I Hope You Dance (song)
Encyclopedia
"I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop
song written by Mark D. Sanders
and Tia Sillers, and recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack
along with Sons of the Desert
. The song, which was featured on Womack's 2000 album of the same name
, reached number one on both the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
charts, and also reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100
. It is considered to be Womack's signature song
, and it is the only Billboard number one for both Womack and for Sons of the Desert. "I Hope You Dance" won the 2001 CMA
, ACM
, NSAI
, ASCAP and BMI
awards for Song of the Year. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song
and was nominated for Song of the Year
. "I Hope You Dance" is ranked 352 in the list "Songs of the Century
" complied by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
.
A cover version
of this song was performed by the Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating
as a non-album charity
single.
, "You can't hear those lyrics and not think about children and—and—and hope for the future and things you want for them. And those are the things I want for them in life. I want them to feel small when they stand beside the ocean." She also said, "Sometimes I have fun and lighthearted things. But even "I Hope You Dance." I was so shocked to see the way the kids got it. When—when I say kids, I mean, you know, like teen-agers. And we saw a big difference in our audience and—and the young kids that were coming out to the shows and really into "I Hope You Dance." It turned into like a prom and graduation theme." Womack told The Early Show
, "I thought it was very special. It made me think about Aubrie and Anna Lisa. And I—I didn't know—I can't predict if something's going to be a big hit or not. But it certainly hit home with a lot of people, connected with a lot of people and took me a lot of new places that I had not been able to go before and took my career to a new level."
Womack told Billboard, "It made me think about my daughters and the different times in their lives. As a parent, you just hope those are the kinds of things you will make your children think of. But it can be so many things to different people. Certainly, it can represent everything a parent hopes for their child, but it can also be for a relationship that's ending as a fond wish for the other person's happiness or for someone graduating, having a baby, or embarking on a new path. It fits almost every circumstance I can think of." In another interview with Billboard, Womack said, "When a song really connects with so many people, it's because they felt something when they heard it. This song makes you think about and feel for the people you really love in your life. Who doesn't have someone like that in their life?"
In 2006 Womack told Billboard about an incident at the Country Radio Seminar and said, "I made some new friends at radio, caught up with friends that I had known since the beginning of my career and was able to enjoy a few drinks. Unfortunately, the next day I was performing at the MCA luncheon in front of a crowd of radio folks and, feeling a bit under the weather, I completely blanked out on the lyrics of 'I Hope You Dance,' of all songs. Lucky for me, most of the audience was hung over too and had a good sense of humor about it."
ballad in which the narrator, a mother, expresses her wishes to her children.
Two versions of Womack's recording were released. The original version features Sons of the Desert
(who, like Womack, was signed to MCA at the time) singing a counterpoint
chorus alongside Womack's main chorus, while a second version of the song released for pop
radio omits the counterpount chorus in favor of background vocals to accompany the main chorus. The song was also Sons of the Desert's first Top 40 country hit since "Leaving October" in 1998. The music video
features Lee Ann Womack singing the song to her daughters.
The song is in and is also covered by Gladys Knight
in the 2008 film Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys. The track was chosen for Lauren Alaina by Jennifer Lopez
in season 10 of American Idol
.
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "This is a career record. Years from now, when critics are discussing Womack's vocal gifts and impressive body of work, this is a song that will stand out. It's one of those life-affirming songs that makes you pause and take stock of how you're living. It's filled with lovely poetry that will make listeners think. It's a great song, and Womack does it justice. Her sweet, vulnerable voice perfectly captures the tender sentiment of the lyric. The production is clean and understated, letting Womack's stunning vocal and the great lyric take center stage. Excellence deserves to be rewarded. Ken Barnes of USA Today
listed the I Hope You Dance as the fourth best song of 2000 and wrote, "Uplifting message song whose greeting-card sentiments and imprecise rhymes are outweighed by a gorgeous performance by today's reigning pure-country vocalist.
single from Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating
. The single was released in October 2004, peaking at #2 on the UK Singles Chart
. The single featured a new version of "This Is Your Song", a song recorded when Keating lost his parents in 1998. Royalties from sales of the single were donated to the organization Breast Cancer Care
.
UK CD2
Country pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
song written by Mark D. Sanders
Mark D. Sanders
Mark Daniel Sanders is an American Country Music songwriter. He has written 14 No. 1 hits, 50 singles, and over 200 cuts, including the famous Lee Ann Womack single “I Hope You Dance,” co-written with Tia Sillers.-Early life:...
and Tia Sillers, and recorded by country singer Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
along with Sons of the Desert
Sons of the Desert (band)
Sons of the Desert was an American country music band founded in 1989 in Waco, Texas by brothers Drew Womack and Tim Womack , along with Scott Saunders , Doug Virden and Brian Westrum...
. The song, which was featured on Womack's 2000 album of the same name
I Hope You Dance
I Hope You Dance is the title of the third studio release by American country music singer Lee Ann Womack. It was released on May 23, 2000 as her first album for MCA Nashville...
, reached number one on both the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
charts, and also reached number fourteen on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It is considered to be Womack's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
, and it is the only Billboard number one for both Womack and for Sons of the Desert. "I Hope You Dance" won the 2001 CMA
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
, ACM
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
, NSAI
Nashville Songwriters Association International
The Nashville Songwriters Association International is a 501 not-for-profit trade organization that works to help songwriters in three ways: through legislative advocacy, through education and advice about the actual craft of songwriting, and through teaching about the music industry, and how to...
