Lyrics for “Dance with My Father” handwritten by Luther Vandross

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

Handwritten lyrics by Luther Vandross on steno paper. The lyrics are written in blue ink on white, lined paper with black lines. The proper right edge has the "fringe" leftover from where it was torn out of a notebook. The paper is slightly wrinkled and has creases from folds. There are four sections of lyrics on the front (Verse 1, Chorus 1, Verse 2, Chorus 2), and two sections on the back (Bridge and Chorus 3). The lyrics are written in cursive letters. Some words are crossed out, and others were added in with smaller letters. The lyrics on the paper were written before the song was released, as they differ slightly from the final version.

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