She… Read Full Bio ↴Sylvia Syms (December 2, 1917 - May 10, 1992) was a jazz singer.
She was born Sylvia Blagman in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, she had polio. As a teenager, she went to jazz-oriented nightclubs on New York's 52nd Street, and received informal training from Billie Holiday. In 1941 she made her debut at a club called Billy's Stable.
In 1948, performing at the Cinderella Club in Greenwich Village, she was seen by Mae West, who gave her a part in a show she was doing. It was no particular secret that West surrounded herself with portly women to make herself appear slimmer, and Sylvia's casting was no exception. Among others who observed her in night clubs was Frank Sinatra who considered her the "world's greatest saloon singer." Sinatra subsequently conducted her 1982 album Syms by Sinatra. Syms was keenly aware that her voice was not a great instrument, and that her forte was the interpretation of lyrics.
She was signed to a record company by Decca Records, having her major success with a recording of "I Could Have Danced All Night" in 1956.
She died on stage at the Algonquin Hotel in New York City from a heart attack, aged 74.
Dancing In The Dark
Sylvia Syms Lyrics
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And I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Message keeps getting clearer
Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man I ain't getting nowhere
I'm just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
Baby I just know that there is
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You sit around getting older
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
Come on baby this laugh's on me
Stay on the streets of this town
And they'll be carving you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I'm dying for some action
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
Come on now baby gimme just one look
You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Hey baby
The lyrics to Sylvia Syms’s song “Dancing In The Dark” are about feeling stuck in a rut and wanting to break free from the monotony of life. The singer in the song is bored and tired with themselves and their life, and they’re desperately seeking change. The lyrics “I ain't nothing but tired, Man I'm just tired and bored with myself” and “There's something happening somewhere, Baby I just know that there is” suggest a restlessness that the singer feels within themselves. They know they need a spark, a catalyst for change to get them out of their funk.
The chorus of the song, “You can't start a fire, You can't start a fire without a spark, This gun's for hire, Even if we're just dancing in the dark,” highlights the need for a catalyst to start something new. The gun that is for hire represents the singer’s willingness to do whatever it takes to break free and start something new, even if it means dancing in the dark.
The last verse of the song, “You can't start a fire sitting ‘round crying over a broken heart,” suggests that the singer has experienced heartbreak and is using the pain as motivation to break free from their current situation. Overall, the lyrics are an anthem for anyone who feels stuck or bored with their life and are looking for a way to break free and start something new.
Line by Line Meaning
I get up in the evening
I wake up during the late hours of the day
And I ain't got nothing to say
I don't have anything on my mind to talk about
I come home in the morning
I return home during the early hours of the day
I go to bed feeling the same way
I feel unchanged and unfulfilled before going to sleep
I ain't nothing but tired
I'm only exhausted
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
I'm not motivated and have nothing to excite me
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
I need some assistance to get out of my rut
You can't start a fire
A change cannot come about without some catalyst
You can't start a fire without a spark
An event needs to occur for a change to come about
This gun's for hire
I'm ready and available for change
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're experiencing something difficult and unfamiliar
Message keeps getting clearer
The communication is becoming more evident
Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
The music is motivating me to move around
I check my look in the mirror
I reflect on myself through my appearance
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
I desire a transformation in my outward appearance
Man I ain't getting nowhere
I feel stuck and unable to progress
I'm just living in a dump like this
My current situation is unpleasant and unfulfilling
There's something happening somewhere
I get a sense that there are opportunities elsewhere
Baby I just know that there is
I have a feeling that there are better options
You sit around getting older
The more time passes, the more I age without progressing
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I am the cause of my own misfortune
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
I will let go of my burdens and move forward
Come on baby this laugh's on me
I will take the hit and laugh it off
Stay on the streets of this town
If I don't go beyond my current environment
And they'll be carving you up alright
I will be judged and criticized in this town
They say you gotta stay hungry
People advocate for pushing oneself out of comfort zones
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I am keen for a change in my life
I'm dying for some action
I am desperate for excitement and opportunity
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I am tired of being passive and attempting to create my own opportunities
I need a love reaction
I crave an emotional response and reciprocation
Come on now baby gimme just one look
I just want someone to pay attention to me
You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
One cannot heal and seek change if they're dwelling on past pain
This gun's for hire
I am available and seeking change
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
I'm willing to face the unknown and difficult to find fulfillment
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
Focusing on the negative can't bring about positive change
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the change is difficult and uncertain
This gun's for hire
I'm motivated and open for transformation
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the journey is scary
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the process is uncomfortable
Hey baby
A friendly greeting
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind