Fall Out Boy: Dance, Dance Meaning
Song Released: 2005
Dance, Dance Lyrics
Barely stuttered out
"A joke of a romantic" or {just} stuck to my tongue
Weighed down with words too over-dramatic
Tonight it's "it can't get much worse"
Vs. "no one should ever feel...
-
1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:I think you're all right to a degree, but here's my take on it:
The title "Dance, Dance" itself is referring to the "game", or in this case Dance of relationships/life.
In the first verse, "She says she's no good with words but I'm worse" is her attempting to put the blame for her breaking up with him on him. She doesn't really know what to say, but to her, it's clearly his fault. Not to him. The "joke of a romantic" is him vainly attempting to win her back, but he's "Weighed down with words too over-dramatic," meaning there's so much he wants to tell her, but he just can't get it out. After they talk, "Tonight it's 'it can't get much worse' Vs. 'no one should ever feel like..' " is him relating his now current situation to old cliche's. "I'm two quarters and a heart down" means they broke up over the phone (gay). After the breakup, he immediately starts to cling to his memories of them together, not wanting to forget how her voice sounds, etc. He then turns inward, saying "These words are all I have so I'll write them," which is his plan for his final attempt to bring closure to his situation... which sets up for the chorus.
In the chorus, He's saying that during the game of life, we're all falling apart half the time, it's just how we pick ourselves back up again that makes us who we are. We see all the happy people everywhere in tv, etc., and those are the lives we want to lead. However, he knows that it's never going to be that simple, and just wants her to be happy. He loved her the only way he knew how; with everything he had. She, however, decided to move on, and he wishes the best for her, comparing that the way she feels with the other guy as the complete polar opposite of how miserable he feels.
Second verse is actually part of their conversation on the phone. This is him calling her out because she has a knack for folding under pressure, or when someone sees her for who she really is (which is exactly who she DOESN'T want them to see, since she in fact hates herself and is insecure). So, "Drink up its last call, Last resort, But only the first mistake and I..." Is him taking a stand and forcing her to make the next move. He's seen through her crap, and her excuses and pathetic attempts at rectifying her actions.
The third and shortest verse is him telling her to "man up" and show some backbone, because he knows exactly why she wants to break up with him... She's been cheating (or at least thinking about it... 'saving' could mean both in the sense that she doesn't do anything for HIM because she's either ALREADY doing it with the other guy, or she's ABOUT to). Regardless, he already knows... which is kinda his fault for not saying anything earlier, since now she's breaking up with him, when he had the perfect reason to do it earlier to her, but my guess is he just loved her too much.
The final blurb in the finale "I only want sympathy in the form of you crawling into bed with me," is saying that he only wants her if she can realize just how much he loved her, and return to her "rightful place"... or he just wants a las "good-bye screw," hahahaha.
Finally, the song fades out with the title "Dance, Dance," signifying that regardless of what happens with them, the game of life goes on and on.
...but that's just what I think. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:Correct! The song is about a self-destructive guy who found out his girl is cheating on him.
'She says she's no good with words but I'm worse' she is offering an excuse of why she can't explain her cheating, but he is having a more difficult time calling her out on it, or can't control her anger. She says she can't explain it, but he might just explode with rage.
'Weighted down with words too over-dramatic' is a clue to how he uses his words.
'I'm two quarters and a heart down' the conversation is obviously on the phone (50 cents a call) and he is crushed.
The chorus moves into the self-destructive thought:
'dance dance' is him ignoring the reality, good call on that by the way.
'And these are the lives you'd love to lead' is him wishing he was living the life of the man who his girl is cheating on him with.
'This is the way they'd love if they knew how misery loved me' is him believing that his girl and her new man don't love each other as much as he did, but they would if they knew the degree of pain it caused him to find out about their escapade.
'You always fold just before you're found out, drink up it's last call, last resort, but only the first mistake.' is more self destructive thought. He feels is always drops the ball (fold before you're found out), waits until the end to live (drink up last call/last resort), but he doesn't change (only the first mistake).
