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Dance With Me Bela Lugosi

by Junk Parlor

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about

Dance with Me Bela Lugosi

This song was inspired by a story my grandmother told me about how she danced with Bela Lugosi on two occasions. I am guessing the year to be around 1945 give or take and my grandmother had married an american soldier (my grandfather) that she met at a dance in Arkansas and had followed to California. His parents were Hungarian immigrants and they resided in Oakland, Ca. According to her there was a small population of Hungarians in Oakland, and another down in Southern California. The families all knew each other and on special occasions they would gather and throw large weekend parties. My great grand parents were accordion players and the parties always had lots of music and lots of drinking. Bela Lugosi, being Hungarian himself, was a part of this circle of families and on two different occasions he asked my grandmother to dance. Looking back at old photos it is obvious why… my grandmother stood out against a back drop of the dark complexion and black hair of all the Hungarians. She was tall with blond hair and she just looked like a 40’s american pinup. She was absolutely beautiful.
This story that she told my sisters and I painted such a picture for me I had to write a melody that re-imagined the event. I incorporated a Hungarian-type of riff up front with a transition that lends itself for the vocal to tell the story. The song wrote itself. I unfortunately never met my grandfather or any of my Hungarian relatives on my mothers side.

lyrics

Lyrics

She was a small town girl
With big town eyes
Her Husbands getting drunk with his army alibies
She was bored as hell and she didn't speak Hungarian, all that well

She was taller than the rest
With a voice of southern air
She wore her lipstick red to match her pinup hair
When he asked her to dance, just like she hoped he would
He held her much closer, than he really should have

Dance with me Bela Lugosi
I’m a married gal, but I can still have some fun yeah,
Dance with me Bela Lugosi
Cause I’m a long long way from Arkansas

I want you to understand, Mr Dracula man
That where I come from we dig for diamonds in the sand
So let us dance into the ether, the graceful and the old
Love is death and we are all ghost’s

Dance with me Bela Lugosi
I’m a married gal, but I can still have some fun yeah,
Dance with me Bela Lugosi
Cause I’m a long long way from Arkansas

For years and years to come
She would tell this story to
Me and my sisters, to give us each a clue
That we would never forget, to be graceful when were old
Cause love shines bright, when we are bold

Dance with me Bela Lugosi
I’m a married gal, but I can still have some fun yeah,
Dance with me Bela Lugosi
I am young and you are old, but I don't care truth be told
Dance with me Bela Lugosi
Cause I’m a long long way from Arkansas…
I’m a long long way from Arkansas.

credits

released August 10, 2018
Robin "RT" Goodrich - Drums, Cajon, Back up Vocals
Laela Peterson-Stolen - Violin, Viola, Back up Vocals
Jason Vanderford - Guitar, Lead Vocal
Tim Bush - Bass
JD Limelight - Accordion, Back up Vocals

Recorded, Mixed, Mastered by Myles Boisen at Guerrilla Studios in Oakland, Ca 2018
All songs written By Jason Vanderford except "The Basso"
All songs arranged by Junk Parlor

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Junk Parlor San Francisco, California

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