Today’s classic song of the day is “Love at the Five and Dime,” written and originally performed by songstress Nanci Griffith but made a bona fide hit by Kathy Mattea. Ms. Mattea’s version was released as a single in April of 1986 and made it all the way to #3 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
As I’ve written before, I’m a sucker for story songs and “Love at the Five and Dime” is one hell of a story song. In just about four minutes, the song tells the story of sixteen year-old Rita, who works at the local Woolworth’s store, and Eddie, an aspiring steel guitar player. Over the course of the song, Rita and Eddie fall in love, get married, break up, and get back together again. At one point, one of the boys in Eddie’s band takes a shine to Rita’s hand, so Eddie runs off with the bass man’s wife. They get back together, however, and live a long and satisfying life. Eddie kept playing in his barroom bands “until arthritis took his hands,” and now “he sells insurance on the side.” Miss Rita has “a house to keep, dime store novels, and a love so sweet,” and together they still “dance to the radio late at night.”
It’s a sweet song and a darn good story, packed with descriptive details and real emotion. And it all starts with the words of the very first verse:
Rita was sixteen years, hazel eyes and chestnut hair
She made the Woolworth counter shine
And Eddie was a sweet romancer, and a darn good dancer
And they’d waltz the aisles of the five and dime
And they’d sing
Dance a little closer to me, dance a little closer now
Dance a little closer tonight
Dance a little closer to me, ’cause it’s closing time
And love’s on sale tonight at this five and dime
Nanci Griffith released “Love at the Five and Dime” as a track on her 1986 Last of the True Believers album. It was country star Kathy Mattea, however, who made it a big hit. Kathy’s version is extremely faithful to Nanci’s original and brought renewed attention to Ms. Griffith and her songs.
My favorite version of “Love at the Five and Dime,” however, is Nanci’s live version from her 1988 album One Fair Summer Evening. In this version she introduces the song with a long and extremely charming story about Woolworth stores (“they smell like popcorn and chewing gum rubbed around on the bottom of a leather-soled shoe”), her first trip to London, and how the sound of the Woolworth elevator (“or a lift, as they say in Europe”) inspired the little harmonic “ding” on her recording of the song. It is, as I said, extremely charming and makes you fall in love with Ms. Griffith and her song.
My wife and I had the good fortune to catch Nanci Griffith in concert in 2009—and Kathy Mattea in concert a year later. “Love at the Five and Dime” was a highlight of both performances. It’s just a darn good song, perhaps Ms. Griffith’s best (although there’s a lot of competition for that honor).
Nanci Griffith passed away in 2021. She was just 68 years old. In her memory, let’s all dance a little closer, ’cause it’s closing time and love’s on sale tonight at the five and dime.
