Taco was born to a Dutch couple in Jakarta (On a side note, Indonesia was once a Dutch colony). Prior to his worldwide hit with Puttin' on the Ritz, he fronted a Berlin-based band called Taco's Bizz. Their niche was performing Depression-era oldies in a more contemporary style, and soon Taco was courted by record labels to release a solo single. Puttin' on the Ritz gained so much attention that an entire album was funded by RCA Records. Both the album and the single were hits in Europe, and thanks to a popular MTV video for Puttin' on the Ritz, the single and the album became hits in America as well, selling over 500,000 copies of Taco's 1982 debut album After Eight.
A follow-up album, Let's Face The Music, was recorded in 1984 for RCA, but it failed to recreate Taco's initial success, and he vanished from the American market immediately thereafter. Taco continued to record, however, focusing mostly on the German market with albums Swing Classics/In The Mood Of Glenn Miller in 1985 and Tell Me That You Like It in 1986 for Polydor. In 1987 he recorded the self-titled album Taco. In 1989 he briefly flirted with contemporary dance music by releasing a pair of singles, Love Touch and Got To Be Your Lover, that were blatantly styled after the high energy disco sound popularized by Stock Aitken Waterman. Afterwards he repositioned himself as a swing/soul singer. He has collaborated with Geff Harrison of Kin Ping Meh fame.
He currently resides in Germany, occasionally performing in Berlin and recording.
He has been referenced on the TV show The Simpsons. Episode BABF19, "Behind the Laughter", features Willie Nelson saying, "Thank you, Taco, for that loving tribute to Falco", as well as the end of the tribute itself. Recently, Taco was referenced in an episode of The Venture Bros. in describing Klaus Nomi's tuxedo attire.
Cheek To Cheek
Taco Lyrics
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(Chichi con c-con con chichi chichi con c-con)
Heaven, I'm in heaven
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek (cheek to cheek)
Oh, I love to climb the mountain, and to reach the highest peak
But it doesn't thrill me half as much as dancing cheek to cheek
Oh, I love to go a-fishin', in a river or a creek
But I don't enjoy it half as much as dancing cheek to cheek
Dance with me, I want my arms about you
The charm about you will carry me through to
Heaven (cheek to cheek), I'm in heaven (cheek to cheek)
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek (cheek to cheek)
[Repeat previous verse]
I don't wanna climb no mountain, I don't wanna swim no creek
All I ever wanna do with you honey is dance cheek to cheek
Dance with me, I want you to dance
(Cheek to cheek)
(Chichi con c-con con chichi chichi con c-con)
(Chichi con c-con con chichi chichi con c-con)
(Chichi con c-con con chichi chichi con c-con)
(Chichi con c-con con chichi chichi con c-con)
(Now ain't it sheik to dance cheek to cheek)
(Says that a freak won't dance cheek to cheek)
(You pull real close to the one that you love)
(Slide and glide, side to side, through the night)
(Now Freddy took his Ginger, and Judy took her Gene)
(Now they will show the world how to dance some steam)
(So, come on now and try it, a good time's guaranteed)
(Just slide away to the tune today 'cause, man, that's what we need!)
The first lines of "Cheek to Cheek" by Taco are a playful onomatopoeic sound, emphasizing the rhythm of the song which moves into the lyrics "Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak." The song is about the joy of dancing with a lover, feeling as though they are in heaven and the happiness they feel is overwhelming, so much so that they can hardly speak. The lyrics show a deep happiness and love for another and how dancing is a way to bring them even closer together. The repetition of the phrase "cheek to cheek" emphasizes their closeness and the intimacy of dancing. The lyrics also show how much the singer enjoys dancing with his lover; even though he loves other things like climbing a mountain or fishing, nothing compares to dancing with his special someone.
The song is an upbeat and lively tune that is perfect for dancing. Taco's powerful vocals capture the joy and excitement of dancing with the one you love. The playful onomatopoeic opening lines "Chichi con c-con con chichi chichi con c-con" may have been inspired by Latin American music, specifically salsa or other forms of upbeat dance music. The song is both a tribute to the classic song "Cheek to Cheek," originally sung by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the 1935 film "Top Hat," and a tribute to the joy of dancing with someone you love. It is clear that the lyrics are about dancing, but they are also about the deep love between two people and the joy that they find in each other's company.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven, I'm in heaven
I'm filled with joy and delight
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
I'm so excited that I'm almost speechless
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
I've found the happiness I've been looking for
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek
I feel truly happy when we're dancing so closely
Oh, I love to climb the mountain, and to reach the highest peak
I enjoy adventure and excitement
But it doesn't thrill me half as much as dancing cheek to cheek
But it cannot compare to the happiness I feel when we dance closely
Oh, I love to go a-fishin', in a river or a creek
I enjoy spending time in nature
But I don't enjoy it half as much as dancing cheek to cheek
But I still don't feel as happy as when we dance together closely
Dance with me, I want my arms about you
I want to hold you closely while we dance
The charm about you will carry me through to
Your charm and happiness will carry me through this moment
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek
I feel truly happy when we're dancing so closely
I don't wanna climb no mountain, I don't wanna swim no creek
I don't want to do anything else
All I ever wanna do with you honey is dance cheek to cheek
All I want to do with you is dance closely
(Now ain't it sheik to dance cheek to cheek)
(Isn't it fashionable to dance so closely)
(Says that a freak won't dance cheek to cheek)
(Someone may say that dancing so closely is unusual)
(You pull real close to the one that you love)
(You get even closer to the person you love)
(Slide and glide, side to side, through the night)
(Slide and glide together all night long)
(Now Freddy took his Ginger, and Judy took her Gene)
(Celebrities took their dance partners, and showed everyone how to dance)
(Now they will show the world how to dance some steam)
(Now they will show the world how to dance closely)
(So, come on now and try it, a good time's guaranteed)
(So, come on and try it— we're guaranteed to have a good time)
(Just slide away to the tune today 'cause, man, that's what we need!)
(Just slide and glide to the music today, because that's exactly what we need!)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind