Countless newly-weds will have danced to “Save the Last Dance for Me”, but a poignant irony of this classic pop song is that the man who wrote those words did not.
Doc Pomus contracted polio as a child and had to walk on crutches, before eventually being confined to a wheelchair in mid-life. Pomus, who was born Jerome Felder in New York in 1925, was a larger-than-life character. He refused to be restricted by others’ perception of his disability, pursuing as a young man the attentions of attractive women and a career as a blues singer. Hence the name change to the more bluesy “Doc Pomus”.
Yet behind the romantic charm of “Save the Last Dance” lies the hidden regret and yearning he felt about his disability, which was encapsulated on one memorable day. The song is about a man telling his sweetheart to enjoy dancing the night away with other men so long as she saves the last one for him. It was inspired by Pomus’s wedding to the actress Willi Burke in 1957. At the reception, he sat and watched his beautiful bride dance with other men, including Raoul, his brother.
Pomus’s lyrics were wedded to a delightful melody composed by Mort Shuman, his songwriting partner (and the man behind many translations of Jacques Brel songs). They were a successful songwriting team of the late 1950s and early 1960s who knocked out hits from New York’s Brill Building song factory.
Together they wrote the likes of “A Teenager in Love”, “Sweets for My Sweet”, “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” and — for Elvis Presley — “Surrender”, “(Marie’s the Name of) His Latest Flame” and “Viva Las Vegas”.
But the most lucrative was “Save the Last Dance”. The mixed emotions of that wedding prompted lines such as: “Oh I know that the music’s fine/ Like sparklin’ wine, go and have your fun.” But the final verse hints at jealousy. “If he asks if you’re all alone/ Can he walk you home, you must tell him no.”
And he pours his heart out in the soaring chorus: “But don’t forget who’s takin’ you home/ And in whose arms you’re gonna be/ So darling, save the last dance for me.”
The song was first recorded in 1960 by The Drifters, with Ben E King on lead vocal, and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who added a Latin-tinged rhythm and shimmering strings. Before the recording King was told by Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun of the song’s origin, and the singer, moved by the story, added an emotional edge to his performance. The result was a US number one and number two in the UK.
Versions galore have followed — secondhandsongs.com lists more than 300. Many illustrate the song’s versatility. A year after The Drifters’ version, Jerry Lee Lewis gave it his inimitable rock and roll treatment. More exhilarating was Ike and Tina Turner’s 1966 rendition, with Phil Spector applying his “wall of sound” production. The recent Get Back documentary also shows The Beatles playfully jamming the song later that decade.
In 1974 Harry Nilsson somehow, inexplicably, turned the song into a plodding dirge, whereas Emmylou Harris’s gorgeous delivery and lilting accompaniment in 1979 demonstrated how well it worked as a country song. Fourteen years later, in contrast, The Troggs had a middle-aged punk moment with it, while Harry Connick Jr saw it as a sultry jazz number. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood applied their “beauty and the beast” formula with great effect in 2004, complete with swirling mariachi trumpets and lush strings. Towards the end, Hazlewood growls: “Save the last dance for Lee.” Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen has sung it in concert as a ballad in recent years, sometimes inviting a woman from the audience up for a slow dance.
The track has other poignant footnotes. It is said to be the last ever song performed on stage by Leonard Cohen, since it was a stirring closing encore during his final tour in 2013, and can be heard on his Live in Dublin album.
The song’s romance did not secure Pomus’s marriage — he and Willi divorced in 1966. In the subsequent decade his life took another exotic turn, to professional gambling, a career that reportedly ended when he was robbed at gunpoint. Pomus then returned to songwriting with the likes of Dr John, Willy DeVille and BB King.
“Save the Last Dance”, however, remains his most enduring legacy — and Ben E King’s performance unsurpassed in capturing the song’s heart.
What are your memories of ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’? Let us know in the comments section below.
‘The Life of a Song Volume 2: The fascinating stories behind 50 more of the world’s best-loved songs’, edited by David Cheal and Jan Dalley, is published by Brewer’s.
Music credits: Atlantic; ISIS; A&M Records; RCA Victor; Rhino Entertainment; Point Productions; Sony; Warner