'Showing some spine' is a comment about him finally calling her out to take blame for her action, returning to the first verse where she could offered the excuse of 'i can't explain, I'm not good with words'. -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:I believe most of the above are true. It is about a guy singing what he can't say to a girl that's cheating on him. I could see the two quarters being a phone call, but perhaps it has a double meaning of some athletic event, 'two quarters and a heart down' 'dance dance, we're falling apart to halftime..' You can take that for what it's worth.
I don't see the last lines of the chorus analyzed correctly yet, however. 'Dance, this is the way they'd love' They'd (cheating girlfriend and other guy) dance, 'if they knew how much misery loved me' if they want him to be miserable, basically. The songwriter just uses a backward method of saying it, which makes these lyrics that much better poetry and causes people to think that they're just random. If they knew how much misery wanted me, they'd dance so misery could be.
Too bad for the guy though. Let his mistakes serve as a warning to us all, too much physicality in a relationship can rip it apart, causing more hurt than worth. It is a lesser love that goes too far. -
I kind of think of this song as a guy has a crush on a girl and wants to sleep with her, at a school dance he finally gets the chance to dance with her hence the name Dance, Dance
-
"She says she's no good with words but im worse": The only situation i could dream up where these words would come into would be proffessing feelings of love. He probably asked her how she felt about him because he's in love with her and she says she doesn't know how she feels and can't describe it because she doesn't feel the same way about him as you come to find out later in the song. He is worse with words than her because he won't tell her how he really feels but most likely she already knows hence her hesitation. She doesn't love him. "Barely stuttered out a joke of a romantic or stuck to my tongue" Hes muttering to himself about how he is not the best romantic and that is why she does not love him back. And he never can get the words out. "Weighed down with words too, over dramatic" The thoughts of what he wants to say to her are constantly on his mind plaguing him, but he dismisses it as being over dramatic so he can continue with getting away with no saying a word to her. "Tonight its a cant get much worse vs no one should ever feel like" He realizes that he is too late and her heart already belongs to someone else because hes sees them together and of course everyone knows thats the worse feelling in the word and no one should have to feel that way. He also admit that it cant get much worse as he despairs over this. "Im two quarters and a heart down and i dont want to forget how your voice sounds" He must have called her from a payphone later hence the lost of quarters and his heart was already broken from realizing her true feelings. He called her because he doesnt want to forget how her voice sounds. "These words are all i have so ill write them so you need them just to get by" Shes gone and he felt so strongly about her that the only thing he has left are the words hes saying to her. And now hes enraged because hes going to make her appreciate his abscence and wish she had gone with him hence needing his words just to get by. "Dance, Dance were fallling apart to half time. Dance, Dance and these are the lives you love to lead." Hes calling her out on leading him on. Hes being rueful, not to mention adopting a i dont give a shit attitude. "This is the way theyd love if they knew how misery loved me" He wants people to realize how lucky they are. Saying if they knew what hed been through they would not take so much for granted. "You always fold just before your found out" She loves to lead people on. But just when they start to figure out what she doing, if they ever do, she leaves, therefore leaving them more heartbroken and betrayed then if she had just confessed her sins. "Drink up its last call last resort but only the first mistake" Hes telling her to revel in what she has now because hes going to ruin her, because her first mistake was screwing him over. "Why dont you show me the little bit of spine youve been saving for his mattress" All in all, he still loves her. And the only thing he ever wanted was for her to be his. So hes asking her why she never gave him what she gave to the other guys. And lastly, " I only want sympathy in the form of you crawling into bed with me" She feels bad, but hes basically telling ehr that the only way to repent is to have sex with him and be his even for just a night.
