Capo 5th fret

Standard (EADGBE)

On a warm night in March on a dark disco floor

I danced up a storm like I’d never before

Every step in the book and then some that weren’t listed

For a song or two I felt nothing else existed

Now if a dream curled at your feet you’d take it home and name it

I’m struggling now to find something to blame it on

Strobing effects or perhaps it was that dress

But my eye was captured by a beautiful actress

Now the minutiae’s still my memory writ large

As she danced nearer me with her coy entourage

She tugged at the scarf round her neck it came loose

She flung it and hung it from the disc jockey’s booth

But before I continue one moments reprieve

I grant you dear audience a chance to leave

For my tale never ends in that it never started

When the house lights came on I’d already departed

No not one word was spoken nor a glance exchanged

When the sun rose next morning the world hadn’t changed

See we only touched elbows is the plain naked truth

And I can’t even back up my story with proof

We only touched elbows, felt our bones clunk together

Then the moment was over in a falling feather

An accident sure but it happened I’ll wrangle

Our elbows did touch our arms at right angles

Now there’s naught the nosey observer could’ve guessed

But the rock and roll drummer inside of my chest

Everyone’s seen her films and I’ll whisper her name

That we only touched elbows is not such a shame

For the world’s getting crowded and I can’t see a lapse

It’s not about leaving spaces but filling the gaps

We’re all bumping and knocking strangers all the time

Sometimes we don’t notice, mostly we don’t mind

A foot brushes your ankle on a peak hour bus

Someone’s hand on the small of your back as they pass

A shopkeepers fingers while handing you change

Can lightly brush yours without feeling too strange

But why I felt so alive I can’t quite determine

There could be a word to explain it in German

Some take others home waking up to regret it

We only touched elbows and I’ll never forget it

Now the innocent DJ still spins his black moons

And keeps us all moving with his faithful tunes

And the lights nod in synch, they’re mechanically powered

We only touched elbows and I still haven’t