Jackson Browne wrote “For A Dancer” in memory of a modern dancer friend who died tragically in a fire. When Jackson’s wife, the model Phyllis Major, died suddenly in 1976, “For A Dancer” mysteriously took on a new meaning. “That’s how songs work,” Brown said in an interview. “They migrate into other parts of your life and other experiences.”
Browne eventually played the song at the funerals of two other celebrity friends. And if one listens to the lyrics closely, “For A Dancer” becomes a larger commentary on the intransience of life itself. We cling to it like a thread.
To me, the larger meaning underscores the necessity of using every precious moment wisely. Here’s my cover.
Many of Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ songs convey underlying messages about childhood and the relationships between children and adults, such as ‘Father & Son’ and ‘Oh...
This song is about a man who gives up his dreams to live a life of routine monotony due to the crushing necessity of...
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://davidgittlin.net/2021/09/14/the-clancy-brothers-re-imagining-irish-folk-music/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-gittlin/message