He was the author of "The Basketball Diaries" later turned into a movie of the same name. It was an account of his high school years spent hustling and as a part of the hard drug scene of the late 60's New York.
Carroll died on September 13, 2009 in Manhattan.
Dance The Night Away
The Jim Carroll Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I wait in the bath
And I wait for you
For an hour and a half
And I go to the window
Where the sky falls down in rains
And I look across the river
Where they dance the night away
I watch the couples
On the corner of town
Men dressed in black tie
The ladies in gowns
A taxi pulls up
Drives them across the street,
Takes them to a place
Where they dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
I crawl across the bed
Playing the radio low
Trying to forget
What I already know
And I want to sleep
But the song never ends
It comes from a place
Where they dance the night away
I reach in the drawer
And I take out respect
It doctors the sickness
I took years to perfect
And I feel sweet sleep
Like the shadows on a charm
Moves to my brain
Where I dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the night away
Dance the . . .
The Jim Carroll Band's "Dance The Night Away" is a song that delves into the theme of escapism in the face of loneliness and despair. The song is anchored around the persona's experience of waiting for a lover that never shows up, smoking a cigarette as she waits in the bath for an hour and a half. The weather outside is rainy and gloomy, and this could be a metaphor for the persona's state of mind. She looks across the river and sees couples dressed in black tie and gowns, getting into a taxi on their way to a place where they dance the night away. The persona's sense of despair is heightened by the contrast between her own lonely state and the apparent happiness of the couples across the river. The refrain 'dance the night away' is the song's anchor, drawing attention to the persona's sense of loneliness and lack of belonging, emphasizing the need to escape from the loneliness that is seeping into her consciousness.
The second verse speaks of the persona crawling across the bed, playing the radio low, and trying to forget what she already knows. The song on the radio never ends, and it takes the persona to a place where people dance the night away. The bridge speaks of the persona reaching into a drawer and taking out respect, which doctors the sickness she took years to perfect. The song ends with the refrain "dance the night away" repeated over and over, emphasizing the yearning for a life that is absent.
Overall, "Dance The Night Away" is a poignant song that speaks of the intense loneliness and sense of isolation that can be present in one's life. The decision to focus on the dance across the river from the persona further emphasizes how isolated she is from the rest of society.
Line by Line Meaning
I smoke a cigarette
I light up a cigarette to pass the time.
As I wait in the bath
I wait in the bathtub for someone to arrive.
And I wait for you
I am waiting for someone in particular.
For an hour and a half
I have been waiting for a long time.
And I go to the window
I move to the window for a view.
Where the sky falls down in rains
The sky is pouring with rain.
And I look across the river
I gaze at the river in front of me.
Where they dance the night away
People are dancing and enjoying themselves on the other side of the river.
I watch the couples
I observe the pairs of people.
On the corner of town
They are on the street corner in the town.
Men dressed in black tie
The males are adorned in formal black attire.
The ladies in gowns
The females are dressed in elegant gowns.
A taxi pulls up
A taxi arrives at the scene.
Drives them across the street,
The taxi takes them to the other side of the street.
Takes them to a place
The taxi destination is a special location.
Where they dance the night away
People are dancing and having fun at this particular place.
Dance the night away
They are dancing and enjoying themselves all night long.
Dance the night away
They continue to dance throughout the night.
Dance the night away
Everyone keeps on dancing through the night.
I crawl across the bed
I move slowly across the bed.
Playing the radio low
I listen to music on the radio at a low volume.
Trying to forget
I attempt to forget something in my mind.
What I already know
I already know this information.
And I want to sleep
I desire to sleep.
But the song never ends
The song on the radio never stops.
It comes from a place
The music is coming from somewhere else.
Where they dance the night away
The music is from the place where people are dancing.
I reach in the drawer
I open a drawer and reach inside.
And I take out respect
I retrieve respect from the drawer.
It doctors the sickness
Respect cures a certain illness.
I took years to perfect
It took me a long time to develop this ailment.
And I feel sweet sleep
I finally start to feel drowsy.
Like the shadows on a charm
I feel sleep come over me like a charm's shadow.
Moves to my brain
Sleep initiates in my mind.
Where I dance the night away
In my dreams, I dance and have fun all night long.
Dance the night away
I continue to dance and have fun in my dreams.
Dance the night away
My dream of dancing and having fun continues through the night.
Dance the night away
I am still dancing and having fun in my mind as I sleep.
Dance the . . .
The song ends mid-sentence, but the dancing and fun in the mind continues.
Contributed by Anthony J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paul Barry
One of our favorite songs. Used to see Jim in NYC and Boston ... at the poetry/music live mikes.