About The Song
“Could I Have This Dance” is a romantic country-pop ballad by Anne Murray, released in August 1980 as the lead single from her Capitol Records album Somebody’s Waiting and featured on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack. Written by Wayland Holyfield and Bob House, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for one week in October 1980, No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 3 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, also hitting No. 1 in Canada on the RPM Country Tracks chart. The 3:14 track, with its tender plea—“Could I have this dance for the rest of my life? / Would you be my partner every night?”—captures the magic of a lifelong love found on the dancefloor. Murray’s warm, velvety vocals convey deep sincerity, as Billboard praised: “Anne’s voice wraps around the song like a loving embrace.” Murray told CMT in 2010, “It felt like a vow, like I was singing to someone forever.” The song, boosted by Urban Cowboy’s popularity, became a wedding staple, earning a 1981 Grammy nomination for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
Recorded in early 1980 at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville, the track was produced by Jim Ed Norman, with uncredited Nashville players likely including Bruce Dees on guitar, Bob Wray on bass, and Tommy Wells on drums, per Discogs. The lush arrangement—soft acoustic guitar, sweeping strings, and gentle piano—creates a dreamy, waltz-like feel, as AllMusic notes: “It’s a timeless love song, elevated by Murray’s effortless grace.” The album hit No. 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 49 on the Billboard 200. The C-G-Am chord progression and “I’ll always remember that magic moment” refrain, per Chordify, made it a radio and dancehall favorite. A 2007 duet version with Amy Grant on Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends and its use in a 2020 Royal Bank of Canada commercial kept it fresh, per Spotify.
Anne Murray, born June 20, 1945, in Springhill, Nova Scotia, rose from her 1970 hit “Snowbird” to become Canada’s “Songbird,” with 32 studio albums and hits like “You Needed Me” (No. 1, 1978). She won four Grammys and 24 Juno Awards, per Wikipedia. “Could I Have This Dance” was a live favorite, performed on The Merv Griffin Show in 1980 and at her 1981 Caesars Palace concerts, with a YouTube clip showcasing her radiant stage presence. Covers include Crystal Gayle (1981), Leonard Nimoy (1985), and Patti Austin (2002), per SecondHandSongs. Reddit fans on r/country in 2024 called it “the ultimate wedding song,” with an X post noting: “Still makes me tear up.”
The song’s prominence in Urban Cowboy (1980), starring John Travolta, amplified its cultural impact, and it thrives on streaming platforms, with Shazam users tagging its romantic melody. No controversies surround it—just Murray’s gift for heartfelt connection, as No Depression notes: “Anne made every listener feel like her dance partner.” Murray, retired since 2008, left a legacy of cross-genre warmth, and “Could I Have This Dance” remains an enduring anthem of eternal love.
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Lyric
I’ll always remember the song they were playing
The first time we danced and I knew
As we swayed to the music and held to each other
I fell in love with youCould I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner every night?
When we’re together it feels so right
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?I’ll always remember that magic moment
When I held you close to me
As we moved together, I knew forever
You’re all I’ll ever needCould I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner every night?
When we’re together it feels so right
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner every night?
When we’re together it feels so right
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?