Friday, July 3, 2009
Come Dancing
My Lady Chatelaine has often said she felt she was born too late. I too am nostalgic for things before my time. The post war years (WWII) seem so full of glamour as seen through my five year old eyes. By the time I could drive, the local malt shoppe was gone, replaced by Golden Arches. The dance palaces were ancient history.
So, LC looks to me to find pieces of what she missed. And me? I have this Ray Davies song and a fantasy that I will be able to dance in a romantic way that was giving way to the Twist when I was six.
Come Dancing / The Kinks
They put a parking lot on a piece of land
When the supermarket used to stand.
Before that they put up a bowling alley
On the site that used to be the local palais.
Thats where the big bands used to come and play.
My sister went there on a saturday.
Come dancing,
All her boyfriends used to come and call.
Why not come dancing, its only natural?
Another saturday, another date.
She would be ready but shes always make them wait.
In the hallway, in anticipation,
He didnt know the night would end up in frustration.
Hed end up blowing all his wages for the week
All for a cuddle and a peck on the cheek.
Come dancing,
Thats how they did it when I was just a kid,
And when they said come dancing,
My sister always did.
My sister should have come in a midnight,
And my mum would always sit up and wait.
It always ended up in a big row
When my sister used to get home late.
Out of my window I can see them in the moonlight,
Two silhouettes saying goodnight by the garden gate
.
The day they knocked down the palais
My sister stood and cried.
The day they knocked down the palais
Part of my childhood died, just died.
Now Im grown up and playing in a band,
And theres a car park where the palais used to stand.
My sisters married and she lives on an estate.
Her daughters go out, now its her turn to wait.
She knows they get away with things she never could,
But if I asked her I wonder if she would,
Come dancing,
Come on sister, have yourself a ball.
Dont be afraid to come dancing,
Its only natural.
Come dancing,
Just like the palais on a saturday.
And all her friends will come dancing
Where the big bands used to play.
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4 comments:
One of the benefits of growing up in North Dakota was that we were about twenty years behind the times in just about everything. When I was a teen, we still had drug stores with lunch counters, ice cream shops, dime stores.
We sometimes brought our .22's to school so we could go straight out to the coulee afterward and shoot tin cans. We put guys into the trunk to save money getting into the drive-in.
In winter, we could grab the bumper on the city bus and slide on our feet on the icy streets.
The downside? All the cops knew my dad.
Captain, you were doing great that night I was making you dance with me in the kitchen while we were cooking dinner, remember? Maybe we shouldn't have started with some Earth, Wind, and Fire disco stuff, though. Next time I'll put on some Tony Bennett or something :)
Col. Hogan,
In grade school, the boys would bring their folding jack-knives and whittle on sticks at recess.
The knives, not to mention the pointy sticks would be cause for a call to the police, expulsion, 6 months of counceling, and a community meeting.
The Cap'n
One of my fave Kinks tunes. Only one I like better is the acoustic version of Gallon of Gas. Not on U Tube but I have a copy.
I'm just old enuff to remember going downtown to shop. Saw a lot of downtowns lately.
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