The Dance ( song ) - wikipedia The Dance ( song ) `` The Dance '' Single by Garth Brooks from the album Garth Brooks B - side `` If Tomorrow Never Comes '' Released April 30, 1990 Format CD single, 7 '' 45 RPM Recorded 1988 -- 1989 Genre Country Length 3 : 40 Label Capitol Nashville 44629 Songwriter ( s ) Tony Arata Producer ( s ) Allen Reynolds Garth Brooks singles chronology `` Not Counting You '' ( 1990 ) `` The Dance '' ( 1990 ) `` Friends in Low Places '' ( 1990 ) `` Not Counting You '' ( 1990 ) `` The Dance '' ( 1990 ) `` Friends in Low Places '' ( 1990 ) `` The Dance '' is a song written and composed by Tony Arata, and recorded by American country music singer Garth Brooks as the tenth and final track from his self - titled debut album, from which it was also released as the album 's fourth and final single in April 1990. It is considered by many to be Brooks ' signature song. In a 2015 interview with Patrick Kielty of BBC Radio 2, Brooks credits the back to back success of both `` The Dance '' and its follow up `` Friends in Low Places '' for his phenomenal success. Contents 1 Background 2 Music video 3 Chart performance 4 Release and reception 5 Track listing 6 Chart positions 6.1 Year - end charts 7 Other cover versions 8 Rockell version 9 Track listing 10 Chart positions 11 References 12 External links Background At the opening of the music video, Brooks explains that the song is written with a double meaning - both as a love song about the end of a passionate relationship, and a story of someone dying because of something he believes in, after a moment of glory. Key : G Major Length - 3 : 42 Music video The song 's music video, directed by John Lloyd Miller, shows several American icons and examples of people who died for a dream. These include archive footage of the following : Lane Frost - World Champion Bull rider, who was killed in 1989 by the bull he rode for a full eight seconds during a rodeo. Keith Whitley - Country singer who died in 1989 from alcohol poisoning. The Whitley scenes featured his then - wife Lorrie Morgan. Martin Luther King Jr. - Baptist minister who is best known for his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and was assassinated in 1968. The crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger, shortly before it disintegrated after its launch in 1986. John F. Kennedy - President of the United States who was assassinated in 1963. John Wayne - Film actor best known for his roles in Westerns. It was awarded Video of the Year at the 1990 ACM Music Awards. Chart performance On the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, The Dance reached number one and remained there for three consecutive weeks until it was knocked off by `` Good Times '' by Dan Seals Release and reception Released near the beginning of his career, `` The Dance '' was a hit single around the world, including the United States, Europe, and Ireland, charting inside the British pop top 40. In 1990, it was named both Song of the Year and Video of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. It was awarded the number 14 position in the CMT 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music broadcast in 2003 and also the number 5 position on the network 's The Greatest : 100 Greatest Music Videos special in 2004. In a 1994 Playboy interview, Brooks said, `` unless I am totally surprised, The Dance will be the greatest success as a song we will ever do. I 'll go to my grave with The Dance. It 'll probably always be my favorite song. '' In 2001, after the death of Dale Earnhardt, Brooks was invited to the NASCAR awards ceremony that was honoring Earnhardt to play the song as a tribute. The song has been used as several country stations ' last song before changing formats. It was also the second song to be played on UK station Country 1035, the first being another Brooks number. On 6 February 2014, `` The Dance '' was performed by Brooks on the final episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC. Track listing US 7 - inch promotional single Capitol Nashville NR - 44629, 1990 `` The Dance '' - 3 : 37 `` The Dance '' US 7 '' Jukebox single Liberty S7 - 17441 - A, 1990 `` The Dance '' - 3 : 41 `` If Tomorrow Never Comes '' UK CD single Capitol CDCLS - 735, 1993 Disc 1 `` The Dance '' `` Friends in