Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross

It really is amazing how certain songs can affect us in a variety of ways. One song that deeply affects me is Dance With My Father sung by Luther Vandross and written by Vandross and Richard Marx. Now if you aren't familiar with the song, Vandross sings about his late father and the effect his father had on both him and his mother remembering one such memory of how his father used to dance with his mother. Writing about it now is giving me goosebumps, Why? I'm really not sure why. But I do have a few ideas as to why this song affects me so much.

The song came out in June of 2003, so perhaps I was still feeling that new dad sensation. My son had been born in June of 2002 and Gaby was still 6 months from being born. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it was one of Luther Vandross' last songs before he passed away in 2005. This is probably the actual reason why.

This kind of goes in hand-in-hand with my Father's Day rant. Fathers get the shitty end of the stick when it comes to holidays like Fathers Day compared to Mothers Day and understandably so. There are so many dead-beat Dads out there that screw things up for us dads who take care of our business with our kids on a daily basis that its hard to us to get the same kind of "love" that the moms do on their special day. Especially in the media with commercials. Why can't dad get some bling on Fathers Day like moms get on Mothers Day. But those of you who have heard that rant know how I feel about it so enough about that. LOL. Back to the song.

Even in music, you rarely hear someone singing positively about their dad. Poppa Was a Rolling Stone is a classic but let's be honest Poppa was not a Father of the Year candidate. But there is something in the way Luther sings about his father and how he wishes his mother and him could get one more dance with him that really tugs on the heartstrings. And its not that I relate it to my father. I still have my dad with me.

So I think that I hope that I can do an adequate job with my kids that they will remember me and hold me in such high regard in the same way that Luther Vandross held his father.

Do you all see where I'm coming from with this? It really is a beautiful song. Here are the lyrics:

Dance With My Father
Back when I was a child
Before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high
And dance with my mother and me
And then
Spin me around 'till I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure
I was loved

If I could get another chance
Another walk
Another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
How I'd love love love
To dance with my father again

When I and my mother
Would disagree
To get my way I would run
From her to him
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me
yeah yeah
Then finally make me do
Just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he
Would be gone from me

If I could steal one final glance
When final step
One final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
Cause I'd love love love to
Dance with my father again

Sometimes I'd listen outside her door
And I'd hear how mama would cry for him
I'd pray for her even more than me
I'd pray for her even more than me

I know I'm praying for much to much
But could you send her
The only man she loved
I know you don't do it usually
But Dear Lord
She's dying to dance with my father again

Every night I fall asleep
And this is all I ever dream

This is why we dads out there need to do right by our kids. So that we can be remembered for what we did as opposed to what he haven't done like that poor old rolling stone Poppa. I have tears welling up as I type this out. Man have I become a sap in my later years. LOL.

FH