Many songwriters have written about death, and understandably so, since art should address every part of the human experience. But the topic is so vast that it’s difficult to approach it in an effective and meaningful way in the short space of a few verses and refrains.
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When someone gets it right, as Jackson Browne did on “For a Dancer,” the results can be revelatory, heartbreaking, and uplifting all at once. Inspired by the death of someone he knew, the singer/songwriter gave us something eternally relevant to all those trying to make sense of something so mysterious and unknowable.
Third Time’s a Charm
With two excellent albums under his belt already, Jackson Browne was building up to something big. The surprise chart success of the single “Doctor My Eyes,” off his debut album, turned out to be an anomaly. Instead, the entirety of those two records displayed a writer of rare conviction and eloquence, someone best appreciated by listeners willing to ponder life’s tougher moments, just as Browne clearly was doing while writing his material.
His third album, Late for the Sky, ratcheted everything up another level when he released it in 1974. Constructed of eight songs, many of them stretching to five and six minutes in length simply because they had so much to say, the record found Browne at a stunning peak. He combined his deep thoughts with a lush musicality. The end result was grabby on first listen, and just got deeper with each subsequent spin.
“For a Dancer” wasn’t the first time that he had addressed death in his catalog. On his debut album, there was the track “Song for Adam.” That had largely focused on Browne’s bewilderment at the untimely, unexpected passing of a friend who had once seemed larger than life.
While “For a Dancer” was also inspired by the death of someone with whom he was close, it focuses more on the confusing feelings of those still living. The song shows off its wisdom by admitting how much can never be known about death, while also suggesting methods of finding solace and comfort when confronted by the passing of a loved one.
Exploring the Lyrics of “For a Dancer”
Browne splits his time on “For a Dancer” between addressing the audience and trying to communicate with his deceased friend. He begins with vigilance: Keep a fire burning in your eye / Pay attention to the open sky / You never know what will be coming down. To provide evidence of this, he segues to how he’d taken for granted the perpetual existence of his friend, with whom he’d lost touch: I must’ve thought you’d always be around.
He admits his ignorance about death’s mysteries. But he wonders if grieving is the right way to address them: And I can’t help feeling stupid standing ’round / Crying as they ease you down. In the first refrain, Browne admits that no amount of analyzing death will eliminate its presence: In the end there is one dance you’ll do alone.
In the second verse, the mood of the song shifts slightly in a positive direction. Browne suggests empathy is a good way to combat the helpless feelings about life’s end: Keep a fire for the human race. He also implies that bemoaning it all is futile: Don’t let the uncertainty turn you around / Go on and make a joyful sound.
In the final refrain, Browne subtly intermingles his friend with all the folks in the audience, delivering a sweeping message to everyone to make the most of life. It’s one of the most effortlessly poetic sequences of his career: Go on ahead and throw some seeds of your own / And somewhere between the time you arrive and the time you go / May lie a reason that you were alive / That you’ll never know.
Summing it all up in that manner, Browne acknowledges the mystery can’t be solved, nor should you waste time trying to do so. “For a Dancer” gets played at a lot of funerals, in part because it’s such a touching goodbye, and in part because it’s such a helpful message for those left behind.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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