Low Places '' `` Victim of the Game '' `` Kickin ' & Screamin ' Disc 2 `` The Dance '' `` Friends in Low Places '' `` The River '' ( Live acoustic version ) Chart positions Chart ( 1990 ) Peak position Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) Europe ( Eurochart Hot 100 ) 89 Irish Singles Chart Scottish Singles Chart 31 UK Singles Chart 36 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) Year - end charts Chart ( 1990 ) Position Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) 8 US Country Songs ( Billboard ) 13 Other cover versions Jazz musician Dave Koz recorded it for his 1999 album The Dance. Michael Ball recorded it for his 2000 album This Time It 's Personal. In 2006, the song was recorded by Westlife and included on their album The Love Album. Mindy McCready recorded it for her 2010 album I 'm Still Here. Janelle Arthur during the twelfth season of American Idol Rockell version `` The Dance '' Single by Rockell from the album Instant Pleasure Released September 5, 2000 Format CD, digital download Genre Freestyle, dance Length 4 : 04 Label Robbins Entertainment Songwriter ( s ) Tony Arata Rockell singles chronology `` When I 'm Gone '' ( 1999 ) `` The Dance '' ( 2000 ) `` What U Did 2 Me '' ( 2001 ) `` When I 'm Gone '' ( 1999 ) `` The Dance '' ( 2000 ) `` What U Did 2 Me '' ( 2001 ) `` The Dance '' is the fifth single in the overall discography of American freestyle recording artist Rockell, and a cover version of the chart single performed by Garth Brooks. ( See above. ) It is the first single she released from her second album, Instant Pleasure. There was no video made for this single. Track listing US CD single No. Title Length 1. `` The Dance '' ( The Hex / Dez Radio Mix ) 4 : 09 2. `` The Dance '' ( The Hex / Dez Club Mix ) 9 : 21 Chart positions Chart Peak position US Hot Dance Singles Sales 27 References Jump up ^ Brooks, Garth. `` Biography ''. Garth Brooks Official Website. Archived from the original on 2008 - 10 - 14. Retrieved 11 July 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` mvdbase.com - Garth Brooks - `` The dance '' ``. MVDBase.com. Retrieved April 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Zywietz, Tobias. `` The Official Zobbel Homepage ''. Zobbel.de. Retrieved April 21, 2017. Jump up ^ CMT 's 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music Jump up ^ CMT 's The Greatest : 100 Greatest Music Videos Jump up ^ `` Playboy Interview : Garth Brooks, by Steve Pond ~ June 1994, PlanetGarth.com ''. PlanetGarth.com. Retrieved April 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Dance - Tribute to Dale Earnhardt ''. Retrieved February 17, 2015. Jump up ^ `` A Tribute To Dale Earnhardt Discussion, 2014 ''. Racing Forums. Retrieved February 17, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Country Tracks : Issue 1274. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. July 21, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013. Jump up ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media ( 4 September 1993 ). `` Billboard ''. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2017 -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ http://www.fireballmedia.ie, Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Group -. `` The Irish Charts - All there is to know ''. IrishCharts.ie. Retrieved April 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company ''. OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved April 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` GARTH BROOKS - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company ''. OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved April 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Garth Brooks -- Chart history '' Billboard Hot Country Songs for Garth Brooks. Jump up ^ `` RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1990 ''. RPM. December 22, 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Best of 1990 : Country Songs ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1990. Retrieved August 23, 2013. External links `` The Dance '' lyrics Preceded by `` Love Without End, Amen '' by George Strait Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks number - one single July 14 -- July 28, 1990 Succeeded by `` Good Times '' by Dan Seals RPM Country