This song was written for Fred Astaire as the concluding number to the 1952 musical film The Belle of New York. Mercer’s lyrics make reference to Astaire’s status as a living legend of dance, as well as the sand he spreads on the stage so that his tap shoes will make a different sound when they hit...
I wanna be a dancin' man
While I can
Gonna leave my footsteps on the sands of time
If I never leave a dime
Never gonna be a millionaire
I don't care
I'll be rich as old King Midas might've been
Least until the tide comes in
Let other men build mighty nations
And buildings to the sky
I'll leave a few creations
To show that I was dancin' by
I wanna be free as any bird can be
Yessirree
Gonna leave my footsteps on the sands of time
If I never leave a dime
Dancin' man with footsteps on the sands of rhythm and rhyme
(dance break)
A dancin' man with footsteps on the sands of rhythm
I Wanna Be a Dancin’ Man was written by Harry Warren & Johnny Mercer.
Harry Warren released I Wanna Be a Dancin’ Man on Tue Jan 01 1952.