Musical Monday - I Don't Wanna Dance by Eddy Grant

#1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Never.

#1 on the Cash Box Top 100: Never.

#1 on the U.K. Chart: November 13, 1982 to November 27, 1982.

Is Eddy Grant the only Guyanese international pop star? I think he may be. I certainly can't think of another. In any event, Grant was part of a mini-boom of non-Reggae based Caribbean music that took place in the early- to mid-1980s. He only had a handful of really substantial solo hits, and this was one of them. To a certain extent, it was kind of a miracle that Grant was performing at all in 1982, since he had suffered a heart attack and collapsed lung in 1971 that had sidelined him for years.

In any event, this song is basically a gentle break-up song. It may be the most matter-of-fact break up song I've ever heard, and possibly the one with the least animosity of heartache as well. Basically, the singer just isn't interested in the former object of his affections any more, but isn't going to do anything to hurt her on his way out of the door. The video kind of sends a mixed message though, and although I vaguely recall the song from way back in 1982 - when I would have been living in Zaïre - I had never seen the video until this week.

Previous Musical Monday: Up Where We Belong by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

Subsequent Musical Monday: Gloria by Laura Branigan

Previous #1 on the U.K. Chart: Do You Really Want to Hurt Me? by Culture Club

Subsequent #1 on the U.K. Chart: Beat Surrender by the Jam

List of #1 Singles from the Billboard Hot 100 for 1980-1989
List of #1 Singles from the Cash Box Top 100 for 1980-1989
List of #1 Singles on the U.K. Chart for 1980-1989

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