When I Dance for You [Dennis DeYoung]

When I Dance for You
Written by Dennis DeYoung
Lead Vocals by Dawn Marie

Esmerelda
People will say beware she's a gypsy
A liar a beggar a thief, a witch and a shrew
Don't let her into your life
She'll weave her black magic
And sooner or later
A spell will be cast over you

But look in my eyes
And see there's no evil
No daughter of Satan
No mistress of darkness and sin
I'm just a poor girl
Who dances and sings for your pleasure
And the joy that I see in your eyes when the music begins
And the love that I feel in my heart when the dancing begins

For each time I dance
I forget all my pain
I spin and I twirl
And then suddenly nothing's the same
I'm no longer the orphan of gypsies and thieves
No prejudice waiting to hurt me
I'm magically free

So when I dance for you
I'll make you believe that it's just for your
I'll dance for you and sing you a sweet lullaby
But in my secret dream
A man comes to rescue me
And then he takes me into his arms and there I will stay
And the music will play

So when I dance for you
I'll make you believe that it's just for your
I'll dance for you and sing you a sweet lullaby
But in my secret dream
A man comes to rescue me
And then he takes me in to his arms and there I will stay, I'll stay
I'll stay

Interpretation

In the first act of the Hunchback of Notre Dame story, beautiful Esmerelda sings of her struggles with acceptance. As a gypsy from Romania, she is considered by many to be a petty thief or even a witch, enchanting men with black magic when she dances. Instead, she's just a poor girl trying to earn a living. She wants to get away from the hurtful prejudice and the struggles of poverty, to be swept away by a man who can give her a better life.