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Shall We Dance? Lyrics by Marni Nixon, Yul Brynner

The King and I (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

1956

[ANNA, spoken]
Oh but it's very exciting, when you're young at your first dance
And you're sitting on a small quilt chair with your eyes lowered
Terrified that you'd be a wallflower
And suddenly you see two black shoes, a white waistcoat, a face, it speaks...
[ANNA]
We've just been introduced
I do not know you well
But when the music started
Something drew me to your side
So many men and girls
Are in each other's arms
It made me think we might be
Similarly occupied
Shall we dance?
On a bright cloud of music, shall we fly?
Shall we dance?
Shall we then say "Goodnight" and mean "Goodbye"?
Or perchance
When the last little star has left the sky
Shall we still be together
With are arms around each other
And shall you be my new romance?
On the clear understanding
That this kind of thing can happen
Shall we dance?
Shall we dance?
Shall we dance?
[ANNA, spoken]
Mm mm mm
Mm mm mm
[KING, spoken]
Why'd you stop?
You dance pretty, go on, go on, go on!
[ANNA, spoken]
Oh Your Majesty I didn't realize, after all I'm not a dancing girl...
In England, no woman would dance while a man is looking at her
[KING, spoken]
But you will dance with strange men, holding hands, etc
[ANNA, spoken]
Yes, but not always a stranger. Usually a very good friend
[KING, spoken]
Good, then we will dance together! You show me. Teach, teach, teach!
[ANNA, spoken]
Well, it's quite simple, the polka
You count, one, two, three
And one, two, three and one, two, three
[ANNA]
Shall we dance?
[KING]
One, two, three and?
[ANNA]
On a bright cloud of music, shall we fly?
[KING]
One, two, three and?
[ANNA]
Shall we dance?
[KING]
One, two, three and?
[ANNA]
Shall we then say "Goodnight" and mean "Goodbye"?
[King:]
One, two, three and?
[ANNA]
Or perchance
When the last little star has left the sky
Shall we still be together
With are arms around each other
And shall you be my new romance?
On the clear understanding
That this kind of thing can happen
[BOTH]
Shall we dance?
Shall we dance?
Shall we dance?
[ANNA]
One, two, three and one, two, three and
One, two, three and one, two, three and
[KING, spoken]
One, two, three, one, two, three
One, two... Something wrong!
I know, I know, I forgot "and" next time
I'll remember!
[ANNA & KING]
One, two, three and one, two, three and
One, two, three and one, two, three and
[ANNA, spoken]
Oh that's splendid, your Majesty!
[KING, spoken]
Splendid! Splendid!
[ANNA & KING]
And one, two, three and one, two, three and
One, two, three and
[KING]
That is not right!
[ANNA]
Yes, it is! You're doing beautifully, your Majesty
[KING]
Not the way I see Europeans dance tonight
[ANNA]
Yes, it was! It was just like that!
[KING]
We're not holding two hands, like this
[ANNA]
No. As a matter of fact
[KING]
Or no-o-o-ot like this
[ANNA]
Yes
[KING]
Come!
Credits
Marni Nixon

Marni Nixon

Yul Brynner

Yul Brynner

About “Shall We Dance?” by Marni Nixon

Read the complete lyrics to "Shall We Dance?" by Marni Nixon, Yul Brynner from the album "The King and I (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" in 1956. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Soundtrack, Broadway, Musicals.

"Shall We Dance?" is performed by Marni Nixon, Yul Brynner. from the album "The King and I (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" in 1956 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Shall We Dance?", explore more songs by Marni Nixon, Yul Brynner using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Shall We Dance?" is credited to Marni Nixon, Yul Brynner. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Shall We Dance?" appears on "The King and I (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" in 1956.

Visit the Marni Nixon, Yul Brynner artist page at /artist/marni-nixon for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.