Martha and the Vandellas

Dancing In The Street

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Dancing In The Street Lyrics

	


Calling out around the world,
Are you ready for a brand new beat?
Summer's here and the time is right
For dancing in the street.
They're dancing in Chicago,
Down in New Orleans,
In New York City.

All we need is music, sweet music.
There'll be music everywhere.
There'll be swinging and swaying and records playing,
Dancing in the street.
Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear,
Just as long as you are there.
So come on, every guy, grab a girl.
Everywhere around the world
They'll be dancing. 
They're dancing in the street.

It's an invitation across the nation,
A chance for folks to meet.
There'll be laughing, singing, and music swinging,
Dancing in the street.
Philadelphia, P.A.
Baltimore and D.C. now.
Can't forget the Motor City.

All we need is music, sweet music.
There'll be music everywhere.
There'll be swinging and swaying and records playing,
Dancing in the street.
Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear,
Just as long as you are there.
So come on, every guy, grab a girl.
Everywhere around the world
They're dancing.
They're dancing in the street.

Way down in L.A. ev'ry day,
They're dancing in the street.
(Dancing in the street.)
Let's form a big, strong line, get in time, 
We're dancing in the street.
(Dancing in the street.)
Across the ocean blue, me and you, 
We're dancing in the street.

	

Submitted by

thedirge On Jun 17, 2009

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3 Meanings

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by spunkychick

13y ago

great and catchy song about the black civil rights!!!

Song Meaning

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by sokorny 10y ago

@spunkychick Not the original meaning behind the song ... it just turned into a song that activists took ownership of.

by kass8286 2y ago

@spunkychick I don't think it's a coincidence that all the cities called out in the song were destinations in the Great Migration and still have a sizable and vibrant black community.

by ishtiaqahmedz

6y ago

Dancing is used as a methaphore for protest. The mentioned cities had active civil rights movements nd the songs refers to them.

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by ishtiaqahmedz

6y ago

This song was placed at number 40 in the list of 500 Greatest Songs by Rolling Afone

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