Story Behind The Song

It's all true...except the parts I made up. A friend of mine, Angie, was literally dancing with a guy that looked like Jesus at a place called The USA Cafe...how could a songwriter resist that?!? Of course, I had to decide what a "dance with Jesus" was...metophorically. When I determined it would be a "leap of faith" the story of my highschool friend and I was a perfect fit. Angie doesn't mind that her name was used for someone else's story and, as far as I know, my highschool friend doesn't mind that I changed her name to Angie and got her a job at the USA Cafe...for the sake of the song.

Song Description

It's a light-hearted study in parallel lives. Two long ago highschool sweethearts take two very different routes only to end up in the same place; divorced, with kids, back in their home town. Years earlier, "Angie" took a leap of faith...a "dance with Jesus"...and chased her dream to Hollywood. The other did what was expected of him and enetered the corporate world. There is clearly a "take this job and shove it" moment for him, but aside from the tongue-in-cheek final line, each character seems to be happily moving on with their parallel lives.

Lyrics

Dancin' With Jesus
Jeffrey W. Posey

She taught me Waylon and Willie
and how to smile through a tear
She broke my heart when I was just 17
and I haven't seen her in years
Angie loaded her Mustang,
chased a dream to L.A.
She had that "I don't know what"
but it's what I knew would make her a star someday

Movers and shakers and ends meet
at The USA Cafe
So Angie swallowed her pride waitin' tables at night,
I guess she knew her dreams wouldn't wait
She took what Hollywood gave her,
what she got got her by
You see, a leap of faith is a dance with Jesus
I knew she'd be alright

'Cause Angie danced with Jesus
while I was givin' 'em Hell
In a tight white collar and wingtip shoes that never,
never fit real well
I kept my boots in the closet,
my guitar in a case
While Angie danced with Jesus
at The USA Cafe

I married right out of college
my wife was never at home
I saw Angie on the screen in a JEEP commercial
while I folded laundry alone
She fell in love with a dreamer
who dreamed as big as she did
They said "I do" and they did what they could but they couldn't
make it work for the kids

When I hear "Good Hearted Woman"
or "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"
I think of laughs that we shared and how God was unfair
when we were only 17
She heard the first song that I wrote
and I remember her tears
Two broken homes and two dreams put on hold
we've both been fooled by the years

Now I'm gonna dance with Jesus
and chase a dream of mine
So take your tight white collar and wingtip shoes
and shove 'em where the sun don't shine
I pulled my boots from the closet
my guitar's soundin' right
I'm gonna dance with Jesus
and start livin' my own life
Hey, I'm gonna dance with Jesus...
and see what Angie's doin' Saturday night