OK, here's a (potentially) dumb question for you, inspired by a conversation I had with dh this afternoon while listening to (& singing along with) "Hey Jude" on the classic rock radio station we listen to. When I was in jr high (back in the mid-70s), "Hey Jude" by the Beatles was always the last song played at every school dance I ever went to. As soon as you heard Paul sing "Hey Jude..." you knew the night was over.
In high school, we "graduated" to "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, lol.
What was the unofficial "last dance" song when you went to high school? Were there regional variations??
And what's the last song played at high school dances these days? (IS there an unofficial "last dance" song these days?) Anyone have teenagers in their life and know? (I'm going to try to remember to ask our nephew, next time we see him.)
I'm going to have to really think about this. Usually at the end of a jr high or high school dance I was so emotionally distraught from a night of staring at (not dancing with) some unrequited love or another that I couldn't tell you the last song played; I assume it was slow. But I do remember the last song played at the one prom I attended, with an actual requited lover -- it was Pearl Jam's "Black." And in college, it was almost always "American Pie" or "Closing Time."
ReplyDeleteInteresting that dances generally end on a slow, melancholy note, whereas weddings around here almost always end with disco -- Donna Summers' "Last Dance."
"Usually at the end of a jr high or high school dance I was so emotionally distraught from a night of staring at (not dancing with) some unrequited love or another that I couldn't tell you the last song played"
ReplyDeleteROFL, Ellen -- were we at the same dances??
Hilarious to recall...I think the end of the night song was frequently "End of the Road" by Boys II Men. But I agree with Ellen, as I was typically too upset to notice! :-)
ReplyDeleteTrying to remember last song at dances...hmmm. I DO know that there was an era where the last song played at every bar was "Closing Time"- remember that??
ReplyDeleteI'm here from LFCA and just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you this week.
Truth is, i never attended a single high school or jr high dance. My parents were among those who believed dancing was a sin.
ReplyDeleteAnd i was never asked as folks at school thought me weird because of the clothes my mother chose & i had no choice of.
However, here locally, every Friday at 5 PM the local station plays "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo. Does that count? LOL
;)
Hm. I am sure there was one... Maybe that Boyz II Men one - same ers for me. Nowadays, at least bars and such. they play 'closing time'.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Back! What a great question!!
ReplyDeleteI also don't remember what song ended the Jr High dances. (Ditto what Ellen K. wrote). But I will always remember what song ended the High School dances - Every Rose Has Its Thorn, by Poison.
Rock On!
It was Closing Time for me too.
ReplyDeleteHere from LFCA and thinking of you...
ReplyDeleteI never stayed to the end of the dances! But weddings always end with Last Dance - is it a rule or something?
I don't think we had that consistency at my school. I can't recall there being a "last song".
ReplyDeleteFreebird!
ReplyDeleteI didn't go to many high school dances - or at least the ones I remember going to were spent largely being obnoxious and mocking the popular kids with my fellow outcasts. But in grade 7, the heyday of my dance-attending career, it was "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. Oh, the emotion...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure our last song was Stairway to Heaven - cause it lasted so long and it was kind of awkward to dance the no so slow part.
ReplyDeleteWe didn't have a song in high school -- in college it was "Freshmen" by The Verve Pipe, but that was a very specific situation due to the fact that I hung out with a single fraternity.
ReplyDeleteYes, also End of the Road by Boys II Men for my high school days.
ReplyDeleteThinking of you and Katie today...
When I was at college (seems like forever ago now!) the library always played the Hawaii 5-0 theme right before closing time. Every night I was there late, that song would come on and everyone would start closing books and packing up - it was like Pavlov's dogs!
ReplyDeleteDuring my deejay days - when I worked at the Nostalgia format station, I always played the Peter Gun theme at the end of each of my shifts, right before the AP news feed at the top of the hour. (I've always had a thing for Henry Mancini!) The song was 2 minutes 10 seconds long and always led perfectly into my top of the hour news. It was my "sign off". :0)
I can't remember the dances I went - well, at least not if there was a specific last song. There were so many dances I went to! I haven't been to one or a club in years now. I'm sure it was probably some Journey or REO Speedwagon ballad though.
(As a side - "Stairway to Heaven" was the song that was playing when I decided to punch my dance partner in the nose for being too handsy and not quitting when I told him too. That pretty much ended that particular dance for me as it was Homecoming Dance and the ViCe Principal kind of disapproved but appreciated my situation.)