Ballroom Blitz - Sweet, 1973

 
 

Are you ready, Steve? Andy? Mick?
Alright, fellas, let's go!

Well, it's been getting so hard
Livin' with the things you do to me
My dreams are getting so strange
I'd like to tell you everything I see
Oh - I see a man at the back as a matter of fact
His eyes are red as the sun
And a girl in the corner let no one ignore her
'Cause she thinks she's the passionate one

Oh, yeah, it was like lightning, everybody was frightening
And the music was soothing, 'cause they all started grooving
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

And the man at the back said everyone attack
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said boy, I wanna warn ya
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz (x4)

Oh, I'm reaching out for something
Touching nothing's all I ever do
Oh, I softly call you over
When you appear there's nothing left of you, uh huh
Now the man in the back
Is ready to crack as he raises his hands to the sky
And the girl in the corner is everyone's mourner
She could kill you with a wink of her eye

Oh yeah, it was electric, so frantically hectic
And the band started leaving, 'cause they all stopped breathing
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

And the man at the back said everyone attack
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said boy, I wanna warn ya
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz

Oh yeah, it was like lightning, everybody was frightening
And the music was soothing, 'cause they all started grooving
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

And the man at the back said everyone attack
And it turned into a ballroom blitz
And the girl in the corner said boy, I wanna warn ya
It'll turn into a ballroom blitz
Ballroom blitz (x4)

It's, it's a ballroom blitz
It's, it's a ballroom blitz
It's, it's a ballroom blitz
Yeah, it's a ballroom blitz

 
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In the late '60s, a local British band named Sweetshop changed their name to The Sweet, and eventually, Sweet. Their first official album involved a strange deal in which they took side one, and The Pipkins took side two. A novelty single by The Pipkins called Gimme Dat Ding, however, took top billing. The Sweet soon moved away from bubblegum tunes such as Funny Funny, and established a harder Glam Rock style. With a list of up-tempo songs such as Little Willie, Blockbuster, Ballroom Blitz and Fox on the Run, the band enjoyed constant airplay through the early to mid-seventies.

Ballroom Blitz was released twice; 1973 in Britain and Canada and 1975 in the U.S. I remember it being a great song to dance to. Over the years, the song has re-surfaced in a Mitsubishi commercial, as well as the movies Kung Fu Hustle, Wayne's World, Daddy Day Care and Ghost Rider with Nicholas Cage.

In 1978, Sweet released the single Love is Like Oxygen, a definite departure from their earlier songs. This one borders on Art Rock, similar to the music of Genisis, Yes and Pink Floyd. They came a long way from the bubblegum days.