Well I was hard-pressed to that radio,
And I heard ’em say “Well don’tcha know,
That this here son, is something that ya never see?
We got a woman here, goes Betty by name,
And she’s got an act [strong quite song fame?]
And she calls him Dakota the Dancing Bear Part Three.
She said, “Dance, dance,
He’s all hopped up on speed
Well, he’s dancin’ ’round that trailer,
Like he’s pickin’ Jerry Reed.
You can eat that pick, ol’ Arlo,
And just dance the night away.
Oh, just ride your motorcycle,
Through the good old USA”.
Well, I was drinking right there at the side of the road,
Just feeling like I was ready to ‘splode,
‘Cause I knew that dancing bear from way gone back.
Oh, I knew him well when we toured the states,
Back from ’76 ’til ’78,
Just before old Pusher Betty lost her stack.
And she said, “Dance, dance,
Right down to that country store”,
And I followed him to the A&P,
And I watched him dance some more.
He said, “Quit when you wanna quit,
You’re gonna ride when you wanna ride.
Good luck, good truckin’ tonight”.
[Instrumental]
Oh, in ’78, back when I was young,
When the good were bad and the bad were hung,
And the bears were out there shootin’ heroin.
That’s when I met Dakota, he was all strung out,
For a nickel a beer, well, he’d dance about,
Just as long as his song was ready to begin.
He’s singin’, “Dance, dance, Dakota dance,
Right down to that country store”,
Well, me and sweet bear, well, we seldom seen,
A bear that could dance before.
It’s a one-step, two-step, three-step, four,
A bottle of soda and he dance some more.
Dance, Dakota, dance, and dance some more. (x4)
Dance, dance, oh Dakota, dance …