3 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A

Mystery Dance Lyrics

Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill
He jumped out the window cause he couldn't sit still
Juliet was waiting with a safety net
He said, "Don't bury me 'cause I'm not dead yet"
Why don't you tell me 'bout the mystery dance
I wanna know about the mystery dance
Why don't you show me
'Cause I've tried and I've tried
And I'm still mystified
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
Well I remember when the lights went out
And I was tryin' to make it look like it was never in doubt
She thought that I knew, and I thought that she knew
So both of us were willing, but we didn't know how to do it
Why don't you tell me 'bout the mystery dance
I wanna know about the mystery dance
Why don't you show me
'Cause I've tried and I've tried
And I'm still mystified
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
Well I was down under the covers in the middle of the night
Tryin' to discover my left foot from my right
You can see those pictures in any magazine
But what's the use of looking when you don't know what they mean
Why don't you tell me 'bout the mystery dance
I wanna know about the mystery dance
Why don't you show me
'Cause I've tried and I've tried
And I'm still mystified
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied
3 Meanings

Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.

Add your thoughts...
Cover art for Mystery Dance lyrics by Elvis Costello

Its about a young couple trying to figure out how to have sex for the first time... least, that was what I got out of it. Also based on the assumption that throughout the album "dancing" is a eupamism for sex.

Cover art for Mystery Dance lyrics by Elvis Costello

It's raunchy and innocent all at the same time. And the vocal rhythm for the first few lines always blows me away. Great stuff.

Cover art for Mystery Dance lyrics by Elvis Costello

I heard a live version of this, in which Costello repeats "I can't do it anymore and I'm not satisfied" an incredible number of times, very fast. I thought, "Is this song is about masturbation?"

But then I paid attention to the rest of the lyrics, and it became apparent that there's more to it. (Yeah, I know...here it is 2009 and I'm listening to This Year's Model for the first time...)

 
Questions and Answers

Ask specific questions and get answers to unlock more indepth meanings & facts.

Ask a question...