When We Venture Out

Author: John Burrows
A Song for Newport Dance Week, 1996

Verse One

Lead: When we venture out for innocent enjoyment,
Chorus: ‘cent enjoyment,
Lead: a country dance, or two, it is our plan;
Chorus: is our plan;
Lead: we meet ladies in battalions whose deployment,
Chorus: whose deployment,
Lead: negates a moment’s rest for any man.
Chorus: any man.
Lead: In an ambush near the entrance do they hover,
Chorus: do they hover,
Lead: wreathed in smiles and with dance cards in their hands;
Chorus: in their hands;
Lead: they’ll insist for just one schottische, then another,
Chorus: then another,
Lead: and they’ll not let up until they’ve got their man.

Lead & Chorus: Oh! For a single man must dance ’till-the
evening’s done, ’till it’s done,
Oh a bachelor’s life is not a happy one!
Happy One!

Verse Two

Lead: At the moment when we must find some refreshment,
Chorus: some refreshment,
Lead: For a glass of lemonade we’d pay in gold,
Chorus: pay in gold,
Lead: the next partner to whom we have a commitment,
Chorus: a commitment,
Lead: intercepts our progress to- ward the punch bowl.
Chorus: the punch bowl.
Lead: Yes, another dance, and this one is a fast one,
Chorus: it’s a fast one,
Lead: we dehydrate and our feet feel pain sublime;
Chorus: pain sublime;
Lead: but we try to make it obvious to no one,
Chorus: ‘us to no one,
Lead: for a man to sit a dance out is a crime.
Lead & Chorus: Oh! For a single man must dance ’till-the
evening’s done,’till it’s done,
Oh a bachelor’s life is not a happy one!
Happy One!