For A Dancer

Album: Late For The Sky (1974)
Play Video
  • Keep a fire burning in your eye
    Pay attention to the open sky
    You never know what will be coming down
    I don't remember losing track of you
    You were always dancing in and out of view
    I must have thought she'd always be around
    Always keeping things real by playing the clown
    Now you're nowhere to be found

    I don't know what happens when people die
    Can't seem to grasp it as hard as I try
    It's like a song I can hear
    Playing right in my ear
    That I can't sing
    I can't help listening

    I can't help feeling stupid standing 'round
    Crying as they ease you down
    'Cause I know that you'd rather we were dancing
    Dancing our sorrow away
    (Right on dancing)
    No matter what fate chooses to play
    (There's nothing you can do about it anyway)

    Just do the steps that you've been shown
    By everyone you've ever known
    Until the dance becomes your very own
    No matter how close to yours
    Another's steps have grown
    In the end there is one dance you'll do alone

    Keep a fire for the human race
    And let your prayers go drifting into space
    You never know what will be coming down

    Perhaps a better world is drawing near
    Just as easily, it could all disappear
    Along with whatever meaning you might have found
    Don't let the uncertainty turn you around
    (The world keeps turning around and around)
    Go on and make a joyful sound

    Into a dancer you have grown
    From a seed somebody else has thrown
    Go on ahead and throw some seeds of your own
    And somewhere between the time
    You arrive and the time you go
    May lie a reason you were alive
    But you'll never know Writer/s: Jackson Browne
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 9

  • Cpg from Hickory NcI’ve often said that Jackson Browne wrote the soundtrack to my life…Late For the Sky at the end of my marriage, now this one suddenly reappeared as I’ve learned to live with the death of my son.

    “The Pretender”, “Bright Baby Blues”… his acoustic album was playing in the background as my grandchildren were born.

    Even “Lawyers in Love”…

    Too many lines that just “fit”.

    He and I have a great relationship… he keeps on putting out albums, and I keep on buying them and sometimes re-buying them because I’ve worn them out.

    Excited to see him for the sixth time in Vegas in November!
  • Stargazer from KentuckyThis song has nothing to do with Phylis Magers death. It was about a Renaissance man who was a friend of his. Just ask Jackson.
  • Redhookkid from BrooklynIn 1980 it was known he wrote the song after his girlfriend’s suicide after he broke up with her. She was heartbroken after she found out he was seeing another woman. Now the script has flipped. The statement was published in an article, circa 1980, in Rolling Stone magazine. What Gives?
  • Paul Dreher from Ballwin MissouriSuch a beautiful and touching song. There are not many songs that can bring me to tears... but this is one of them.
  • Jim Thomson from Clifton, VaJB also sang this song at the Nicolette Larson tribute concert in February, 1998.
  • Tony Carfagno from Cherry Hill NjSince the late 60's his music, his words, his sound captured and healed every emotion i had. Still to this day, i know where i was, what i was doing and thinking, with each tune he recorded. You could feel the ups and downs in his life, as if it were mine. Jackson is a very special person, he truly lived his life through his songs. As i have many times before, i send my best to you and your Family and may God Bless you. Thanks for the healing of the lives of many
  • Bruce from Spokane, Wa, UsaJB is one of the best song writers in American rock music. His words and music and yes, his voice speak loudly and soulfully to me and millions more. I’ve leaned on his music to help me through some tough times and to help me understand the full beauty of life around me. I’ve been listening to his music since the early 70s and continue to listen today. Thank you Jackson for your gifts! If you are unfamiliar with his work, check it out. It’s amazing and stands the test of time for remaining relevant.
  • AnonymousI love Jackson Brown, his songs touch my soul always has a way of making me think of life and it’s meanings.
  • Andy from Osa Península, Costa RicaAll of JB’s songs were instrumental in getting me through troubled times or relationships as I matured. Interesting how I’m finding solace with his music again during this pandemic.
    Gracias hermano!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."

In The Cards

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"They're Playing My Song

Armed with a childhood spent devouring books, Mike Scott's heart was stolen by the punk rock scene of 1977. Not surprisingly, he would go on to become the most literate of rockers.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce PavittSong Writing

The man who ran Nirvana's first label gets beyond the sensationalism (drugs, Courtney) to discuss their musical and cultural triumphs in the years before Nevermind.