In 1956 Tony formed his first band. In 1958, at 18, he began appearing on the BBC's Oh Boy, playing electric guitar. He was eventually offered a contract to perform at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, Germany.
While performing in Hamburg between 1960 and 1963, Sheridan employed various backup bands. In 1961, one such band, who had met Sheridan during their first visit to Hamburg in 1960, and who worked with him on their second, was The Beatles (with their line-up at the time as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best). When German Polydor agent Bert Kaempfert saw the pairing on stage, he suggested that they make some recordings together. In 1962, after a series of singles (the first of which, "My Bonnie"/"The Saints" made it to #5 in the Hit Parade), Polydor released the album My Bonnie across Germany. The word Beatles was judged to sound too similar to the German Pidels (pronounced peedles), the plural of a slang term for penis, hence the album was credited to Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers. After The Beatles had gained fame, the album was re-released in Britain, with the credit altered to Tony Sheridan and The Beatles.
By 1967, Sheridan had become disillusioned with his Beatle-brought fame. As he was more concerned by the Vietnam War, Sheridan agreed to perform for the Allied troops. While in Vietnam however, the band that he had assembled was fired upon and one of the members was killed. Reuters reported that Sheridan himself had died. For his work entertaining the Allies, Sheridan was made an honorary Captain of the United States army.
In the early 1970s, Sheridan managed a West German radio programme of blues music, which was well-received. In 1978, the Star Club was reopened, and Sheridan performed there along with Elvis Presley's TCB Band.
On August 13, 2002, Sheridan released Vagabond, a collection largely of his own material, but also including a new cover version of "Skinny Minnie", a song he had years earlier recorded for his first album.
Let's Dance
Tony Sheridan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say that you'll let me have this dance
Well let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too,
Any old dance that you wanna do
But let's dance, well let's dance
Hold me tight, don't you let me go
But let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too
Any old dance that you wanna do
But let's dance, well let's dance
SPOKEN: OK, wail now.
Oh, yeah
Hey, baby, if you're all alone
Maybe you'll let me walk you home
But let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too,
Any old dance that you wanna do
But let's dance, well let's dance
Hey, baby, things are swingin' right
Yes, I know that this is the night
Well let's dance, well let's dance
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too
Any old dance that you wanna do
But let's dance, well let's dance
But let's dance
But let's dance
But let's dance
The lyrics of Tony Sheridan's song "Let's Dance" express an invitation to dance and have fun. The singer, who is presumably a man, addresses a woman and asks her to take a chance and dance with him. He suggests they can do various dances, such as the twist, the stomp, and the mashed potato, or any other dance she would like to do. The lyrics convey the excitement and joy of dancing, as well as the desire to hold the woman tight and not let her go.
The song's tempo is upbeat and lively, creating a sense of energy and movement. The lyrics can be interpreted as a romantic invitation, but they can also be seen as a celebration of life and the simple pleasures of dancing. The repeated phrase "let's dance" reinforces the idea of seizing the moment and enjoying the present.
Overall, "Let's Dance" is a fun and catchy song that captures the spirit of dancing and encourages listeners to join in. The lyrics are simple yet effective, conveying a sense of playfulness and exuberance.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey baby won't you take a chance?
Tony asks the girl if she's willing to take a risk and dance with him
Say that you'll let me have this dance
Tony pleads with the girl to give him the chance to dance with her
Well let's dance, well let's dance
Tony is excited to start dancing with the girl
We'll do the twist, the stomp, the mashed potato too, Any old dance that you wanna do
Tony is willing to dance any type of dance the girl wants, from the popular dances of the time to any weirder ones she knows
Hey baby, yeah, you thrill me so
Tony tells the girl how excited he is by her presence and how attracted he is to her
Hold me tight, don't you let me go
Tony wants the girl to hold him tight and not let go while dancing
SPOKEN: OK, wail now.
Tony encourages the band to start playing so they can rock the dance floor
Hey, baby, if you're all alone, Maybe you'll let me walk you home
Tony offers to walk the girl home if she's alone
Hey, baby, things are swingin' right, Yes, I know that this is the night
Tony is convinced that the night is the perfect one for dancing and that everything is going great
But let's dance
Tony wants the girl to focus on dancing together
But let's dance
Tony repeats his desire to dance with the girl
But let's dance
Tony repeats his desire to dance with the girl once more
Writer(s): Jim Lee
Contributed by Max T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.