Band leader Harvey was born in Glasgow, Scotland 1935. During the fifties he played in many different Jazz bands playing Dixieland Jazz and later skiffle.
In 1959 he formed the Alex Harvey Soul Band playing Blues and rock n Roll music. Although a successful stint in Hamburg completed, Harvey found it difficult finding recognition with the ‘Soul Band’ and through the second half of the sixties Alex with his brother Les Harvey moved from one group to another until 1969 when he took up as a resident musician in the stage show of ‘Hair’.
In 1972 Alex joined forces with Scottish up and coming rockers ‘Tear Gas’. The band with Alex at the helm changed names to “The Sensational Alex Harvey Band”. The Sensational Alex Harvey Shows were noted for their theatrical content and idiosyncratic style of delivery. The music influences varied greatly. From blues to music hall stage shows.
After years of a punishing stage show and never ending Gig schedules, Alex announced in 1977 that due to back problems he was to retire from the music business.
Following a rare come back tour in Europe Alex died of a heart attack in 1982.
In 1977 after the Band and Alex Harvey parted company with Alex recording the solo Album ‘Loch Ness Monster’ (NB: Not a music album, but a recorded documentary about the fabled monster !), while the band without Alex, recorded ‘Four Play’. Alex and the band came together again in 1978 for a final album 'Rock Drill'. The Band and Alex then parted company again. Alex put together a new band in 1979 to record the album ‘The Mafia Stole My Guitar’. In 1983 Alex's final recording ‘Soldier On The Wall’ (comprised mainly of recordings made pre-SAHB), was posthumously issued. The Band having separated and playing in different Bands re-united in 2004 for a final tour with spot. The band released a live recording 'Zalvation'. Through 2006 the band has continued to play live in Britain with some new dates for 2007. 2006 band members are Max Maxwell filling the vocal spot with original members Zal Cleminson; Guitar, Chris Glen; Bass, Hugh McKenna; Keyboards, and Ted McKenna; Drums
Alex Harvey and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band releases include
• 1972 Framed
• 1973 Next
• 1974 The Impossible Dream
• 1975 Tomorrow Belongs To Me
• 1976 Penthouse Tapes
• 1976 SAHB Stories
• 1978 Rock Drill
Alex Harvey Solo Releases include
• 1977 Alex Harvey Presents The Loch Ness Monster
• 1979 The Mafia Stole My Guitar
• 1983 Soldier On The Wall
Sensational Alex Harvey Band (without Alex Harvey) Include
• 1977 Four play
. 1993 Live in Glasgow (Stevie Doherty vocals)
• 2005 Zalvation
Dance to Your Daddy
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before i remove all the innocent
My father will lift me high
And dance with my mother and me and then
Spin me around till i fell asleep
And up the staris he will carry me
And i knew for sure i was loved
If i could give another chance
Another walk another dance with him
I play a song that will never ever end
How i love love love to dance with my father again
I and my momma will disqgree
To get my way i would run from her to him
He make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my momma say
Later that night when i was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet never dream that he will be gone from me
If i could steal one final glance one final step one final dancw with him
I played a song that were never ever end
How i love love love to dance with ma father again
Sometime i listen outside the door and
Hears momma will cry for him
I pray for her even more than me i pray for her even more
I know i pray for much to much but could you send back the only man she love i know you don't do it usually
But dear lord she's dying to dance with my father again
Everynight i fall asleep
And this all are ever dream
The lyrics to "Dance To Your Daddy" by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band are poignant and nostalgic, reflecting on the singer's childhood memories with their father who is no longer with them. The song evokes a sense of loss and longing for the joyous moments they shared together, specifically through the act of dancing. At the beginning of the song, the singer reminisces about their father lifting them up and dancing with their mother and them. The imagery of spinning around until the child falls asleep and being carried up the stairs by their father creates a comforting, dreamlike ambiance. The child knew for sure they were loved, which instills a sense of security and reverence towards their father.
However, as the song progresses, it reveals that the father is gone and how his absence has affected the singer and their family. The singer and their mother disagree, causing the singer to run to their father to avoid conflict. Their father made them laugh to comfort them, but at the end of the day, he still made them follow what their mother said. The father even left a dollar under the child's sheet as a gesture of love, which emphasizes how much he cared for them, even in the small things. The dream of dancing with their father again is so strong that the singer pleads with God to bring him back for their mother, who is dying to dance with him again.
The song brilliantly captures the universal experience of losing someone close and missing their presence while cherishing the memories they had. The lyrics hit deep and showcases the power of music in conveying complex emotions. The song's simplicity and singularity of theme make it a popular choice for father-daughter dances at weddings.
Line by Line Meaning
Back when i was a child
In my distant past as a young person
Before i remove all the innocent
Prior to losing my childlike purity
My father will lift me high
My dad would graciously raise me upwards
And dance with my mother and me and then
He would then engage in rhythmic movement with my mother and me
Spin me around till i fell asleep
He'd twirl me around until I was exhausted and would drift off to slumber
And up the staris he will carry me
My father would then proceed to carry me up the stairs
And i knew for sure i was loved
At this point, I was certain that I was cherished
If i could give another chance
If it were possible to go back in time
Another walk another dance with him
To relive another walk and dance with my dad
I play a song that will never ever end
I would play an endless tune
How i love love love to dance with my father again
To dance once again with my father would be a great joy to me
I and my momma will disqgree
My mother and I were known to disagree
To get my way i would run from her to him
Occasionally, I would flee to my father to gain my desired outcome
He make me laugh just to comfort me
His humorous nature put me at ease
Then finally make me do just what my momma say
But ultimately he'd side with my mother and I would obey her
Later that night when i was asleep
That same evening while I slept
He left a dollar under my sheet never dream that he will be gone from me
My father left a token of his love under my sheets, never did I suspect he would leave me so soon
If i could steal one final glance one final step one final dancw with him
If I could sneak in one last look, one last move, or even one final dance with him
I played a song that were never ever end
I would play an endless tune
How i love love love to dance with ma father again
One more dance with him would bring me great happiness
Sometime i listen outside the door and
On occasion, I would eavesdrop at the door and
Hears momma will cry for him
Hear my mother crying over him
I pray for her even more than me i pray for her even more
I pray for her more than I pray for myself
I know i pray for much to much but could you send back the only man she love i know you don't do it usually
I realize I may be asking for too much, but could you bring back the only man she truly loves, as I understand it's not something you usually do?
But dear lord she's dying to dance with my father again
She longs for another dance with my father before passing on
Everynight i fall asleep
Each night when I close my eyes
And this all are ever dream
This is all I ever dream about
Writer(s): ALEX HARVEY, HUGH MCKENNA, CHRIS GLEN, ALISTAIR CLEMINSON, TED MCKENNA
Contributed by Benjamin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.