"Cosmic Dancer"
(Marc Bolan)

 

These words are transcribed without permission the way they appear in the "My Early Burglary Years" album. Additions to the printed lyrics are in darker text while omissions are striken out.

I was dancing when I was twelve
I was dancing when I was twelve
I was dancing when I was twelve aaah
I was dancing when I was twelve aaah

I danced myself out of the womb
I danced myself out of the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
Is it strange to dance so soon?

Is it to wrong to understand
The fear that dwells inside a man?
What's it like to be a loon?
I liken it to a balloon

I'll dance myself into the tomb
I'll dance myself into the tomb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
Is it strange to dance so soon?

Is it wrong to understand
The fear that dwells inside a man?
What's it like to be a loon?
I liken it to a balloon

 

The song is a T-Rex cover first released on the album "Electric Warrior". Morrissey took many liberties with the lyrics. Here are the original words as sung by Marc Bolan. As can be seen, Morrissey skipped the whole second verse and repeated the third one even though it is only sung once on the T-Rex version. He also changed the tense of the line about "dance myself into the tomb" from past to present.

I was dancing when I was twelve
I was dancing when I was twelve
I was dancing when I was aaah
I was dancing when I was aaah
I danced myself right out the womb
I danced myself right out the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
I danced myself right out of the womb

I was dancing when I was eight
I was dancing when I was eight
Is it strange to dance so late?
Is it strange to dance so late?
I danced myself into the tomb
I danced myself into the tomb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
I danced myself into the tomb

Is it to wrong to understand?
The fear that dwells inside a man?
What's it like to be a loon
I liken it to a balloon

I danced myself out of the womb
I danced myself out of the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
I danced myself into the tomb
But then again once more
I danced myself out of the womb
I danced myself out of the womb
Is it strange to dance so soon?
I danced myself right out the womb

 

Note: It is not impossible that Morrissey sang "What's it like to be alone" instead of Bolan's "What it like to be a loon".