A Quick Story About The Beatles and The Waltz

This well-known dance originated in Germany in the 16th century and is derived from the word walzer which means “to roll or revolve”. It requires the dancers to be in a touching & closed position and for centuries was very popular with the lower peasant class as a folk dance. In the late 1770’s it became fashionable with higher society gradually replacing the minuet in popularity for ballroom dancing.

But, in the early going, a dark side existed with some observers. In a 1771 novel, a high-minded character complains about the newly introduced waltz writing “But when he put his arm around her, pressed her to his breast, cavorted with her in the shameless, indecent whirling-dance and engaged in a familiarity that broke all the bounds of good breeding”. The devil’s in the details after all!

Musically speaking, the distinct rhythm is played in a 3/4 time signature and its catchy 1–2–3 meter is repeated throughout the song. The dance itself has fallen by the wayside in mass popularity many years ago, but its familiar rhythm remains in use today and has been employed in many important songs in numerous genres including:

· “I’m So Lonely I Could Cry” by Country music legend Hank Williams.

· “My Favorite Things” by Pop artist Julie Andrews in the musical The Sound of Music.