♫ Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing) ♫

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I really thought that tonight’s song dated back much further than it does, but it is not such an old song after all, having only been released in 1977, the year my youngest son was born … not long ago at all!  I have a treat for you tonight, for I have a video of an interview with the songwriter who explains what inspired him to write the song.

Initially titled Slow Dancing, this a song written by Jack Tempchin for the band Funky Kings (of which Tempchin was a member).  Tempchin also wrote Peaceful Easy Feeling for The Eagles, and co-wrote a number of other songs, and was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.  The Funky Kings version reached only #61 on the U.S. charts, but it was Johnny Rivers’ recording of this song that sent it soaring up the charts to ultimately land at #3 in Canada and #10 in the U.S.  As best I can tell, it didn’t chart in the UK, but perhaps they don’t like slow dancing?

Here is the promised interview with Jack Tempchin, followed by the song …

Swayin’ to the Music
Johnny Rivers

It’s late at night and we’re all alone
Just the music on the radio
No one’s comin’, no one’s gonna telephone
Just me and you and the lights down low

And we’re slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world just you, girl

And we just flow together when the lights are low
Shadows dancin’ all across the wall
Music’s playin’ so soft and slow
Rest of the world so far away and small

When we’re slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world

Hold me, oh, oh, oh, hold me
No never let me go

As we dance together in the dark
So much love in this heart of mine
You whisper to me, hold you tight
You’re the one I thought I’d never find

Now we’re slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world

Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
Slow dancin’, just me and my girl
Slow dancin’, swayin’ to the music
No one else in the whole wide world
Whole wide world

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Jack Tempchin
Swayin’ to the Music lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

17 thoughts on “♫ Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing) ♫”

  1. I have to commend JR for introducing me to a whole lot of music I may otherwise never have heard, but, yeah, he made a great deal of money off it, and whether or not he shared it with the original artists, I highly doubt–but maybe. It would have been the right thing to do.
    Slow Dancing is okay, but not up there with my favourites. I can’t remember my favourite slow songs, it”s been years since I’ve been able to dance. I used to love it.

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  4. Jill, Johnny Rivers made a ton of money covering songs, usually by black artists who were banned from white radio stations. He had talent, but every time I think of him, I think of money he made that the original artist did not because of racism. The songwriter was happy as he gets paid, but the black singers did not get their due. Keith

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    • I … never thought of it like that, my friend. But yeah, you’re right … he did have a good voice, but … he got where he did because of the colour of his skin. Thanks … you’ve given me something to think about.

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      • Thanks Jill and David. Living in North Carolina, there is a term called “Beach Music.” A key factor in its development were coastal areas receiving a radio signal from northern stations that played the black artists. So, these artists would make their way to beach venues to play. Similarly, the British invasion of rock and roll music in the US is attributable to these musicians being able to listen to American black artists denied radio airplay here. Clapton, Winwood, The Beatles, The Stones, etc. all cite black artists who influenced them. Keith

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