, ASCAP and BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
awards for Song of the Year. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song
Grammy Award for Best Country Song
The Grammy Award for Best Country Song has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the writer of the song.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
and was nominated for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
. "I Hope You Dance" is ranked 352 in the list "Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
" complied by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
A cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of this song was performed by the Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
as a non-album charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
single.
Background
Womack told The Today ShowThe Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
, "You can't hear those lyrics and not think about children and—and—and hope for the future and things you want for them. And those are the things I want for them in life. I want them to feel small when they stand beside the ocean." She also said, "Sometimes I have fun and lighthearted things. But even "I Hope You Dance." I was so shocked to see the way the kids got it. When—when I say kids, I mean, you know, like teen-agers. And we saw a big difference in our audience and—and the young kids that were coming out to the shows and really into "I Hope You Dance." It turned into like a prom and graduation theme." Womack told The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
, "I thought it was very special. It made me think about Aubrie and Anna Lisa. And I—I didn't know—I can't predict if something's going to be a big hit or not. But it certainly hit home with a lot of people, connected with a lot of people and took me a lot of new places that I had not been able to go before and took my career to a new level."
Womack told Billboard, "It made me think about my daughters and the different times in their lives. As a parent, you just hope those are the kinds of things you will make your children think of. But it can be so many things to different people. Certainly, it can represent everything a parent hopes for their child, but it can also be for a relationship that's ending as a fond wish for the other person's happiness or for someone graduating, having a baby, or embarking on a new path. It fits almost every circumstance I can think of." In another interview with Billboard, Womack said, "When a song really connects with so many people, it's because they felt something when they heard it. This song makes you think about and feel for the people you really love in your life. Who doesn't have someone like that in their life?"
In 2006 Womack told Billboard about an incident at the Country Radio Seminar and said, "I made some new friends at radio, caught up with friends that I had known since the beginning of my career and was able to enjoy a few drinks. Unfortunately, the next day I was performing at the MCA luncheon in front of a crowd of radio folks and, feeling a bit under the weather, I completely blanked out on the lyrics of 'I Hope You Dance,' of all songs. Lucky for me, most of the audience was hung over too and had a good sense of humor about it."
Content
"I Hope You Dance" is a mid-tempo country popCountry pop
Country pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre of country music that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to Top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to...
ballad in which the narrator, a mother, expresses her wishes to her children.
Two versions of Womack's recording were released. The original version features Sons of the Desert
Sons of the Desert (band)
Sons of the Desert was an American country music band founded in 1989 in Waco, Texas by brothers Drew Womack and Tim Womack , along with Scott Saunders , Doug Virden and Brian Westrum...
(who, like Womack, was signed to MCA at the time) singing a counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
chorus alongside Womack's main chorus, while a second version of the song released for pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
radio omits the counterpount chorus in favor of background vocals to accompany the main chorus. The song was also Sons of the Desert's first Top 40 country hit since "Leaving October" in 1998. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
features Lee Ann Womack singing the song to her daughters.
The song is in and is also covered by Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
in the 2008 film Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys. The track was chosen for Lauren Alaina by Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
in season 10 of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
Reception
Editors at BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "This is a career record. Years from now, when critics are discussing Womack's vocal gifts and impressive body of work, this is a song that will stand out. It's one of those life-affirming songs that makes you pause and take stock of how you're living. It's filled with lovely poetry that will make listeners think. It's a great song, and Womack does it justice. Her sweet, vulnerable voice perfectly captures the tender sentiment of the lyric. The production is clean and understated, letting Womack's stunning vocal and the great lyric take center stage. Excellence deserves to be rewarded. Ken Barnes of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
listed the I Hope You Dance as the fourth best song of 2000 and wrote, "Uplifting message song whose greeting-card sentiments and imprecise rhymes are outweighed by a gorgeous performance by today's reigning pure-country vocalist.
Lee Ann Womack and Sons of the Desert
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Country (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
1 |
| Canadian Adult Contemporary (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
75 |
| End of year chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 87 |
| U.S. Billboard Country Singles | 7 |
Ronan Keating version
"I Hope You Dance" served as a non-album CharityCharitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
single from Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and...
. The single was released in October 2004, peaking at #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The single featured a new version of "This Is Your Song", a song recorded when Keating lost his parents in 1998. Royalties from sales of the single were donated to the organization Breast Cancer Care
Breast Cancer Care
Breast Cancer Care is a charity in the UK that provides information, practical assistance and emotional support to anyone affected by breast cancer. The organization was founded in 1972 by Betty Westgate who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1968...
.
Track listing
UK CD1- "I Hope You Dance" - 3:34
- "This Is Your Song" - 3:58
- "I Hope You Dance" (Mothership Mix) - 3:54
UK CD2
- "I Hope You Dance" - 3:34
- "I Hope You Dance" (Supporters' Chorus) - 3:40
- "Ronan Keating Message" - 2:00
- "I Hope You Dance" (Video) - 3:34
Chart performance
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart | 16 |
| Swiss Music Charts | 49 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |