Burt Bacharach & Hal David Dance Party
2026-10-06
For our dance party tomorrow, I've made a special playlist celebrating the music of composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David.
At this point you’re probably thinking one of two things: Who the heck are they? Or if you are familiar with their work: Did they write anything you can actually dance to?
At this point you’re probably thinking one of two things: Who the heck are they? Or if you are familiar with their work: Did they write anything you can actually dance to?
To answer the first question, they were one of the most successful songwriting teams of the 20th century, with hits like Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, I Say a Little Prayer, and Do You Know the Way to San Jose? And many others.
As for the second, their association with Dionne Warwick did yield some danceable songs. But it’s true that many of their hits might be described as “easy listening”, and not so good for dancing! But their iconic songs have been covered so many times that it’s not that hard to find dance-friendly versions.
Take one example: What the World Needs Now is Love. This song is a slow waltz that doesn’t really want to make you move your hips. But I found, not one, but three danceable versions of that one song! And it’s no surprise that people have been inspired to create new versions, with lyrics like these:
As for the second, their association with Dionne Warwick did yield some danceable songs. But it’s true that many of their hits might be described as “easy listening”, and not so good for dancing! But their iconic songs have been covered so many times that it’s not that hard to find dance-friendly versions.
Take one example: What the World Needs Now is Love. This song is a slow waltz that doesn’t really want to make you move your hips. But I found, not one, but three danceable versions of that one song! And it’s no surprise that people have been inspired to create new versions, with lyrics like these:
We don't need another meadow. There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow…. what the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there's just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No, not just for some, but for everyone.
What a beautiful message. And it is absolutely true: we have enough food to feed the world. It’s a problem of distribution, which, I might argue, is a problem of love. If we can build our collective care and compassion, we can build the systems we would need to ensure that nobody goes hungry.
Hal David wrote these words, and he was a brilliant and thoughtful writer. In his own words:
In writing I search for believability, simplicity, and emotional impact… being simple and good is very difficult.
Bacharach, for what it’s worth, was a complicated man. From one interview later in his life:
I thought I was a good kid, and I didn't mean to hurt anybody, but when you wind up being married four times, there are a lot of bodies strewn in your wake.
That complexity comes through in his music. His melodies, harmonies, and especially rhythms were surprisingly unorthodox. This marriage of simplicity with surprise, one could argue, was the engine that powered the Bacharach/David songwriting machine.
Come dance with me and discover, or rediscover, a small, unorthodox selection of songs from their remarkable catalog.
Sources:
https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2015/0712/714278-bacharach-i-thought-i-was-a-good-kid/
https://haldavid.com/words.htm
https://www.rollingstone.de/hal-david-burt-bacharach-3053273/ (photo)