Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, prominent American recording artists; first met… Read Full Bio ↴Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, prominent American recording artists; first met backstage in 2011 after Gaga had performed a rendition of Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky", at the Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York City, New York, United States. Thereafter Bennett asked Gaga to sing a duet with him on his upcoming album. They finally recorded "The Lady Is a Tramp" for his Grammy Award-winning album, Duets II, and subsequently rumors arose of a jazz album from them. In September of 2012, Bennett confirmed to Rolling Stone that Gaga wanted to record a jazz album with him.

The duo's debut entitled 'Cheek to Cheek' is scheduled to be released on September 23, 2014, after being delayed twice. "Anything Goes", was released as the first single from the album July 29, 2014; followed by its music video to Gaga's YouTube and Vevo accounts. The video showed Gaga and Bennett recording "Anything Goes" as well as other songs from Cheek to Cheek.

I Won't Dance
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance, Madame, with you
My heart won't let my feet do things that you do

You know what? You're lovely

And so what? I'm lovely

But, oh, what you do to me
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor

When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle

Especially when we do the Continental

But this feeling isn't purely mental

For, heaven rest us, we're not asbestos

And that's why I won't dance, why should I?

I won't dance, how could I?

I won't dance, merci beaucoup
We know that music leads the way to romance,
So if I hold you in my arms I won't dance

When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle
Especially when we do the Continental

But this feeling isn't purely mental (Oh really)
For, heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos

And that's why I won't dance, why should I?

I won't dance, how could I?

I won't dance, merci beaucoup
We know that music leads the way to romance
So if I hold you in my arms

I won't dance
I won't dance
I won't dance
I won't dance
I won't dance, dance, dance,

I won't dance
Dance

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tony Bennett's "I Won't Dance" express the reluctance of the singer to dance with his partner, as he has deep feelings for her and is afraid of being overwhelmed by the physical proximity their dancing would entail. The repeated insistence of "I won't dance, don't ask me" underscores his determination to resist the seductive allure of music, which can easily lead to an emotional and physical attachment.

Despite acknowledging the beauty and charm of his partner, the singer feels helpless and overwhelmed by his passion, comparing himself to an "ocean wave bumped on the shore," and admitting that he feels "absolutely stumped on the floor." He muses on the power of music to create a romantic bond between two people and acknowledges that holding his partner in his arms would be too dangerous for his emotions: "we know that music leads the way to romance, so if I hold you in my arms I won't dance."

The song is a testament to the emotional power of music and the difficulty of resisting its allure when one's heart is involved. The singer's internal struggle between his desire to dance and his fear of the consequences creates a poignant narrative that speaks to anyone who has experienced the intense emotions that music can evoke.

Line by Line Meaning

I won't dance, don't ask me
I refuse to dance, please do not ask me to dance.

I won't dance, Madame, with you
I will not dance with you, Madame.

My heart won't let my feet do things that you do
I cannot dance like you because my heart is not inclined to do so.

You know what? You're lovely
You are a beautiful person.

And so what? I'm lovely
I am also a lovely person, but that does not change my decision.

But, oh, what you do to me
You have an effect on me, despite my reluctance to dance.

I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
I feel overwhelmed and uncertain, like a wave that loses its direction on the shore.

I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor
I am completely stuck, unsure of how to proceed on the dance floor.

Especially when we do the Continental
You are particularly charming and graceful when we dance the Continental style.

But this feeling isn't purely mental
My reservations about dancing with you are not just in my head.

For, heaven rest us, we're not asbestos
We are not immune to the emotions that come with close physical contact and romance.

And that's why I won't dance, why should I?
This is the reason for my refusal to dance – why should I put myself in an emotionally vulnerable position?

I won't dance, how could I?
It is not possible for me to dance with you, given my reservations and emotions.

I won't dance, merci beaucoup
Thank you very much, but I still won't dance.

We know that music leads the way to romance
We are aware of the romantic implications of dancing.

So if I hold you in my arms I won't dance
Even if we embrace, I will not dance with you.

I won't dance
Once again, I must reiterate that I will not dance.

I won't dance, dance, dance
I refuse to dance, no matter how many times you ask.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern, Jimmy Mc Hugh, Oscar Hammerstein Ii, Otto Harbach

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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04I Can't Give You Anything But Love3:13

05I Won't Dance3:57

PT4M57S

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

06Firefly1:58

07Lush Life4:15

08Sophisticated Lady3:50

09Let's Face the Music and Dance2:07

10But Beautiful4:04

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@stav3359

6y↑15

"I Won't Dance"
(with Tony Bennett)

I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance, Madame, with you
My heart won't let my feet do things that they should do

You know what?, you're lovely
And so what? I'm lovely
And, oh, what you do to me
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor

When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle
Especially when we do the Continental
But this feeling isn't purely mental
For, heaven rest us, we're not asbestos

And that's why I won't dance, why should I?
I won't dance, how could I?
I won't dance, merci beaucoup
We know that music leads the way to romance,
So if I hold you in my arms I won't dance

When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle
Especially when you do the Continental
But this feeling isn't purely mental
For, heaven rest us, I am not asbestos

And that's why I won't dance, why should I?
I won't dance, how could I?
I won't dance, merci beaucoup
We know that music leads the way to romance,
So if I hold you in my arms I won't dance
I won't dance, I won't dance, I won't dance
I won't dance, dance, dance
I won't dance
Dance