A speaker remembers events from his childhood. The first detail recalled is that the smell of whisky on his father’s breath was strong enough to make him a little light-headed. With no context other than the title, he then throws the reader right into the middle of the event, recalling vividly how he was holding on for dear life while his father engaged him in a waltz. He notes the difficulty of these dances, suggesting that the waltz is habitual or at least repeated.
As the dancing continues, it becomes rowdy and disruptive. Pans fall off of their shelf, and the boy's mother, watching the dance, frowns at the father and son.
Meanwhile, the dance itself becomes clumsier and more violent. The father, whose hands are dirty and damaged, clings to the boy's wrist. He also keeps time by tapping against his head. The father starts to miss steps in the dance, causing the speaker's ear to scrape against the buckles on his clothes.
Finally, the father carries the speaker off to bed, with the speaker still holding on to the father's shirt.
