About The Song
“I Just Want to Dance with You” is a mid-tempo country song recorded by George Strait and released as the lead single from his eighteenth studio album, One Step at a Time. The album was issued on April 21, 1998, by MCA Nashville Records. The track was written by acclaimed songwriters John Prine and Roger Cook. Production was handled by Tony Brown and George Strait himself, marking another collaboration in Strait’s long-standing partnership with Brown.
The song was originally written and recorded by John Prine for his 1986 album German Afternoons, released on Oh Boy Records. Prine’s version featured a folk-country arrangement, but Strait’s cover transformed it into a polished country production with a light tropical cha-cha rhythm. Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell also recorded the song in 1992, achieving a No. 20 peak on the UK Singles Chart.
Strait’s version was officially released as a single on April 13, 1998, with “Neon Row” as the B-side. It debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of April 18, 1998. The song climbed steadily and reached No. 1 on June 6, 1998, where it spent three consecutive weeks at the top through June 20. This marked Strait’s 34th No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and his 42nd when including all major trade charts at the time.
On the broader Billboard Hot 100, the single peaked at No. 61, reflecting modest crossover appeal. In Canada, it topped the RPM Country Tracks chart for one week on June 15, 1998. The track ran 3:30 in its album version and 3:18 in the single edit. Contemporary reviews praised its laid-back groove; Billboard described it as a “tropical flavored li’l ditty” highlighted by delicate guitar work from Brent Mason.
Strait has cited the song’s melody and lyrics as reasons for recording it, particularly liking the playful line about dancing’s purpose—he incorporated both “intended” and “invented” variations in the final recording. The One Step at a Time album also spawned two more singles: “True” (No. 2) and “We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This” (No. 4). Recording took place in September 1997 at Emerald Sound Studios and Masterfonics in Nashville, Tennessee.
By 1998, George Strait had solidified his status as a country music mainstay, with this hit adding to his record-breaking string of chart-toppers. The song’s straightforward romantic theme and infectious rhythm made it a staple on country radio that summer, contributing to Strait’s enduring commercial dominance in the genre.
Video
Lyric
I don’t want to be the kind to hesitate
Be too shy, wait too late
I don’t care what they say other lovers do
I just want to dance with youI gotta feeling that you have a heart like mine
So let it show, let it shine
If we have a chance to make one heart of two
I just want to dance with youI want to dance with you
Twirl you all around the floor
That’s what they intended dancing for
I just want to dance with youI want to dance with you
Hold you in my arms once more
That’s what they invented dancing for
I just want to dance with youI caught you lookin’ at me when I looked at you
Yes I did, ain’t that true?
You won’t get embarrassed by the things I do
I just want to dance with youOh the boys are playin’ softly and the girls are too
So am I and so are you
If this was a movie, we’d be right on cue
I just want to dance with youI want to dance with you
Twirl you all around the floor
That’s what they intended dancing for
I just want to dance with youI want to dance with you
Hold you in my arms once more
That’s what they invented dancing for
I just want to dance with youI want to dance with you
Twirl you all around the floor
That’s what they intended dancing for
I just want to dance with youI want to dance with you
Hold you in my arms once more
That’s what they invented dancing for
I just want to dance with youI just want to dance with you
I just want to dance with you
I just want to dance with you