sammy davis jr – Moe Lane

“We gonna dance, now!”

I actually remember seeing this on TV when it was on.

I’ve always liked tap dancing… to watch, mind you; I don’t have any training in it, although I kid myself that I might have been all right at it if I had ever tried. I got it from my dad, who I think could tap-dance a little, I’m not sure. Anyway, seeing somebody who knows how to hoof always gives me a smile.

Tap-dancing.

When I was a kid, I always wanted to learn how: never got around to it.

That’s from Tap, and it’s 20 years old, depressingly. I remember seeing Sammy Davis Jr a few years before his death at a video awards show for something or other: they had just seen some younger folks perform, and it was his turn. The camera panned back, he looked down at his feet – and shouted down at them “WE’RE GONNA DANCE NOW!” And damned if he didn’t.

That’s it. I needed a break, and this will do.

Moe Lane