The songbook

Delta Dancer

Words by Douglas Heyes Jr. Listen to the recorded versions and follow the lyric below.

Original Doug Heyes lyrics · AI-generated music & vocals

A woman dancing beside the river draws a guitarist into a night of communal celebration. Food, lanterns, bonfires and neighborhood musicians fill the scene as new encounters unfold across the firelight. The Delta dancer gives the gathering its center, keeping romance and movement alive until the approach of morning.

Listen

Recorded versions

3 recordings. Different voices and arrangements bring another side of the song into the light.

Male Vocal · 2:36

Delta Dancer — Male Vocal — Swaggering Blues-Rock

Swaggering Blues-Rock

Female Vocal · 2:57

Delta Dancer — Female Vocal — Harmony-Rich Acoustic Folk-Rock

Harmony-Rich Acoustic Folk-Rock

Female Vocal · 3:00

Delta Dancer — Female Vocal — Disco-Soul Reinterpretation

Disco-Soul Reinterpretation

Lyrics

Delta Dancer

Words by Douglas Heyes Jr

Save Lyrics as Text

DELTA DANCER

She was Dancin' by the Riverside
Singin' Amazing Grace
Dancin' in her Blue Suede Shoes
With a Smile upon her Face
Singin' Mississippi Delta Blues
I picked up a guitar
And I started to lay down a beat
Underneath the Moon and Stars

Jambalaya and a-Crawfish pie
Servin' up in the Street
Creedence on the Amplifiers
Where the People beat their feet
Smokestacks, Packrats
The World's a Wheel that's Turnin'
Southern-Fried Chicken and Apple Pie
Mama's in the Kitchen, She's a bit too High
Daddy's cookin' up another Alibi
Moonshine after Midnight till the Well runs Dry

And we're Dancin' by the Riverside
A lotta Romancin', in the air Tonight
Paper Lanterns and th' Firelight
She's a Delta Dancer, got me Feelin' right
A lot of Hoodoo and a- Voodoo
What she gonna do to you
Tiny Delta Dancer, gonna Dance all Night
We're all lit up and we're flyin' outta sight

Look across the Bonfire
There's another Girl right there
Barefoot, wearin' Calico
With Yellow Ribbons in her Hair
She's been lookin' up at you
Maybe you were not aware
Maybe time for you to Cross that Line
And get the Hell on over there

Delta Dancer
There's a Party goin' on
The Boys came down from the Neighborhood
For an All-Night Delta Dawn
Southern Home Cookin' and Zydeco
We'll be dancing till the Rooster Crows
When it stops or when it goes
Only the Delta Dancer knows

OUTRO:

We're Dancin' by the Riverside
In the Bayou after Midnight
Delta Dancer, come Outside
Cajun Girl gonna take you for a Ride

*********