About The Song
It was the summer of 1964, and the US was in the grip of political and cultural upheaval. Newspaper front pages told of three volunteers for the Freedom Summer Project — a campaign to register African-American voters in Mississippi — who went missing and were later found murdered. US troops had been sent to Vietnam, Malcolm X had called for “freedom by any means necessary” and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had been signed.
This was the backdrop for Martha and the Vandellas’ upbeat Motown dance track hitting the airwaves. Written by Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter, “Dancing in the Street” was inspired by watching people cool off in water from opened fire hydrants on the streets of Detroit. As the story goes, Gaye saw Martha Reeves in the Motown studio, where she worked as a secretary, and said to the producer, “Hey man, try this song on Martha.” The track was then recorded in less than 10 minutes in two takes, after they had failed to turn the recorder on the first time.
“Dancing in the Street” became a contagious hit and Motown signature, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four in the UK. The song was soon adopted as a civil rights anthem, played at rallies. It was interpreted as an “invitation across the nation” to riot and protest against racism, oppression and segregation. But when asked by the British press at the time if it was a call to action, Reeves burst into tears and insisted it was “a party song”, claiming: “I just want to be responsible for being a good singer.”
Activists haven’t been the only ones to read into the song in this way. Some radio stations at the time took the track off their playlists. In 2013, US journalist Mark Kurlansky wrote a book entitled: Ready for a Brand New Beat, How “Dancing in the Street” Became the Anthem for a Changing America. However, Stevenson, one of the song’s writers, told Kurlansky that its only message was one of integration: “Kids have no colour. They would play out there as if they were brothers and sisters of every creed. So the song comes from that idea.”
Regardless of intention, it’s clear that the song became symbolic of more than just getting up and grooving. Dance itself is a way of reclaiming space in hostile public arenas, so this was a political subject in itself. The peaceful act of non-violence asserts confidence, power and joy in what is here a shared space: “the street”. The song hints at the perceived menace of unrestrained bodies dancing in open view, but characterises it as an act of defiant celebration and inclusive jubilation. Reeves later acknowledged that the song was about “feeling free enough to dance in the street… you don’t have to worry about policemen coming and telling you you can’t.”
Martha and the Vandellas’ original rendition was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and is preserved in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Of course, it remains a loved party anthem, but also serves as a crucial reminder of the times.
Video
Lyrics
Callin’ 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 (dancing in the street)
Down in New Orleans (dancing in the street)
In New York City (dancing in the street)
All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swingin’ and swayin’ 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 ev’ry guy grab a girl
Everywhere around the world
There’ll be dancing (dancing in the street)
They’re dancing in the street
Dancing in the street
It’s just 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 (dancing in the street)
Baltimore and D.C. now (dancing in the street)
Can’t forget the Motor City (dancing in the street)
All we need is music, sweet music
There’ll be music everywhere
There’ll be swingin’, swayin’ and records playing
And 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 (dancing in the street)
Way down in L.A., every day, they’re dancing in the street
Let’s get our big strong long, get on time (they’re dancing in the street)
Across the ocean blue, me and you (we’re dancing in the street)