She's thinkin' about what her kids are doin'
Five miles away, it's almost time for bed
They're brushin' teeth and hearin' one more story
And in the mirror she paints her lips bright red
She wishes she could call and say she loves them
But the boss man says, no calls go out or in
So she puts on a dress that might feel pretty
If she didn't have to take it off again
She's dancin' for the groceries
She's dancin' for the rent
She's dancin' for the credit card
That she's already spent
In sequence and in laces
She's dancin' for the braces
So her kids can have a perfect smile someday
Smilin' while she dances is the price she has to pay
They tell her in this job there is no future
So get it while you can 'cause looks don't last
There's money in those pockets for the take in
And if you do it right, it makes the time go fast
The music's loud, the drinks are mostly water
What her name is tonight she can't recall
The business men stair at the single mother
Who's smilin' while she's starin' at the wall
She's dancin' for the groceries
She's dancin' for the rent
She's dancin' for the credit card
That she's already spent
In sequence and in laces
She's dancin' for the braces
So her kids can have a perfect smile someday
Smilin' while she dances is the price she has to pay
Someday she'll have a house out in the country
Someday she'll see the other side of dawn
And no one will ever know what it was she did before
But she just heard the DJ say, “You're on”
And the lights come up and they play her song
She's dancin' for the groceries
She's dancin' for the rent
She's dancin' for the credit card
That she's already spent
In sequence and in laces
She's dancin' for the braces
So her kids can have a perfect smile someday
Smilin' while she dances, smilin' while she dances
Is the price she has to pay
She's dancin' for the groceries
Is the price she has to pay
Dancin' for the groceries
Is the price she has to pay
Dancin' for the groceries