- Album This song officially appears on the Tug Of War Official album.
- Timeline This song has been written (or started being written) in 1980 (Paul McCartney was 38 years old)
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Jul 04, 1980
August 1980
Oct 30, 1980
Tug Of War sessions at AIR Studios, London
December 1980
Dec 14, 1980
Overdubs for "Ballroom Dancing"
Mar 17, 1981
"Give My Regards To Broad Street" sessions
December 1982 to July 1984
March 2-30, 2015
Related interviews
Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about attending "Paul McCartney University"
Aug 09, 2010 • From Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine
Tug Of War - Paul McCartney talks to Andy Mackay
Aug 01, 1982 • From Club Sandwich
Jun 01, 1982 • From Playgirl
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Song facts
“Ballroom Dancing” is a song from 1982 album “Tug Of War“.
Like most people, I’ve got memories that go back to when I was a teenager, like when George Harrison and I used to go to the local dance and neither of us would ever dare to ask a girl to dance until the last waltz. It was then that we thought, ‘Oh God, we’ve wasted all our money when all we came here for was to touch a girl. We’ve got to do it. Okay, let’s waltz, come on.’ We were always too shy but we’d always try and grab someone for that last dance. But most times we’d get refused. We never really got into ballroom dancing but that was where you went if you wanted to dance. We’d go to The Locarno or The Grafton, all the big ballrooms. And with The Beatles, the ballroom circuit was a big circuit. We did a lot of ballrooms in our early career before we gravitated to the theatres. The song ‘Ballroom Dancing’ was just little images you have as a kid, flying carpets, playing Davy Crockett, going down the Nile in a china cup, all these childhood images mixed up with this ballroom. It’s a lot of little images involved in growing up.
Paul McCartney, from Badman, Keith. The Beatles: The Dream Is Over – Off The Record 2 (p. 303).
I wrote the song about my own childhood memories of sailing down the Nile in a china cup, or any other similar game we might play. “I’ll be Rommel and you can play Tom Mix, the cowboy”. It could be anything. I chose going down the Nile in a china cup because it sums it all up. China and Nile are fantasy words to kids. It could have been Alexandria, Cairo or Singapore – they were magic exotic places.
The first verse is very young childish games, the second verse is slightly growing up and on to the flying carpet stage and Davy Crockett hats and stuff, and it keeps coming back to “We used to fight like cats and dogs”, and that’s just the idea that childhood wasn’t all glorious wonderful summer days.
Basically it’s all my childhood memories distilled into one song, which develops into memories of being a teenager going to dance halls and ballrooms – only they’re called discos now.
Paul McCartney – From the “Give My Regards To Broad Street” book, Pavilion Books, 1984

“Ballroom Dancing” was re-recorded for the McCartney’s 1984 movie, “Give My Regards To Broad Street“.
Story of the “Ballroom Dancing” clip :
MUSIC – Ballroom Dancing (A tableau of THREE CHILDREN in a giant teacup sailing down the River Nile. On a painted backdrop are palms and pyramids while painted waves are pulled from side to side to represent the Nile.)
(Camera returns to the tableau again for Verse 2. This time the three kids are supposed to be the same three kids a little bit older. They are on a ‘carpet ride to a foreign land’. The carpet floats mid-air against a backdrop of painted sky and start. The camera pulls away from the stage to reveal that the ballroom floor has now filled up with FORMATION DANCER, all dressed identically like the first couple. Camera tracks through dancers, performing their formal steps to swing doors at the back which are suddenly thrown open).
(THREE TEENAGERS stride through the door, causing a stir in the room. They are clearly the children from the tea cup and carpet cameos grown up. The GIRL still wears her red hair in bunches, BOY 1 wears dark glasses and a suit and BOY 2 wears T-shirt, jeans and carries a bomber jacket. They attract the attention of some of the ROCK ‘N’ ROLLERS standing at the bar who leap over the balustrade to join them.
(The FORMATION DANCERS put on a show of icy disdain and try to continue their dancing unperturbed)
(The whole ballroom is bedlam now, teenagers and formation dancers lashing out at each other, until eventually the whole set above the band collapses in a confused heap of drapes and toppling pillars)
(The girl kicks one of the formation dancers off the stage who falls backwards into a group of lady formation dancers who all fall over into a heap, legs in the air)
From Club Sandwich N°34, 1984
Last updated on May 2, 2020
Lyrics
Well I used to smile when I was a pup
Sailing down the Nile in a china cup
With the recipe for a lovely day
Sticking out of my back pocket
But it wasn't always such a pretty sight
'cos we used to fight like cats and dogs
Till we made it up in the ballroom
Ballroom dancing, made a man of me
One, two, three, four
I just plain adore your
Ballroom dancing, seen it on TV
I got what I got from ballroom dancing
Big B.D.
