I WON'T DANCE
From the film "Roberta" (1935)
(Jerome Kern / Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh)

Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire - 1935
Eddy Duchin Orch. (vocal: Lew Sherwood) - 1935
Johnny Green Orch.(vocal: Marjorie Logan & Jimmy Farrell) - 1935
Leo Reisman Orch. (vocal: Phil Dewey) - 1935
George Hall Orch. (vocal: Loretta Lee & Sonny Schuyler) - 1935
Jack Hylton Orch. (vocal: Sam Browne) - 1935
Carroll Gibbons Orch. (vocal: Anne Lenner) - 1935
Judy Garland - 1944
Ella Fitzgerald - 1949
Kaye Ballard - 1952
Anita O'Day - 1956
Blossom Dearie - 1956
Frank Sinatra - 1957
Johnny Mathis - 1962
Frank Sinatra & Count Basie - 1962
Peggy Lee - 1963
Susannah McCorkle - 1981
Nanette Natal - 1990
Sylvia McNair & André Previn - 1994
Barbara Carroll - 1996
Doug Ferony - 1996
Carol Sloane & Clark Terry - 1997
Barbara Cook - 1997
Stacey Kent - 2000
Brian Evans - 2000
Will Young - 2002

Also recorded by: Margaret Whiting; Louis Armstrong;
Guy Lombardo; Van Alexander; Stephane Grappelli.


I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance madame with you
My heart won't let me feet do things that they sould do

You know what, you're lovely
You know what, you're so lovely
And you know what you do to me
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor

When you dance, you're chairming and you're gentle
Specially when you do The Continental
But this feeling isn't purely mental
For heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos
And that's why.....

I won't dance, why sould I?
I won't dance, how could I?
I won't dance, merci beaucoup
I know that music lead the way to romance
So if I hold you in arms.... I won't dance



*****


As sung by Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire
in the film "Roberta" (1935):

GINGER:
Think of what you're losing
By constantly refusing
To dance with me.
You'd be the idol of France with me

And yet you stand there
And shake your foolish head rheumatically
While I wait here so ecstatically
You just look and say emphatically:

FRED:
Not this season. There's a reason.

I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance, don't ask me
I won't dance, Madame, with you
My heart won't let my feet do things they should do

You know what? You're lovely

GINGER:
So what? I'm lovely...

FRED:
But oh, what you do to me
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor

GINGER:
Ah, but when you dance you're charming and you're gentle
Especially when you do The Continental

FRED:
But this feeling isn't purely mental
For heaven rest us
I'm not asbestos
And that's why...

I won't dance, why should I?
I won't dance, how could I?
I won't dance, merci beaucoup.

I know that music leads the way to romance
And if I hold you in my arms... I won't dance.