Let the Dance Go On

My grandmother danced the Charleston,
And scared her father half out of his life,
When she came home late from the village hall,
On a Saturday night,
And she'd smile each time she told me,
About the boys she had standing in line,
To take her hand and lead her out on that floor,
One more time.

My grandfather scored goals at weekends,
In the week he'd work the land,
And on Saturdays he'd take his place in line,
To take my grandmother's hand,
And he'd lead her onto the dance floor,
And I suppose that's where the plans were made,
Through words of love that were spoken,
As the music played.

Chorus:
And the dance goes on down through the years,
It gives us strength, it draws us near,
And if there's someone there to take your hand,
Out on the floor is where you'll understand,
When I look at these old photographs,
Sometimes I'll cry but sometimes I'll laugh,
And sometimes I wonder how we grew so strong,
To trust in fate,
And let the dance go on.

My mother was a rock n roller,
In a flower print skirt and bobby socks,
Down the Parish Hall on a Saturday night,
Was where she'd go to rock,
To Everly Brothers records playing,
A chaperone pacing the room,
Her youthful fear complaining,
That the end would come too soon.

My father liked Little Richard,
And his Norton machine would dance,
He gave my mother the options,
And she decided to take the chance,
And together they found the music,
Riding that Norton so fast,
They had picture shows and green leaf days,
A future coloured by the past.

So it comes to me to find my way,
And hear the rhythm of my own heart,
But out there on the dance floor,
I've made the odd false start,
And when it comes to dancing,
I wish I could Charleston like my gran,
But the thing to remember, she told me,
Is just to dance whenever you can.

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