Basically, this guy got screwed over and led on by a girl who did not return his feelings and actually loves another guy. Hes deeply in love with her and when he starts to figure out what shes doing, she leaves going with the other guy. He feels betrayed and wanting above all else to make her miss him or feel bad for him. At some point she does and he says the only way he way he will take her sympathy is by giving him the one thing he always wanted. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
Well going off of what the anonymous person at the top of page one said about how the line "I'm two quarters and a heart down" could be a telephone call to her, I think "And I don't want to forget how your voice sounds" could be him listening to her voicemail greeting on her cell phone because the phonecall doesn't go through and he just gets her voice saying, "Leave a message". So going with that and what the anonymous on the second page said about him writing a letter or maybe he's just alluding to writing this song because of "These words are all I have so I'll write them" it sorta pieces the puzzle together, but that's just what I think anyway.
-
I think this song is about a guy who likes a girl who has been showing signs she likes him too but hasnt said as much. The guy doesn't like to talk about stuff like that with her as he feels that she might not like him as much as he likes her. "Weighed down with words too over-dramatic
Tonight it's "it can't get much worse"
Vs. "no one should ever feel like.."
The girl is a really cool girl but seems to be attracted to guys who arent right for her, she seems to avoid the guys that would treat her right, she likes the 'right guy' but doesn't want people to see she does - "You always fold just before you're found out"
"Why don't you show me the little bit of spine you've been saving for his mattress" is alluding to him asking her to at least tell him she isn't interested or at least say how she feels instead of avoiding the subject.
Overall I think it's about a guy liking a girl he feels likes him back but he hasnt made a move and she is getting with other guys and still leading him on. He wants to be her only one but doesn't want to say anything in case it makes her think he's needy or 'over-dramatic'.
She carries on and he just wants to know where he stands.
I may be far off but that's just how I see it :) -
The song "dance,dance" is about a relationship, obviously, but listen here:
in the game Dance, Dance Revolution, when you play it at an arcade, you put a quarter or two on the screen to indicate it's your turn, the term "two quarters and a heart down" indicates he's putting his all on the line and it's his turn -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
I firmly see the song as about a guy who is awkward socially and hopeless at relationships. The music video shows nerds trying to fit in at a dance, but are hopelessly lost socially. She ends up feeling sorry for him but he "only wants sympathy in the form of [her] crawling into bed with [him]"
She says she's no good with words but I'm worse (she says she's awkward socially and no good with words, but he feels he is much worse than her)
Barely stuttered out
"A joke of a romantic" or stuck to my tongue(once again, he is hopeless at relationships, awkwardly stuttering his words which stick to his tounge and calls himself "a joke of a romantic")
Weighed down with words too over-dramatic(same stuff as before, ect)
Tonight it's "it can't get much worse"
Vs. "no one should ever feel like.."(he knows he's gonna blow it tonight and it can't get much worse and no one should have to feel like this)
later in the song.....
Why don't you show me the little bit of spine
You've been saving for his mattress (she is after another guy but he wants to have sex with her anyways)
I only want sympathy in the form of you crawling into bed with me (he knows she feels sorry for him, but all he wants from it is sex) -
This song is about a girl breaking up with him over the phone because she was sleeping with someone else.
"She says she's no good with words but I'm worse,
Barely stuttered out"
While on the phone, she told him she didn't know how to say that she wanted to dump him.
"'A joke of a romantic' or {just} stuck to my tongue
Weighed down with words too over-dramatic
Tonight it's "it can't get much worse"
Vs. "no one should ever feel like.."
He's saying she was being dramatic while breaking up with him and he doesn't think anything could be worse then how he feels because no one should feel that way.
"I'm two quarters and a heart down
And I don't want to forget how your voice sounds
These words are all I have so I'll write them
So you need them just to get by "
He called her via a pay phone and now he's lost 50 cents and his heart is broken. All he has is these words since he doesn't have her anymore.
"Dance, Dance
We're falling apart to half time"
Their relationship is ending before he thought it would. Half time is a reference to football. It's like, they just got started and their relationship is ending.
"Dance, Dance
And these are the lives you'd love to lead
Dance, this is the way they'd love
If they knew how misery loved me"
Because he's famous everyone thinks his life is so great and would love to trade places with him but he's saying no one even knows how miserable he is.
"You always fold just before you're found out
Drink up its last call
Last resort
But only the first mistake and I..."
