Secondary meaning to Just Dance?

[Bebe 16,562]

I know this looks like a long thread! But most of it is song lyrics - Skip past them if you can't be bothered reading the whole thing. This is just my reading, I'm not saying it's absolutely fact, I just wondered what you guys think of this little theory.

Just Dance is obviously the first single Gaga ever released. What is obvious is that it can be applied to going out clubbing, getting drunk and forgetting your troubles; I think it's possible that the song is also a reference to Gaga trying to break into the industry, I think the theory starts off slow but becomes more supported as the song goes on. Gaga has said this about Just Dance in the past:

"That record saved my life, I was in such a dark space in New York. I was so depressed, always in a bar. I got on a plane to LA to do my music and was given one shot to write the song that would change my life and I did. I never went back."

Gaga wrote this song at a time in her life where she was in a dark place and was desperately trying to break through into the industry.

So the song starts off with Gaga partying but also performing and working:

 

"I've had a little bit too much, much
All of the people start to rush (start to rush by)
A dizzy twister dance
Can't find my drink or man
Where are my keys? I lost my phone, phone
What's going on on the floor?
I love this record, baby, but I can't see straight anymore
Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?
I can't remember, but it's alright, alright"

The start of the song is the most obvious part of the song that alludes to going to a club and drinking/partying until you lose your keys/phone and you are too drunk to remember what club you are in. I'd suggest the lyrics could also be a reference to how worn down she is, she has just had (a little bit) too much and is about to break. All these "important people" seem to enter her life and make promises before moving on from her (all of the people start to rush by).

She can't remember where her keys and phone are, symptoms of being drunk or stressed and busy. She is already thinking about how she is going to get home. 

She is performing so hard she isn't paying attention to how everyone is reacting on the floor, she loves her songs but she is working so much she can't see her end goal anymore. She can't even remember what damn club she is playing in anymore.

"Just dance, gonna be okay
Da-da-doo-da
Just dance, spin that record, babe
Da-doo-doo-doo
Just dance, gonna be okay
Duh-duh-duh
Dance, dance, dance, just j-j-just dance"

It's all going to be alright though, she needs to Just Dance and keep spinning her records and everything will work itself out. She just needs to keep hustling.

 

"Wish I could shut my playboy mouth
How'd I turn my shirt inside out? Inside out, right
Control your poison, babe
Roses have thorns, they say
And we're all gettin' hosed tonight
What's going on on the floor?
I love this record, baby, but I can't see straight anymore
Keep it cool, what's the name of this club?
I can't remember, but it's alright, alright"

The beginning of this could be an unfortunate reference to the producers who were taking advantage of her, but she is going to have to battle through the thorns if she is going to get the rose. See first verse for secondary interpretation of the last bit.

I'll skip the chorus and such now because that's already been discussed, but this is where I think this theory really gets it's heels in. This bridge is not at all about partying at all, this seems to be a clear reference to her career and music.

"Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic, got my blueprint, it's symphonic
Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic, got my blueprint, electronic
Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic, got my blueprint, it's symphonic
Half psychotic, sick, hypnotic, got my blueprint, electronic
Go! Use your muscle, carve it out, work it, hustle
(I got it, just stay close enough to get it on)
Don't slow! Drive it, clean it, Lysol, bleed it
Spend the last dough (I got it)
In your pock-o (I got it)"

For the first part I'd like to redirect you to this article a--lysing Gaga's music via musical theory: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/03/lady_gaga_s_bad_romance_owen_pallett_explains_the_pop_diva_s_genius_using.single.html

"From her early singles onward—“Just Dance” (U.S. No. 1), “Poker Face” (U.S. No. 1), “LoveGame” (U.S. No. 5), “Paparazzi” (U.S. No. 6), “Bad Romance” (U.S. No. 2), “Alejandro” (U.S. No. 5), and “Judas” (U.S. No. 10)—Gaga and her primary songwriting partner, RedOne, set rigorous guidelines as to what Gaga singles would or would not do:

1. Gaga is meant to convey a s-xy, spooky energy. Result: Gaga would not release any major-key singles. Minor keys only. None of these seven singles is in a major key.

2. Gaga’s presence on the charts is monolithic, immovable. Result: Gaga would begin every verse (and most choruses) on the establishing i chord, that is, the root chord of the minor-key the song is in, suggesting permanence, an inevitability.

3. Gaga’s gaze upon the pop landscape is unflinching, unblinking. Result: Gaga would never do a single that modulated to another key. (Exception: “Paparazzi”)

4. Gaga is human, obeys her base impulses, with no uplifting effervescence or fluttery naiveté. So, despite the best advice of certain music writers, Gaga would never allow any of her dance-floor fillers to feature syncopated rhythms. Only repetitious juggernaut eighth-note patterns, please. (Exception: “LoveGame.”)

.... " (There is more and it's worth checking out if you haven't read it before but this is really to support what I'm about to say)

Gaga, especially for her earliest singles, seems to have had strict guidelines - a symphonic, electronic blueprint - of what her music would sound like. It's exactly what she mentions in the opening of this bridge.

She goes on to talk about wanting to keep hustling, working and carving out a space for herself urging herself not to slow down now. She is spending all the money in her pockets, as Gaga constantly said during TF and TFM she used to spend the money she earned on her performances.  This part is about her working, hustling and spending all her money on her performances/art in the hopes of breaking into the industry.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

So that's my a--lysis of Just Dance. I don't know if you agree or disagree but I thought I would share and hopefully start an interesting conversation 

[Kermit 15,807]

The is the best Harry Potter novel I've ever read.