Tracks number - one single July 21 -- August 4, 1990 Succeeded by `` He Walked on Water '' by Randy Travis Garth Brooks singles Garth Brooks `` Much Too Young ( To Feel This Damn Old ) '' `` If Tomorrow Never Comes '' `` Not Counting You '' `` The Dance '' No Fences `` Friends in Low Places '' `` Unanswered Prayers '' `` Two of a Kind, Workin ' on a Full House '' `` The Thunder Rolls '' `` Wild Horses '' ( released in 2001 ) Ropin ' the Wind `` Rodeo '' `` Shameless '' `` What She 's Doing Now '' `` Papa Loved Mama '' `` The River '' The Chase `` We Shall Be Free '' `` Somewhere Other Than the Night '' `` Learning to Live Again '' `` That Summer '' In Pieces `` Ai n't Goin ' Down ( ' Til the Sun Comes Up ) '' `` American Honky - Tonk Bar Association '' `` Standing Outside the Fire '' `` One Night a Day '' `` Callin ' Baton Rouge '' `` The Red Strokes '' Fresh Horses `` She 's Every Woman '' `` The Fever '' `` The Beaches of Cheyenne '' `` The Change '' `` It 's Midnight Cinderella '' `` That Ol ' Wind '' Sevens `` Longneck Bottle '' `` She 's Gonna Make It '' `` Two Piña Coladas '' `` You Move Me '' `` Do What You Gotta Do '' ( released in 2000 ) The Limited Series `` To Make You Feel My Love '' Double Live `` It 's Your Song '' Greatest Hits ( as Chris Gaines ) `` Lost in You '' `` It Do n't Matter to the Sun '' `` That 's the Way I Remember It '' Scarecrow `` When You Come Back to Me Again '' ( released in 2000 ) `` Wrapped Up in You '' `` Squeeze Me In '' ( with Trisha Yearwood ) `` Thicker Than Blood '' `` Why Ai n't I Running '' The Lost Sessions `` Good Ride Cowboy '' `` Love Will Always Win '' ( with Trisha Yearwood ) `` That Girl Is a Cowboy '' The Ultimate Hits `` More Than a Memory '' `` Workin ' for a Livin ' '' ( with Huey Lewis ) `` Midnight Sun '' Man Against Machine `` People Loving People '' `` Mom '' Gunslinger `` Baby, Let 's Lay Down and Dance '' `` Ask Me How I Know '' Guest singles `` Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy ( with Chris LeDoux ; uncredited ) `` In Another 's Eyes '' ( with Trisha Yearwood ) `` One Heart at a TIme '' ( charity single ) `` Burnin the Roadhouse Down '' ( with Steve Wariner ) `` Where Your Road Leads '' ( with Trisha Yearwood ) `` Katie Wants a Fast One '' ( with Steve Wariner ) `` Beer Run ( B Double E Double Are You In ? ) '' ( with George Jones ) Other songs `` Hard Luck Woman '' `` Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy '' `` The Call '' ( with Trisha Yearwood ) Westlife singles Discography Westlife `` Swear It Again '' `` If I Let You Go '' `` Flying Without Wings '' `` I Have a Dream '' / `` Seasons in the Sun '' `` Fool Again '' Coast to Coast `` Against All Odds '' `` My Love '' `` What Makes a Man '' `` I Lay My Love on You '' `` Uptown Girl '' `` When You 're Looking Like That '' World of Our Own `` Queen of My Heart '' `` Evergreen '' `` World of Our Own '' `` Bop Bop Baby '' Unbreakable `` Unbreakable '' `` Tonight / Miss You Nights '' Turnaround `` Hey Whatever '' `` Mandy '' `` Obvious '' Allow Us to Be Frank `` Ai n't That a Kick in the Head '' `` Fly Me To The Moon '' `` Smile '' Face to Face `` You Raise Me Up '' `` When You Tell Me That You Love Me '' `` Amazing '' The Love Album `` The Rose '' `` Total Eclipse of the Heart '' Back Home `` Home '' `` Us Against the World '' `` Something Right '' Where We Are `` What About Now '' Gravity `` Safe '' Greatest Hits `` Lighthouse '' `` Beautiful World '' Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dance_(song)&oldid=804526716 '' Categories : 1990 singles 2000 singles Garth Brooks songs Westlife songs Mindy McCready songs Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles RPM Country Tracks number - one singles Songs written by Tony Arata Song recordings produced by Allen Reynolds Capitol Records Nashville singles Music videos directed by John Lloyd Miller 1989 songs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Canadacountry Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 9 October 2017, at 16 : 13. 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Question: what does garth brooks song the dance mean
Answer: a double meaning - both as a love song about the end of a passionate relationship, and a story of someone dying because of something he believes in, after a moment of glory