He called her out on the phone saying he knew she was breaking up with him for someone else and she clammed up.
"Why don't you show me the little bit of spine
You've been saving for his mattress, love"
He's taunting her and saying don't clam up now.
"I only want sympathy in the form of you crawling into bed with me"
He doesn't want her feeling sorry for him unless he's going to get a pity lay out of it.
He goes on singing the chorus, reiterating the fact that everyone thinks his life is great when it's really not. -
I think this song is a bout a nerdy guy who like s a girl. It could be a popular girl or they could just be friends. And whenever he tries to talk to her he can't think of anything to say which leads him to a bad/awkward situation. (She says she's no good with words but I'm worse
Barely stuttered out
"A joke of a romantic" or {just} stuck to my tongue
Tonight it's "it can't get much worse")
But listening to the song and looking at the other lyrics, I think SHE'S no good with words, either, so she just has sex with all the guys she meets.
I think my interpretations are both right, I just can't put them together. -
Oh, I thought it was "weighed down with word stew" ahh, I c. That changes a lot.
-
Heck, this is just a song about some guys having a heck of a time.
-
This song is all about manipulation. He's "dancing" for a girl and he can't do anything about it because he cares so much. Then the girl keeps asking for more and he can't keep up. She doesn't like him but she keeps screwing with his head. He also wants to have sex with her but she won't "I only want sympathy in the form of you crawling into bed with me"
-
This song is about the conversation over the phone of a guy and his girl friend who is cheating on him. She is lying to him, which is y she's "no good with words" he's trying to accuse her of cheating("a joke of a romantic stuck to my tongue")by making a joke about her cheating and hopeing she will just tell him the truth. He's two quarters and a heart down because he is devastated his girl friend is cheating, and two quarters down means he's calling from a pay phone. He doesn't want to just break up with her ("and I don't want to forget how your voice sounds")" Dance,Dance is just him being frustrated and angry, lying and saying her he doesn't care about her or what she does anymore. "were falling apart at half time" means their relationship is quickly falling apart. "this is the way they'd love. If they knew how misery loved me" he is talking about the guys she cheats with, and how they would feel if they knew how miserable he was. "Drink up its last call Last resort" means the girl is dating him as a last resort, she would rather be with someone better. Pete says this because he feels like she thinks the girl is cheating because she thinks she's too good for him. " why don't you show me a little of that spine you've been saving for this mattress" This is him telling her to stop being a coward and to admit she's cheating. "love" is him bitterly calling her a pet name. Like "aren't you my love?"
-
LOL.....I liked the Led Zepplen coment! Everyone has their own opinion. He's obviously upset because she is having sex with someone, not him. Song seems kind of simple!
DUH!!
More Fall Out Boy songs »
Latest Articles
-
A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park -
Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable -
.jpg)
Dolly, we need you -
The Stranger Things Effect: How new media is drawing Gen Z and Alpha's attention to aging media -
The most underrated soundtrack of the early 2000s -
Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie: Brainscan (1994)
Trending:
Blog posts mentioning Fall Out Boy
Is Maroon 5 a Beautiful Mistake?
|
This is Some Quality Garbage
|
Just Posted
| Montreal | anonymous |
| Moonlight | anonymous |
| Beautiful People | anonymous |
| Amnesia | anonymous |
| Your Smiling Face | anonymous |
| You Should Be Dancing | anonymous |
| Washing Machine Heart | anonymous |
| Souvenirs | anonymous |
| Art Deco | anonymous |
| Let It Go | anonymous |
| The Greatest Show | anonymous |
| Vampire | anonymous |
| Vampire | anonymous |
| Sippy Cup | anonymous |
| A Place For My Head | anonymous |
Weekly Most Popular
| 1 | Eminem |
|---|---|
| 2 | Common |
| 3 | Beatles |
| 4 | Dashboard Confessional |
| 5 | Neighbourhood, The |
| 6 | Flogging Molly |
| 7 | One Direction |
| 8 | Ed Sheeran |
| 9 | Why Don't We |
| 10 | Fall Out Boy |
