The story behind the song, 
Dance Like No-one is Watching...

Jim relates the story behind his song, Dance Like No-one is Watching. 

Whew! Where to begin? My part in the story started on Friday, August 11, 2000, when I was driving home along Main South Road (in Adelaide), and noticed a printed sign on the back window of the car in front of me. The sign read: Dance like no-one is watching.

Aha! thought I, another secret message to me from my muse. 

I was immediately taken with the line, and within minutes began writing the song. Of course, I should have known better. The original quote obviously belonged to someone else - but who?

The answers appears to be everyone and no-one. Today, an internet search will turn up thousands of hits for the line, many containing the name, Alfred D. Souza (or Alfred D'Souza; Father Alfred D'Souza; Fr. Alfred D'souza, etc, etc). Many websites attribute the quote to anonymous, and I have even collected a greeting card from my local newsagent which attributes the quote to a William Purkey. 

Here is a typical example of what you will find on the internet today for what appears to be the full source of the original quote. I have highlighted in yellow, the reference to Alfred D. Souza:

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DANCE LIKE NO-ONE IS WATCHING

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another.

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.

After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.

If not now ... when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza ...

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.

So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time ... and remember that time waits for no one ...
So stop waiting until you finish school ... 
until you go back to school ... 
until you lose ten pounds ... 
until you gain ten pounds ... 
until you have kids ... 
until your kids leave the house ... 
until you start work ... 
until you retire ... 
until you get married ... 
until you get divorced ... 
until Friday night ... 
until Sunday morning ... 
until you get a new car or home ... 
until your car or home is paid off ... 
until spring, until summer ... 
until fall ... 
until winter ... 
until you are off welfare ... 
until the first or fifteenth ... 
until your song comes on ... 
until you've had a drink ... 
until you've sobered up ... 
until you die ... 
until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy ...

Happiness is a journey ... not a destination!!

Thought for the day:

"Work like you don't need money,
Love like you've never been hurt,
And dance like no one's watching."

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A careful reading of the above verse (and the many variations of it online), indicate that D'Souza is being quoted within the larger work. It does not confirm him as the author of the verse or of the line, Dance like no-one is watching. Indeed, as I have already said, most sites attribute the full verse to Anonymous. 

Here is a copy of my very first draft of the song:

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Dance Like No-One Is Watching:               DRAFT 1

© 2000, Jim Lesses (Friday, August 11, 2000)

Dance like no-one is watching,
Sing like no-one can hear.
Laugh like no-one is crying,
Free your body from fear.

Fly / Float like wings on a thermal,
Dream / Fly like thoughts on the run.
Joy like children are smiling,
Peace like/in a new day begun.

Dream like now/today is tomorrow,
Hope / Trust like 
Run 
Faith that/in answers will/to come

Shout in joyous abandon, 
Trust / Hope in your fellow Man.
Paint in glorious / riotous / colours / rainbows / ribbons,
Love everyone that you can.

Hues 
Belief
Desire
Confide
Accept

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My original manuscript with its numerous variations and corrections to my song runs to some ten or more pages. 

I am going into all this in some detail because it may help me at some future date if someone wants to contest the copyright on my song.

However, my original lines were written immediately after I first saw the sign on the back window of the car driving in front of me.  It wasn't until Friday, May 11, 2001, (fully nine months later), that I actually first searched the internet for that phrase to try to ascertain the original source.

As I have said, today an internet search turns up tens of thousands of hits for the line: dance like no-one is watching. My first internet search for the line turned up a whole fourteen hits. That's right - 14! All attributed to Anonymous/Unknown.

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