Song Analysis Essay

Escario, Kezia P. BSBA -2 HRDM

Fortaleza, Amiel R. BSBA -2 MRKTG

“DANCE WITH MY FATHER”

Luther Vandross co-wrote this song with singer-songwriter Richard Marx. The song was written for his
13th album of the same name, released in 2003. One of the reasons Vandross asked Marx to help him
was because Richard lost his dad in 1997 and could understand the feeling he was trying to convey.
Every words in the lyrics describes his experiences with his father.

Luther Vandross is the person who is speaking throughout the song, he used the image of him being an
innocent child when he had no responsibilities and family was the most valuable asset of life. In the song
he states that his Father would “Spin me around till I fell asleep”. This line shows his father enjoyed
making his son smile. “Dance With My Father” is one such song because Luther Vandross was writing
about such a deeply personal experience. The song is full of emotions and life experiences because the
song is talks about Vandross' happy childhood memories of growing up with his father who died due to
complications of diabetes when he was 7yrs old and how he wished he could relive those happy
moments once again. The most poignant memory of his dad was him dancing in the house with his kids,
which is where the concept of the song came from.

This song has not only contributed to the love and appreciation for a family, but has given an image of a
worthy man to be claimed as a father. And in the end of the song Vandross shows his final appreciation
for his father. “If I could steal one final glance. One final step, one final dance with him” than life would
be perfect as it was when he was a child with innocents.