Well I used to fly when I was a kid
And I didn't cry if it hurt a bit
On a carpet ride to a foreign land
At the time of Davy Crockett
But it wasn't always such a pretty sight
'cos we used to fight like cats and dogs
Till we made it up in the ballroom
Ballroom dancing, made a man of me
One, two, three, four
I just plain adore
Your ballroom dancing, seen it on TV
I got quite a lot from ballroom dancing
Big B.D
Well it went so fast and we all grew up,
Now the days that passed in the china cup
Are the memories of another day
And I wouldn't want to knock it
But it wasn't always such a pretty sight,
'cos we used to fight like cats and dogs
Till we made it up in the ballroom
Ballroom dancing made a man of me
One, two, three, four
I just plain adore
Your ballroom dancing, seen it on TV
I got quite a lot from ballroom dancing
Big B.D.
Oh!
Officially appears on
12" Single • Released in 1982
4:06 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Piano, Vocal
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Piano
- Denny Laine :
- Electric guitar
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Assistant mixing engineer, Assistant recording engineer
- John Barclay :
- Horn
- Jack Brymer :
- Clarinet gliss
- Peter Marshall :
- Narration
- Chris Spedding :
- Guitar
- David Ogden :
- Violin
- David Willis :
- Saxophone
- Raymond Swinfield :
- Saxophone
- Thomas Whittle :
- Horn
- Session Recording:
- Jan 02, 1981
- Studio :
- Parkgate Studio, Sussex, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Dec 14, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 17, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 01, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Official album • Released in 1982
4:08 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Piano, Vocal
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Piano
- Denny Laine :
- Electric guitar
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Assistant mixing engineer, Assistant recording engineer
- John Barclay :
- Horn
- Jack Brymer :
- Clarinet gliss
- Peter Marshall :
- Narration
- Chris Spedding :
- Guitar
- David Ogden :
- Violin
- David Willis :
- Saxophone
- Raymond Swinfield :
- Saxophone
- Thomas Whittle :
- Horn
- Session Recording:
- Jan 02, 1981
- Studio :
- Parkgate Studio, Sussex, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Dec 14, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 17, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 01, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Give My Regards To Broad Street (CD version)
Official album • Released in 1984
4:51 • Studio version • B
- Paul McCartney :
- Piano, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer (?)
- Jon Jacobs :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- John Barclay :
- Horn
- Dave Edmunds :
- Guitar
- John Paul Jones :
- Bass
- Ray Swinfield :
- Horn
- Henry MacKenzie :
- Horn
- Stuart Breed :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Chris Spedding :
- Electric guitar, Guitar
- David Willis :
- Horn
- Jack Armstrong :
- Horn
- Jonh Barclay :
- Horn
- Alan Donney :
- Horn
- Dougie Robinson :
- Horn
- Tommy Whittle :
- Horn
- John Kelly :
- Recording engineer (?)
Official album • Released in 1993
4:08 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Piano, Vocal
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Piano
- Denny Laine :
- Electric guitar
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Assistant mixing engineer, Assistant recording engineer
- John Barclay :
- Horn
- Jack Brymer :
- Clarinet gliss
- Peter Marshall :
- Narration
- Chris Spedding :
- Guitar
- David Ogden :
- Violin
- David Willis :
- Saxophone
- Raymond Swinfield :
- Saxophone
- Thomas Whittle :
- Horn
- Session Recording:
- Jan 02, 1981
- Studio :
- Parkgate Studio, Sussex, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Dec 14, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 17, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 01, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Tug Of War - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2015
4:08 • Studio version • C • 2015 remix
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Piano, Remixing, Vocal
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Piano
- Denny Laine :
- Electric guitar
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Assistant recording engineer
- John Barclay :
- Horn
- Jack Brymer :
- Clarinet gliss
- Peter Marshall :
- Narration
- Chris Spedding :
- Guitar
- David Ogden :
- Violin
- David Willis :
- Saxophone
- Raymond Swinfield :
- Saxophone
- Thomas Whittle :
- Horn
- Alex Wharton :
- Mastering
- Steve Orchard :
- Remixing
- Session Recording:
- Jan 02, 1981
- Studio :
- Parkgate Studio, Sussex, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Dec 14, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 17, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- March 2-30, 2015
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Tug Of War - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2015
Tug Of War - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2015
Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums, Electric guitar, Percussion, Piano, Vocal
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Piano
- Denny Laine :
- Electric guitar
- Ringo Starr :
- Drums
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Assistant mixing engineer, Assistant recording engineer
- John Barclay :
- Horn
- Jack Brymer :
- Clarinet gliss
- Peter Marshall :
- Narration
- Chris Spedding :
- Guitar
- David Ogden :
- Violin
- David Willis :
- Saxophone
- Raymond Swinfield :
- Saxophone
- Thomas Whittle :
- Horn
- Session Recording:
- Jan 02, 1981
- Studio :
- Parkgate Studio, Sussex, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Dec 14, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 17, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 01, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Bootlegs
Unofficial album
Unofficial album
Unofficial album
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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