Pretty Ballerina

About Pretty Ballerina

"Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown (born Michael Lookofsky) that was released as a single by his band the Left Banke in December 1966. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 4 on the Canadian RPM chart. The original Left Banke version of the song was sung by Steve Martin Caro and has appeared in the films Apocalypse Now, Off Limits and Things Behind the Sun. The song has been covered by such artists as Alice Cooper, John Mellencamp, Jason Falkner, Peter Kingsbery, Eels, Argentine rock star Charly García, Alan Merrill, the Bluetones, and the Dickies. "Pretty Ballerina" was one of the first pop songs to use the Lydian mode in its melody, predating the Beatles' Indian-inspired "Blue Jay Way" and Donovan's "Peregrine". The recording features an oboe over the instrumental portion of the track, joining the string quartet, before the music pauses, and goes back to the refrain of the song. "Pretty Ballerina" is one of several songs that Brown wrote about Renée Fladen, the girlfriend of Left Banke guitarist Tom Finn and the object of Brown's affections. Other songs written about her include the band's biggest hit, "Walk Away Renée", and "She May Call You Up Tonight". more »

Year:

1967

2:38

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Pretty Ballerina		
Left Banke

 I had a date with a pretty ballerina
 Her hair so brilliant that it hurt my eyes,
 I asked her for this dance and then she obliged me
 Was I surprised, yeah, was I surprised, no not at all

 I called her yesterday, it should have been tomorrow
 I could not keep this joy that was inside,
 I beg for her to tell me if she really loved me,
 Some where a mountain is moving
 Afraid it's moving without me.
  (Instrumental Break)
 La La La La La La

 I had a date with a pretty ballerina
 Her hair so brilliant that hurt my eyes	
 I asked for this dance and then she obliged me 
 Was I surprised, yeah, was I surprised, no not at all.

 And when I wake on that dreary Sunday morning,
 I open up my eyes to find there's rain,
 And something strange within says go ahead and find her
 Just close your eyes, yeah, just close your eyes
 And she'll be there
 She'll be there 
 She'll be there

From: TimPauline@aol.com

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The Left Banke

The Left Banke is an American baroque pop band that formed in New York City in 1965, disbanded in 1969, and reformed in 2011. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often utilized what the music press referred to as "baroque" string arrangements, which led to their music being variously termed as "Bach-rock", "baroque rock" or "baroque 'n' roll". The band's harmonies borrowed from contemporaries such as The Beatles, The Zombies and other British Invasion groups. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed "Walk Away Renée" at #220 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. more »

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