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Come Dancing (Simplified)(WORD)
Come Dancing (Simplified)(PDF)
Come Dancing (WORD)
Come Dancing (PDF)
YOU CAN PLAY ALONG IN THE SAME KEY AS THE VIDEO! I've also done up a simplified version for our BUG Jam (and so that Mark can use his steel drums).
The song was inspired by Ray's memories of his older sister, Rene, who died of a heart attack while dancing at a dance hall. The track, sung from the perspective of an "East End barrow boy," contains lyrics about dates at a local Palais dance hall or "the pally" - the slang for “palais.” The term “pally” is an abbreviation derived from the French “Palais de Dance,” which refers to a dance hall. This usage dates back to at least 1948 and was noted in the slang of American paratroopers, who would have encountered the term while stationed in England during and after World War II. The term “palais” itself is French for “palace,” and many Victorian buildings that were originally theaters but later became dance halls were referred to as "The (insert name here) Palais". So, in a historical and cultural context, “pally” would be a colloquial way to refer to a local dance hall.
The track's promotional video became a staple of the fledgling MTV network, which gave the single sufficient momentum to enter the Billboard Hot 100 that May, ascending to the Top 40 in June 1983 and peaking at number six on 11 July. "Come Dancing" became the highest charting US single of the band's career, tying "Tired of Waiting for You" from 1965.