In 2013, Lee Brice married his wife, Sara, after dating for several years. As part of the wedding celebration, Brice wrote a song, “I Don’t Dance”. Written with Dallas Davidson and Rob Hatch, “I Don’t Dance” is the title track of Brice’s third studio album.
A romantic love song, the chorus of “I Don’t Dance” says, “I don’t dance, but here I am / Spinning you round and round in circles / It ain’t my style, but I don’t care / I’d do anything with you anywhere / Guess you got me in the palm of your hand / ‘Cause, I don’t dance.”
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“I Don’t Dance” has such a sweet sentiment that it’s surprising that the song initially made his then-soon-to-be bride angry, but it did. But not because of the message in “I Don’t Dance”, but rather because of when Brice first played it.
“I was trying to keep it a secret, but then I had to play it out one night,” Brice recalls. “And she got mad, because I was playing it out before we got married.”
The Story Behind “I Don’t Dance” by Lee Brice
When Brice had the idea for “I Don’t Dance”, he originally thought it would just be for his wedding. But as the three writers began working on the song, Brice realized “I Don’t Dance” could have a much broader appeal.
“Immediately when we finished writing it, I realized it wasn’t just a song I was writing for my wife,” Brice remembers. “Maybe because it was coming from that place. … It turned out so special.”
Written in two days, Brice used parts of the work tape for the final recording, since he felt the entire experience was extraordinary.
“I knew that day, I called [Hatch and Davidson]. I said, ‘Guys, I think this is the title track to my record,’” Brice recounts. “‘This is the basis of what this next record is going to be.’”
Not only did “I Don’t Dance” become a No. 1 single for Brice, but it also drove the entire project.
“I didn’t know exactly what the whole feeling [on the album] was going to be until I wrote ‘I Don’t Dance’,” Brice says. He adds, “I felt like it said, ‘This is who I am right now for this album space.’”
“I Don’t Dance” was released as a single in 2014. It was nominated for Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the CMA Awards. “I Don’t Dance” was Brice’s final No. 1 single until “Rumor” in 2018.
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