Day 6: Dancing On Your Grave (Song-a-day January)

 

Day 6: Dancing On Your Grave
By David Coile

Part of my daily songwriting project for January 2025

Lyrics:

Speak no ill of the dead
Sing their praises in eulogy
We can heal in community
Holding hands

Now's the time for grieving
Time for mourning and sorrow
But come this time tomorrow
I've got plans

I'll be dancing on your grave
I'll do a two-step on your tomb
Gonna reel on your remains
Do a tango 'round your headstone
Electric boogaloo, mashed potato, too
We might start a conga line
Just to do a dance
You know that it's the chance
Of a lifetime

That which is left unsaid
Cannot tarnish a legacy
Let's not sully your memory
With regrets

To forgive is a virtue
Give the departed some latitude
Well, all I have is gratitude
You're at rest

I'll be dancing on your grave
I'll do a two-step on your tomb
Gonna reel on your remains
Do a tango 'round your headstone
Electric boogaloo, mashed potato, too
We might start a conga line
Just to do a dance
You know that it's the chance
Of a lifetime

This is my last goodbye
This is my final farewell
And on the day that I die
You better bet that
I'll see you in Hell

I'll be dancing on your grave
I'll do a two-step on your tomb
Gonna reel on your remains
Do tango 'round your headstone
Electric boogaloo, mashed potato, too
We might start a conga line
Just to do a dance
You know that it's the chance
Of a lifetime
Of a lifetime

***

Details:

Believe it or not, this is my second song about dancing in a cemetery. The other one is both creepier and more joyous, and it was intended as a Halloween song. This one is just a nasty put-down.

It's the second day of Timmy Riordan's Fearless Songwriter program for January (he does it 5 other weeks during the year). Today's prompt was "Mouth of a Graveyard". I wasn't thrilled by the theme, and I tried to go another direction, but I decided to embrace it and just try to jazz it up a bit. The "mouth" part of the prompt stuck out to me, and it led to the line "speak no ill of the dead". Then I thought of ways to disrespect the dead without saying anything, and, of course, "Dancing of your Grave" is a well-known phrase. I then looked up a glossary of cemetery terms and types of dances, hoping to find some good combos for the lyrics.

I enjoyed writing this. I've indulged my dark sense of humor the last couple songs. We'll see where we go from here...