The subtitle was added by the band's American record company, Mercury, to distinguish it from the King Harvest song with the same title released four years earlier.
Dancing in the Moonlight
Thin Lizzy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, you took me with a glance
I should've took that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance
Now we go steady to the pictures
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
And my father, he's going crazy
He says I'm livin' in a trance
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
It's three o'clock in the morning
And I'm on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I should've been in by ten
Now I won't get out until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
Oh, but it's a habit worth forming
If it means to justify the end
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
And I'm walking home
The last bus has long gone
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
(It's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long, hot summer night
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (it's caught me in in it's spotlight)
Dancing in the moonlight (dancing in the moonlight)
On this long, hot summer night (it's got me hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (it's caught me alright) (it's alright, alright)
Dancing in the moonlight (alright, alright, alright, alright)
On this long, hot summer night (got so goddamn hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing)
It's caught me in its spotlight (I'm still dancing)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
On this long, hot summer night
The song Dancing In The Moonlight is a classic Thin Lizzy song that is instantly recognizable and catchy. The lyrics describe the story of the singer who meets a girl and asks her to dance. They end up going steady to the pictures, and the singer finds himself hooked on dancing in the moonlight. He continues to do so, despite warnings from his father, and finds himself out on the streets at three in the morning. Despite getting into trouble for disobeying his curfew, the singer enjoys dancing in the moonlight and finds it a habit worth forming.
Line by Line Meaning
When I passed you in the doorway
When I first saw you in the doorway
Well, you took me with a glance
You caught my attention in just one glance
I should've took that last bus home
I should have left earlier
But I asked you for a dance
But instead, I asked you to dance with me
Now we go steady to the pictures
Now we regularly go out to the movies as a couple
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
I tend to be clumsy and make a mess of myself
And my father, he's going crazy
My father is getting frustrated with me
He says I'm livin' in a trance
He thinks I'm distracted and not paying attention to important things
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
But I'm enjoying myself and living in the moment
It's caught me in its spotlight
I'm captivated by the beauty of the moonlight
(It's alright, alright)
(It's okay, I'm okay)
On this long, hot summer night
On this hot summer night, I feel free and alive
It's three o'clock in the morning
It's very late at night
And I'm on the streets again
And I'm out on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I didn't listen to another warning
I should've been in by ten
I was supposed to be home by ten
Now I won't get out until Sunday
I won't be able to leave until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
I'll have to lie and say I stayed with friends
Oh, but it's a habit worth forming
But it's a habit that's worth keeping
If it means to justify the end
If it helps me achieve my goals in the end
And I'm walking home
And now I'm walking home
The last bus has long gone
The last bus has already left
Dancing in the moonlight
But I'm still dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
I'm still captivated by the beauty of the moonlight
(It's alright, alright)
(It's okay, I'm okay)
On this long, hot summer night
On this long, hot summer night, I continue to feel free and alive
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Philip Parris Lynott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kukol
When I passed you in the doorway
Well you took me with a glance
I should have took that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance
Now we go steady to the pictures
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
And my father he's going crazy
He says I'm living in a trance
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
It's three o'clock in the morning
And I'm on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I should have been in by ten
Now I won't get out until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
Oh, but it's a habit worth forming
If it means to justify the ends
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
And I'm walking home
My last bus has long gone
But I'm dancing, in the moonlight
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (It's caught me in in it's spotlight)
Dancing in the moonlight (dancing in the moonlight)
On this long hot summer night (It's got me hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
It's caught me in its spotlight (It's caught me alright alright alright)
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night (It's so got them hot)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing)
It's caught me in its spotlight (I'm still dancing)
Dancing in the moonlight (I'm dancing in the moonlight)
On this long hot summer night...
비정한세상
"Dancing In The Moonlight (It's Caught Me In Its Spotlight)"
When I passed you in the doorway
Well you took me with a glance
I should have took that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance
Now we go steady to the pictures
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
And my father he's going crazy
He says I'm living in a trance
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
It's three o'clock in the morning
And I'm on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I should have been in by ten
Now I won't get out until Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
But it's a habit worth forming
If it means to justify the end
And I'm walking home
The last bus has long gone
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
[Instrumental]
(It's got me hot)
(It's so got them hot)
(I'm still dancing)
tropicwave1
Dancing In The Moonlight (It's Caught Me In It's Spotlight)
Thin Lizzy
Album: Bad Reputation
When I passed you in the doorway
Well you took me with a glance
I should have took that last bus home
But I asked you for a dance
Now we go steady to the pictures
I always get chocolate stains on my pants
And my father he's going crazy
He say's I'm living in a trance
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
It's three o'clock in the morning
And I'm on the streets again
I disobeyed another warning
I should have been in by ten
Now I won't get out till Sunday
I'll have to say I stayed with friends
Oh but it's a habit worth forming
If it means to justify the end
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
And I'm walking home
The last bus is long gone
But I'm dancing in the moonlight
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
Dancing in the moonlight
It's caught me in its spotlight
It's alright, alright
Dancing in the moonlight
On this long hot summer night
Songwriters: Philip Parris Lynott
Dancin' in the Moonlight lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Ray Donavin
I miss my brother and when it really hurts I play Thin Lizzy because it always makes me remember the good times with him. Gabe you are gone but not forgotten,... Rest in paradise my brother
luke kerry
❤
Joe Kraft
Rest in peace to your dear brother, may god bless you and light and protect your path, sounds like a really great guy, sorry for your loss <3 - blessings from Idaho havin a beer for your brother now
Daniel Russell
Thinking of you ray sending best wishes from the UK
Jon Gallardo
Gone in the flesh but not in spirit. Love your best life for him . Love from Colorado ❤️
StevieMc
🙏🏻
Mi G
One of my favourite songs of all time. There is just something about it that conveys a feeling of the happiness of youth. Even if you only had moments of it and most of the happiness was a dream from films you saw.
Don't really like insulting other songs but this obliterate the other Dancing in the Moonlight songs out there. Melodic and upbeat yet haunting.
Alyson Rogers
So well said ! I agree
Thumper
The vocals are what make it for me. Brilliant
Caz Jordan
The bass line is everything... It is strolling up the path