In 1927, Noel Coward heard and heeded and referenced the tom-toms that Stravinsky was pounding as he composed his Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. In “Dance Little Lady,” Coward channels the seemingly time-immemorial urge to seek some kind of ecstatic oblivion and offers a cautionary reproach as well. Few ditties capture so well the allure and the poignant desperation of dance-mad London post-WWI. “Youth is fleeting to the rhythm beating in your mind.”
Actually, I loved this song even before I heard it–tell you why in a bit.