you know that
A plea to acknowledge something
Dancing feet
Happy feet that love to dance
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing to the rhythm of life and its music
Working Monday to Friday
Routine work schedule
Waiting for my payday
Anticipating financial compensation
Go to church on Sunday
Attending religious services
Where I kneel to pray
A moment of meditation and gratitude
You know it
Affirming a shared understanding
I thank God for making
Expressing gratitude for blessings
My dreams come true
Achieving aspirations and goals
When the demon
Challenges that arise in life
Tries to make a play
Attempts to deceive or hurt
You know you always
Assurance of support and protection
Pulled me through, oh, oh
Overcoming obstacles with help from a higher power or loved ones
My dancing feet are nothing
Physical actions are empty without deeper meaning
Without the spirit within
The soulful essence that fills one’s being
I know I'm gonna be there
An unwavering belief in oneself
When the saints go marching in
Achieving an ultimate goal of personal fulfillment
I'm just out here grooving
Moving to the rhythm naturally and spontaneously
To the universe's heartbeat
Living in tune with the planet and its inhabitants
Just want to spread some joy
A desire to inspire happiness in others
To all the people I meet
Sharing positivity with everyone encountered
The good news of the father
Spreading the word of divine love
You just can't ignore, uh uh
An emphatic message that can’t be dismissed
When the fight starts to hit you
Difficulty that arises in life
You want more and more and more
Motivation to keep moving forward and overcoming challenges
From generation to generation
Carrying on a legacy of positivity
Dancing feet
Happy feet that love to dance
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing to the rhythm of life and its music
Dancing feet
Happy feet that love to dance
Dancing in the key of life
Dancing to the rhythm of life and its music
Contributed by Brayden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@e-jaythesupreme1504
God Bless Mr.Steve Arrington! A True FUNK Vocalist who does not mind giving God praise in a dance track!!!
@julierobinson8173
When the demons try to make a play you know you always pull me through 😍🙏🏽
@michaelalvarado7176
It's my favorite line in the song..he always pulls me through 🙏
@SunnyIlha
Then we kneel
To pray ☺️
And then we dancin in thuh
Key Of Life
@greenglory2556
((((HALLELUJAH))))!!!
@mannypintado8349
It is April 2020, we are in a middle of a pandemic, But this song is definitely the key of life. Classic from 1983.
@rjjcms1
I remember this hitting the UK charts around July 1985,when it narrowly missed the top 20 as the follow-up single to his top 5 hit Feels So Real from early that summer.
@brendaeaston1397
It is now April 2021...Pandemic still effect, however vaccinations have started for COVID-19. 🤷🏾♀️ yet
@tonyebiere551
how did you hear the song in 1983 when it was released in the summer of 1985? Just asking
@bambinaheart86
Robert Palmer you're in my system