[Creyk 16,836]

Lovely interpretation.

You should do one for HML I have no idea what the song is about and she never talked about it.

[Diamond Heart 4,400]

Nice interpretation! I love reading other peoples well thought out theories :) And i agree with a lot of what youve said tbh

[VTV 10,742]

Lovely interpretation.

You should do one for HML I have no idea what the song is about and she never talked about it.

and Jewels N' Drugs.

 

[VTV 10,742]

 

i didnt notice she was gogo dancing with the elusive chanteuse 

[Bebe 16,562]

i didnt notice she was gogo dancing with the elusive chanteuse 

Her face looked so familiar, I was trying to pick it. You are completely right, I totally see it

Elusive one indeed....

[Gohan 15,094]

I honestly think the same

But after Judas, -and to prove that RedOne/Gaga "mark"- all of the singles sounds different from the other ones. Did you realize that also? Interesting, because they kind of "flopped" compared to Born This Way and Judas.

As for Just Dance, I always had this feeling that she was really drunk when she wrote it, but also conscious at the same time (a good drinker). That's why some part of the songs are repetitive, they are meant to show that she was drunk (drunk people tend to repeat words over and over again) "dada doo doom", for example.

I made my mom listen to Just Dance for the first time in 2009 and ever since then, she never heard of her again until Applause, then she got obsessed with her. She started to look out her discography, as her obsession was growing more and more, until she comes one day at me saying "hey, why has Gaga stopped making those infectious bridges?", I said what did she mean by that, and she replied "half psychotic, synch hypnotic, got my blue-print, it's symphonic", "I won't tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you, cause I'm bluffing with my muffin" "walk walk fashion baby, work it, move that b---h crazy" and she was damn right. Gaga and RedOne have this crazy ass formula -that if you're a SUPER fan- you'll realize instantly. Weird and genius.

 

[Sakrai 4,759]

Story time once I was really drunk and decided to go back to my place walking. I was really drunk and felt like I was going to pass out any minute which made me very scared.

So I decided to start singing Just Dance just to keep my mind busy, and while singing it I started to realise for the first time how dark the whole song is. The song felt so claustrophobic in that moment, like having a panic attack, filled with anxiety because somehow you ended up too drunk and you've lost your phone, and your keys, and you can't remember where the f*ck you are. And you try to keep yourself calm by listening to the song the DJ is playing, going like "It's fine...it's fine I like this song...It's a good song..." The whole idea of being lost and scared and alone was masterfully masked by an upbeat tempo and a cool style that makes it feel like it's a really cool situation to be in. But it's really not. Needless to say I started crying while singing haha . 

The next day I looked up some piano versions of the song, which I had never heard before, and came across with this one

which really conveys the whole dark aura that I could feel while singing the song by myself alone at night. From that moment on the song took a whole new meaning. I love it.

tl;dr: It's amazing how Gaga's songs can take completely new meanings for different people. They are filled with an incredible depth that is not really obvious on the surface. Queen of songwriting tbh 

 

[gagzus 13,646]

Lovely interpretation.

You should do one for HML I have no idea what the song is about and she never talked about it.

It's about s-x and being a rebel with your friends, it's also about love and I assume it's about s-xual liberation as part of BTWs rebirth theme

and Jewels N' Drugs.

 

J&Ds she has briefly explained it's meant to be about the opposite of what you'd think, it's less about opulence and more about enjoying the simple life. She once said that the line "slap honey onto yo pancake" is in reference to her enjoying having a relaxing breakfast with taylor or her parents. The song is satirical like Donatella.

[gagzus 13,646]

As for Just Dance, I always had this feeling that she was really drunk when she wrote it, but also conscious at the same time (a good drinker). That's why some part of the songs are repetitive, they are meant to show that she was drunk (drunk people tend to repeat words over and over again) "dada doo doom", for example.

 

she always has said and so has RedOne she wrote it to the synth beat in 10 minutes in her first session with RedOne after they did Boys Boys Boys when she was hungover

[VTV 10,742]

Her face looked so familiar, I was trying to pick it. You are completely right, I totally see it

Elusive one indeed....

6 years  later

 

[Blade 5,603]

I love this thread & ur theory

[Bad Bromance 5,809]

I honestly think the same

But after Judas, -and to prove that RedOne/Gaga "mark"- all of the singles sounds different from the other ones. Did you realize that also? Interesting, because they kind of "flopped" compared to Born This Way and Judas.

As for Just Dance, I always had this feeling that she was really drunk when she wrote it, but also conscious at the same time (a good drinker). That's why some part of the songs are repetitive, they are meant to show that she was drunk (drunk people tend to repeat words over and over again) "dada doo doom", for example.

I made my mom listen to Just Dance for the first time in 2009 and ever since then, she never heard of her again until Applause, then she got obsessed with her. She started to look out her discography, as her obsession was growing more and more, until she comes one day at me saying "hey, why has Gaga stopped making those infectious bridges?", I said what did she mean by that, and she replied "half psychotic, synch hypnotic, got my blue-print, it's symphonic", "I won't tell you that I love you, kiss or hug you, cause I'm bluffing with my muffin" "walk walk fashion baby, work it, move that b---h crazy" and she was damn right. Gaga and RedOne have this crazy ass formula -that if you're a SUPER fan- you'll realize instantly. Weird and genius.

 

Gaga and RedOne indeed create musical magic.  They are the best team ever, if you ask me.  

On Topic:  @Bebe, I totally agree with you on some parts.  Although I truly believe this song is about partying and being too drunk.  Who know, though, you may have hit the nail on the head for all we know!!