Dancing Queen is a song featured in the stage musical Mamma Mia!, its film adaptation, and the sequel to the film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. In the musical and first film, it's sung by Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company. Rosie and Tanya sing this song again in the second film, this time joined by Sophie, Bill, Harry, and Sam.
In the musical and first film, Donna is upset over the arrival of her three exes, one of which is Sophie's father. She reminisces about the past, the person she once was when she was younger. Her two best friends, Rosie and Tanya, sings this song with her to convince her that she can still be the girl she once was. In the musical, only the three women are singing inside Donna's bedroom, but in the film, the three women go around the island and sing with the women.
In the second film, after expressing distress over her problems with reopening the hotel and Sky, Sophie reunites with Sam, one of her possible fathers and her stepfather. After lamenting about her situation, Sophie is surprised to see that her two other possible fathers, Bill and Harry, are arriving on the island with guests to celebrate the reopening of Donna's hotel. She also reunites with Sky, who she hasn't seen in a while, at the end of the song.
This song is performed again as an encore in the stage productions and as an end credit scene in the first film.
Lyrics[]
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Rosie and Tanya:
Ooh
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
Rosie (with Tanya in certain productions):
You come to look for a king
Tanya (with Rosie):
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's (high)
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
Rosie and Tanya:
And when you get the chance
Rosie and Tanya (with Donna in certain productions):
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company harmonizing:
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Donna (with Rosie and Tanya):
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're (gone)
Donna, Rosie and Tanya:
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company harmonizing:
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company harmonizing:
Digging the dancing queen
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
See that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Rosie and Tanya:
Ooh
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
Rosie:
You come to look for a king
Rosie and Tanya:
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
Donna with Company:
You can dance
Rosie with Company:
You can jive
Tanya with Company:
Having the time of your life
Donna with Company (Company):
(Ooh) See that girl
Tanya with Company:
Watch that scene
Donna and Tanya with Company:
Digging the dancing queen
Donna (with Rosie and Tanya):
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're (gone)
Donna, Rosie and Tanya:
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company harmonizing:
Digging the dancing queen
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Rosie and Tanya:
Ooh
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Donna (with Rosie and Tanya):
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're (gone)
Donna, Rosie and Tanya:
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company harmonizing:
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
Ooh
Donna, Rosie, and Tanya with Company:
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Company:
Ooh
You can dance
You can jive
Having the time of your life
Ooh
Rosie, Tanya, and Company
See that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Rosie, Sam, Sophie, Tanya and Company:
Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Bill, Harry, and Company:
Where they play the right music
Rosie, Sophie, Tanya, and Company:
Getting in the swing
Bill, Harry, and Company:
You come to look for a king
Rosie, Sophie, Sam, Tanya and Company:
Anybody could be that guy
Night is young and the music's high
Bill, Harry, and Company:
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine
You're in the mood for a dance
Rosie, Sam, Tanya, and Company:
And when you get the chance
Rosie, Sam, Sophie, Tanya and Company:
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Company:
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah
Sophie, Sam, (and Tanya) and Company:
You can dance (Rosie: Whoo!)
(You can jive)
Company:
Having the time of your life
Ooh
Sam, Sophie, and Company:
See that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
Company:
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Rosie, Sam, Sophie, Tanya, and Company:
You're a teaser, you turn 'em on
Leave 'em burning and then you're gone
Looking out for another
Anyone will do
You're in the mood for a dance
And when you get the chance
You are the dancing queen
Young and sweet
Only seventeen
Dancing queen
Feel the beat from the tambourine
Sophie and Company:
Oh yeah
Harry and Company:
You can dance
You can jive
Company:
Having the time of your life
Ooh, see that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the dancing queen
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Digging the dancing queen
A-ah, aah
A-ah, aah
Digging the dancing queen
Trivia[]
- In Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Bill and Harry can be seen recreating the iconic scene from Titanic during their arrival in this song.
- This is the song that is performed the most among all franchises, having five in total, tied with "Mamma Mia."
- The performances are: Twice in the stage musical, once in Act I and once more as an encore; twice in the first film, following the same formula as the stage musical; once more in the film's sequel.
- "Mamma Mia" follows the same exact pattern.
- This is one of the songs that is performed full at least once across all iterations, being featured in the stage musical, film adaptation, and film sequel.
- The other songs to also be fully featured in all iterations are "Mamma Mia" and "Waterloo."
- "Thank You for the Music" and "SOS" are performed in the film sequel in part.
- "Slipping Through My Fingers" and "Chiquitita" are used as instrumentals in the film sequel.