Album: Dance Party (1964)

Charted: 4 2

License This Song 

• 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, PA
  Baltimore and DC 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 LA 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 Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 17

• Retro Ray from Los AngelesVery good history about "Hitsville, U.S.A." and this song: "READY FOR A BRAND NEW BEAT: How 'Dancing In The Street' Became The Anthem For A Changing America," by Mark Kurlansky (Riverhead Books, New York (2013), provides the history and context for this iconic song and the times within which it became an anthem of American pop culture. The book is still available!
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 11th 1966, The Mamas and the Papas' covered version of "Dancing in the Street" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #94; and on January 8th, 1967 it peaked at #73 {for 2 weeks} and spent 6 weeks on the Top 100...
  The record's A-side, "Words of Love", peaked at #5 {for 1 week} on January 15th, 1967.
• Susan from Atlanta, GeorgiaJay from New York, you are so right about the Mamas & Papas doing a great cover of this. It was their version that I heard first and was more familiar with than the original, but I love them both. The Ms & Ps' version seems to me to be more timely, coming out during the year of the Summer of Love -- let's get out there and dance together as one, so to speak -- so I was surprised when I first found out it had come out three years prior to that.
  
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 5th, 1965 Martha and the Vandellas performed "Dancing In The Street" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
  Four month earlier on August 22nd it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #2 (for 2 weeks) and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100...
  Four other versions have charted; Mamas & Papas (#73 in 1967), Ramsey Lewis (#84 in 1967), Van Halen (#38 in 1982), and Mick Jagger & David Bowie (#7 in 1985).
• Olle from Gothenburg, SwedenSwedish group TAGES did a great version in 1966. TAGES was by far the most talented popgroup in Sweden the 60's with 14 Top Ten hits between 1964 and 68. You can watch them performing "Dancing in the street" on Youtube.
• Kristin from Bessemer, AlAt the time when this song was released, on July 31, 1964, most radio stations were reluctant to play it, because most listeners would take it as an invitation to start rioting - when Martha Reeves learned of this, she was shocked beyond words-
• Andre from The Bronx, NyMartha Reeves' close friend Marvin Gaye and her main producer Mickey Stevenson wrote this song with Martha & The Vandellas in mind to perfoirm it. (It was never offered to the sultry Mary Wells and she thus never turned it down.) - Dre
  
• Colby from Arthur, IlHitsville USA did not have concrete floors in Studio A. They were mahogany wood floors that helped support the echo. And the clink you hear in the back ground are not tire chains. The sound was dubbed in after the initial recording and is a tire iron hitting an anvil. Slinging chains on a one two beat would be very very difficult, therefore if they had actually done that it would have completely ruined the wood floor
• Williamson Henderson from Manhattan, Ny"Dancing In The Street" was and remains the ultimate composite Motown song! "DITS" literally established "the Motown sound" in the Summer of 1964. Ironically, the Motown theme song was surprisingly not done by Motown's biggest standard bearers -- The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops or The Miracles nor even Stevie Wonder or Mary Wells. Instead, it was the enduring girl group Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (MRV). That fact makes it all the more impressive. Surprising, too, this symbolic Motown song is not one of the compositions by Holland/Dozier/Holland! It was penned by MRV producer Mickey Stevenson and Mr. Marvin Gaye.
  
  
• Doug from Oakland, CaI think the song is a metaphor for escalating the tactics of the civil rights struggle.
  "Calling out around the world,are you ready for a brand new beat?"In other words,its time to be more militant.The old non violence bag is dead.
  And,of course,during the Summer of 1964,the first ghetto rebellions broke out.
  Dancing in the Streets reflected the New Breed mood.
• Anonnymous from Nashville, TxVan Halen's cover of this is awesome. Check it out on their Diver Down album.
  
• Allen from Dothan, AlMartha Reeves was born in Eufaula, Alabama which is about an hour from my hometown of Dothan, Alabama. She did grow up in Detroit, however.
• Jay from New York, NyThe Mamas and the Papas did an excellent version of this song.
• Kyle from Belleville, CanadaBruce Springsteen covered this twice on his 1999 reunion tour with the E street band.
• Brian from Sydney, AustraliaGravely voiced Jimmy Barnes (Australia)lead singer of Cold CHISEL did a pretty good version of this in 2000 on his 2nd Motown album "SOUL DEEPER" also worth checking out his first CD of this series "Sole Deep"
  
  Brian Sydney Australia
• Dave from Cardiff, WalesDavid Bowie and Mick Jagger also covered this song in 1985 for the Live Aid cause!
• Jonnie from St. Louis, MoIf you listen closely to the background "sound
  effects" in this song, you will hear the sound of
  links of a tire chain being hit on the concrete floor as part of the 'back beat' percussion in this landmark song.

More Songfacts:

Private DancerTina Turner

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits wrote "Private Dancer," which went to Tina Turner when he realized it wasn't a song for a man to sing.

Don't You (Forget About Me)Simple Minds

The prom scene in Pretty in Pink was shot to "Don't You (Forget About Me)," but "If You Leave" was used in the film. That's why the dancers are out of time with the music.

HeroesDavid Bowie

David Bowie's "Heroes" is about his producer Tony Visconti and his girlfriend, but Bowie didn't admit this until the '00s, since Visconti was married at the time.

RudeMagic!

"Magic" was the first word to serve as both the title of a #1 hit (Olivia Newton-John's 1980 tune "Magic") and the name of an artist behind a chart-topping song (Magic!'s 2014 hit "Rude").

Return To InnocenceEnigma

"Return To Innocence" by Enigma is based on a Taiwanese chant by a husband and wife. The couple won a lawsuit granting them royalties from the song.

DiamondsRihanna

Rihanna's 2012 hit "Diamonds" was written by Sia Furler, who two years later had a huge hit on her own with "Chandelier." Sia also wrote the David Guetta hit "Titanium."

Editor's Picks

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.