englishRock

Come Dancing Lyrics

by The Kinks

22 views • Published on Oct 3, 2026

Come Dancing Lyrics

They put a parking lot on a piece of land When the supermarket used to stand. Before that they put up a bowling alley On the site that used to be the local palais. That's where the big bands used to come and play. My sister went there on a Saturday. Come dancing, All her boyfriends used to come and call. Why not come dancing, it's only natural? Another Saturday, another date. She would be ready but she's always make him wait. In the hallway, in anticipation, He didn't know the night would end up in frustration. He'd end up blowing all his wages for the week All for a cuddle and a peck on the cheek. Come dancing, That's how they did it when I was just a kid, And when they said come dancing, My sister always did. My sister should have come in at midnight, And my mum would always sit up and wait. It always ended up in a big row When my sister used to get home late. Out of my window I can see them in the moonlight, Two silhouettes saying goodnight by the garden gate. The day they knocked down the palais My sister stood and cried. The day they knocked down the palais Part of my childhood died, just died. Now I'm grown up and playing in a band, And there's a car park where the palais used to stand. My sister's married and she lives on an estate. Her daughters go out, now it's her turn to wait. She knows they get away with things she never could, But if I asked her I wonder if she would, Come dancing, Come on sister, have yourself a ball. Don't be afraid to come dancing, It's only natural. Come dancing, Just like the palais on a Saturday. And all her friends will come dancing Where the big bands used to play

Meaning of Come Dancing

“Come Dancing” is a poignant reflection on lost innocence and the bittersweet passage of time, painted through the lens of memory and regret. The Kinks capture a sense of melancholy as the narrator observes his sister’s enduring fascination with dancing – a tradition rooted in a vanished era symbolized by the demolished palais and its vibrant past. Initially excited by the prospect of youthful abandon, the song reveals a cycle of frustration and wasted money for her boyfriends, mirroring the narrator's own quiet sadness. It highlights a generational disconnect; his sister’s continued yearning contrasts with her settled life, while he pursues music. The repeated invitation “Come dancing” becomes a lament for lost opportunities and a subtle plea to embrace joy before it disappears entirely, ultimately expressing a deep nostalgia for a simpler, more carefree time.

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