Their first single was "Dancing The Night Away", which topped John Peel's 1977 Festive Fifty countdown and reached number 42 in the UK Singles Chart in that year. Two other sizeable hits followed. In 1978 the band released "Airport" - which proved to be the band's biggest seller - and which peaked at number 4. The song was also a minor hit in the United States. The follow-up - the Motown-influenced "Forget About You" - was released two months later.
The Motors' original recording line-up released two albums, both of which met with modest success; The Motors 1 in 1977 and Approved By the Motors the following year. After that record, the Motors split up; Garvey and McMaster used the band's name for the 1980 album Tenement Steps, which didn't equal the spark of their first two records.
Dancing The Night Away
The Motors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything that you read
And you think that you're makin' the grade
(and) just when you're getting it made
You're still in love with her
She'd love you to kiss her
Hopin' you'll miss her
By takin' your mind off the load
You turn your back on her
You just got your mind on the things ahead
At last you're gonna be free
You'll only miss her
Just after you kiss her
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
So you turn on the smiles
'cause you think of the time
And nobody knows who you are
You don't think you'll get very far
I don't even know your name
At last they accept you
In case you go next year
And ask you to reach for the sky
And just when you're ready to die
They turn their back on you
So they put you on ice
In survival hotel
And wish you would die from the cold
When all you want is a night alone
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
Dancing the night away
The Motors' Dancing the Night Away is a song that delves into the complexities of human relationships and how they can impact one's desires, hopes, and dreams. The opening lines of the song suggest a willingness to believe everything that is read and to work hard to make the grade. Despite feeling accomplished, the singer in the song is still in love with someone who they hope will miss them while they take their mind off the load. However, just when they are ready to move on, they turn their back on the person they love; the person who they will only miss after they've kissed them.
The song then moves to the chorus and continues to highlight the idea of escapism through dancing the night away. The singer turns on the smiles to make it through the night and tries to forget their problems by dancing the night away. However, they feel like nobody knows who they are and they doubt they will get very far. The chorus is repeated several times, emphasizing the need for the singer to escape through dancing the night away while trying to sweep underlying problems under the rug.
In relation to the song's meaning, Dancing the Night Away discusses how people often seek temporary escapism instead of dealing with underlying problems. The song suggests that dancing the night away might not always be a solution for ongoing problems and that people may have to confront certain issues head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
So you want to believe
You have a desire to trust and have faith in things.
Everything that you read
You believe anything and everything you read or hear without questioning its validity.
And you think that you're makin' the grade
You feel like you're succeeding and doing well in life.
(and) just when you're getting it made
Just as you feel like you're on the right track and succeeding,
You're still in love with her
You're still in love with someone who may not be good for you.
She'd love you to kiss her
This person desires your affection and attention.
Hopin' you'll miss her
They want you to miss them and think about them often.
By takin' your mind off the load
They want you to avoid your troubles and problems by being with them.
Just when you're ready to go
Just as you're about to leave or move on.
You turn your back on her
You decide to leave and forget about the person you love.
You just got your mind on the things ahead
You're focused on your future goals and aspirations and not the past.
At last you're gonna be free
You feel like you're going to be free from the burden of the relationship.
You'll only miss her
However, you will come to realize you still miss and think about them.
Just after you kiss her
Usually after having a physical interaction, such as a kiss.
Dancing the night away
You are spending your night dancing and having fun.
Dancing the night away
You are spending your night dancing and having fun.
Dancing the night away
You are spending your night dancing and having fun.
Dancing the night away
You are spending your night dancing and having fun.
Dancing the night away
You are spending your night dancing and having fun.
Dancing the night away
You are spending your night dancing and having fun.
So you turn on the smiles
You force yourself to be happy and smiling even if you don't feel that way.
'cause you think of the time
You do this because you think it will buy you time or help you to succeed in some way.
And nobody knows who you are
You feel like you're unrecognized and unknown by those around you.
You don't think you'll get very far
You feel like you won't succeed or achieve your goals.
I don't even know your name
Others don't know or recognize you, even on a basic level.
At last they accept you
Eventually, others start to recognize and accept you for who you are.
In case you go next year
They want to keep you around for next year, possibly implying a temporary or seasonal situation.
And ask you to reach for the sky
They push you towards greater success and encourage you to achieve your goals.
And just when you're ready to die
Despite their encouragement, you still feel hopeless and discouraged.
They turn their back on you
They abandon you when you need them the most.
So they put you on ice
They ignore you or treat you as if you were dead or unimportant.
In survival hotel
They give you the bare minimum of what you need to survive.
And wish you would die from the cold
They would rather you be dead and gone than deal with you any longer.
When all you want is a night alone
Despite everything, all you really want is to be left alone.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ANDREW MCMASTER, NICK GARVEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamestwinn-in5cj
Wow !! What a great performance of an underrated rock song !!
@paultasker7092
What a brilliant live performance
@jamesdunne5638
One of the best intro's EVER!! Never get tired of hearing this track. Always makes me grin. Classic!
@fivewindow32
My thoughts exactly! Fantastic.
@MonteCarloGaz
…… and then the song starts. All downhill after that
@barringtongilbert9230
Great band...sold their soul unfrotunatly....could hsve been the new age beet
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@catherinemellin8032
That intro gets me every time, sheer class!!
@tonyj8215
The class just shines through , this must be one of the most underplayed records ever.
@thundercity311
Hard to believe it didn't make the top 40.
@degsdexter
Not in my house its not