I Won't Dance
Resisting Romance: Unveiling the Dance of Emotions in Nnenna Freelon's Melody
Lyrics
I won't dance, don't ask me
I refuse to dance, please don't ask me to.
I won't dance, don't ask me
Reiteration of the refusal to dance, emphasizing the decision.
I won't dance madame with you
I won't dance with you, madame.
My heart won't let me feet do things that they should do
My heart is preventing my feet from performing dance moves.
You know what, you're lovely
Expressing admiration, acknowledging the person as lovely.
You know what, you're so lovely
Reiteration of the person's loveliness.
And you know what you do to me
Acknowledging the impact the person has on the speaker.
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
Comparing the speaker's emotions to an ocean wave hitting the shore.
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor
Feeling perplexed and overwhelmed, as if stumbling on the floor.
When you dance, you're charming and you're gentle
Complimenting the person's dancing as charming and gentle.
Specially when you do The Continental
Specifically praising the person's execution of "The Continental" dance.
But this feeling isn't purely mental
Indicating that the feelings evoked are not just in the mind.
For heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos
Humorous reference to being not asbestos, possibly meaning vulnerable or flammable.
And that's why
Transition to the main reason for not dancing.
I won't dance, why should I?
Questioning the necessity of dancing.
I won't dance, how could I?
Expressing doubt about the possibility of dancing.
I won't dance, merci beaucoup
Rejection of dancing with a polite "thank you very much."
I know that music lead the way to romance
Acknowledging the romantic connotation of music and dance.
So if I hold you in arms.... I won't dance
Despite the romantic context, the speaker still refuses to dance.
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