A Dance
Van Johnson Lyrics


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I could feel you slipping away gasping for air scarce heard amongst the thundering of heartbeats your lips parted in a lost smile there is a ghost in the darkness with your face and your eyes all I ask of it is a dance one last dance.




Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Van Johnson's "A Dance" elicit powerful emotions through vivid and poignant imagery. The first line, "I could feel you slipping away," conveys a sense of helplessness and loss as the singer watches someone they care about slowly drift away. The word "slipping" creates a sense of inevitability, as though this separation was always going to happen, and the use of the word "away" emphasizes the finality of the situation.


The following line, "gasping for air scarce heard amongst the thundering of heartbeats," expertly captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by emotions during a difficult moment. The imagery of someone gasping for air underscores the intensity of the situation, and the phrase "thundering of heartbeats" emphasizes the physical impact of these emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

I could feel you slipping away
I sensed that you were becoming distant from me.


Gasping for air scarce heard amongst the thundering of heartbeats
You were struggling to breathe, but it was hard to tell because of the loud beating of our hearts.


Your lips parted in a lost smile
You had a smile on your face, but it was not a happy one.


There is a ghost in the darkness with your face and your eyes
I see a figure in the dark that looks like you with your face and eyes.


All I ask of it is a dance
I request one last dance with this vision of you before you slip away completely.


One last dance
I just want one more chance to be close to you before you are gone forever.




Contributed by Eliana O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Lisa Tsou

I haven't watched this routine in a while, but it is a gem. And yes, you do see that as talented as Lucille Bremer was and as much as the MGM brass tried to make her a star, she really doesn't "pop" onscreen. Van Johnson may not have been Fred Astaire, but he definitely knew how to work with the camera, and on re-watch, I'm noticing how much more musical he is although he's not nearly as technically capable as his partner. (And the cut of the jacket is... not good for this number).

Gregory Milosh

The ‘starlet’ is Lucille Bremmer. She appeared in at least 2 pictures with Fred Astaire and was a VERY talented dancer. Check her out in a terrific dance number with Astaire entitled COFFEE TIME

Ruth Bashford

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

Bill Green

I'm glad you liked it.

Gopher State

I never saw this till now. Van was a great Dancer and I saw some stills from a Latin number he did but have not yet seen the clip.
Thanks for posting this . Lucille Bremer was great in this as well.

joan Austin

Have watched this before - and the dance number is just as great as I remember - thanks -

Bill Green

you're welcome.

Ty William Nash

I’ve never seen this clip, and I don’t know what film it’s from.... but I’ve always liked Van Johnson. I don’t know who the ingenue starlet is, but it’s a fine dance number.

Bill Green

Van dances with Lucille Bremer and this is from the movie "Till the Clouds Roll By" 1946.

Always Blake

Van Johnson was a Broadway dancer before Hollywood, and it show, even with the hulking sports jacket. Lucille Bremer was rumored to be the special "friend" of Arthur Freed, hence her star buildup. She never registered with audiences.

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