Don't Forget To Dance
Recording Artist: Bryan Adams
Writers: Jim Vallance
Bryan Adams
Date Written: May 2017, New York
Released: February 20, 2022 (Bryan Adams YouTube channel)
Album: Bryan Adams - Pretty Woman: The Musical (March 11, 2022)
Audio:
 
Bryan Adams: vocal
Keith Scott: guitar
 
Produced by Bryan Adams. Arranged by Bryan Adams and Keith Scott. Recorded and mixed by Hayden Watson at The Warehouse Studios, Vancouver, Canada. Mastered by Bob Ludwig.
Comments:
 

An usher collects trash after a performance at
the Piccadilly Theatre, London, February 2020
"Don't Forget To Dance" was written at the request of director Jerry Mitchell for an extended choreographed scene in the Voltaire restaurant where the characters of Vivian and Mr. Morse dance. In fact, the entire cast dances in this scene.

The original arrangement featured a 1940's "big band" sound (see audio below) ... but for his solo recording (see audio above) Bryan performs a stripped down version with just himself on vocal and Keith Scott on guitar.

Back-story:
"Pretty Woman: The Musical", opened in Chicago and New York in 2018, Hamburg Germany in 2019, London England in 2020 and Milan Italy in 2021.

A USA touring production hit the road in 2021, stopping in every major American city and continuing into 2022, and a UK cast toured Engand, Ireland and Scotland for most of 2024.

Bryan Adams and I spent three years writing the 21 songs that appear in the production ... a typical time-line for a Broadway show. A "cast album" was recorded in New York in 2018 with nine musicians and 19 singers.

The version above is Bryan's interpretation of the "Don't Forget To Dance", recorded 2021-2022 at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver Canada.

Lyrics:

 The world may be your oyster
The best things might be free
But the view from the top ain't what
It's all cracked up to be

It started with a glance
Remember, don't forget to dance

Be careful what you wish for
I know this to be true
When everything you wanted
Is right in front of you

You gotta take the chance
And don't forget to dance

Life might throw a curve or two
But don't be sad
Cuz it's never quite as bad as one supposes

So take some time for you
Things'll work out in the end
Cuz every now and then
You've got to stop and smell the roses

It's time to make some changes
Throw caution to the wind
No-one said it would be easy
All more reason to begin

Let the could's replace the can't's
And don't forget to dance

I see how much you care
And I hope that your will find
A cure for every problem that life poses

Well, it's a big old world out there
And you're gonna meet all kinds
But pay no mind to the ones who thumb their noses

When life delivers lemons
Make some lemonade
Then take an inventory
Of all the promises you made

No matter what your circumstance
Don't forget to dance

It started with a glance
Remember, don't forget to dance