Dance Yrself Clean
LCD Soundsystem Lyrics
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Walking up to me
Expecting words
It happens all the time
Present company excepted
Present company
Accept the worst
It happens every night
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Present company
Excluded every time
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Present company
The best that you can find
Talking like a jerk
Except you are an actual jerk
And living proof
That sometimes friends are mean
Present company expect it
Present company
Just laugh it off
It's better than it seems
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Present company
Excluded in every way
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Present company
Makes me wanna stay
Killing it with close inspection
Killing it can only make it worse
It sort of makes it breathe
Present company accepting
Presently we all expect the worst
It works just like a need
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Present company
Excluded in the night
Ah-ah, ah-ah
Present company
Included in the fight
Ah-ah
Ah-ah
Ah, ah-ah
Don't you want for me to wake up?
Then give me just a bit of your time
Arguments are made for make outs
So give it just a little more time
We've got to bring our resources
I wanna play it 'til the time comes
Forget your string of divorces
Just go and throw your little hands up
It's late
Oh
Honey, it's late
Oh
I miss the way the night comes
With friends who always make it feel good
This basement has a cold glow
Though it's better than a bunch of others
So go and dance yourself clean
Go and dance yourself clean, yeah
You're blowing Marxism to pieces
Baby, their arguments to pieces
It's your show
It's your show
It's your show
It's your show
It's your show
Put your little feet down
I'm hiding out
Every night's a different story
It's a thirty car pile-up with you
Everybody's getting younger
It's the end of an era, it's true
And you go
Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop
Break me into bigger pieces
So some of me is home with you
But wait until the weekend
And we can make our bad dreams come true
And it's a-go
Yeah, it's a-go
And if we wait until the weekend
We can miss the best things to do
You go and dance yourself clean
Gotta dance yourself clean, yeah
And blow the Marxism to pieces
Their little arguments to pieces
Oh
Wish you'd try a little harder
In the tedious march of the few
Every day's a different warning
There's a part of me hoping it's true
The first verse of LCD Soundsystem's song "Dance Yrself Clean" appears to be about a person who is incapable of expressing their feelings through words. This is shown by the person walking up to the singer and expecting words, but the singer not being able to deliver them. They also refer to the person as a jerk, insinuating that they have a negative opinion of this person. The following verse mentions present company, indicating that the singer is speaking to the person in question, but they are not included in the group of good people around them.
As the song progresses, there is a clear sense of isolation that the singer feels. He is excluded from present company but included in the fight. He also mentions the need to forget the string of divorces and dance oneself clean. The song may be about a person who is stuck in a rut, unhappy with their life, and wants to find a way to escape. The line "stop, stop, stop" could indicate the singer's desire to stop time, to escape the present moment and to return to happier past events.
The song's chorus urges the listener to dance themselves clean, clear their heads and forget their worries. There are hints of self-discovery in the lyrics, with the suggestion that the singer may be at a turning point in their life. The final line, "There's a part of me hoping it's true," could indicate that the ambiguity of their situation is causing them to question their own identity.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking up to me expecting
Approaching me with an expectation
Expecting words
Hoping for me to say something
It happens all the time
This is a frequent occurrence
Present company excepted
This statement does not apply to you
Accept the worst
Prepare yourself for negativity
It happens every night
This situation occurs nightly
Ah-ah, ah-ah
A repeated vocalization
Present company excluded every time
You are always excluded from this situation
The best that you can find
This is the optimal solution
Talking like a jerk
Speaking in a rude manner
Except you are an actual jerk
But you actually are a rude person
And living proof
Your actions prove this
That sometimes friends are mean
People who are supposed to be friends can be unkind
Just laugh it off
Don't take offense, just brush it aside
It's better than it seems
The situation is not as bad as it appears
Present company excluded in every way
You are always left out of everything
Makes me wanna stay
I want to remain in this situation
Killing it with close inspection
Examining something too closely can destroy it
Killing it can only make it worse
Destroying it will make things more negative
It sort of makes it breathe
It gives the thing energy
Presently we all expect the worst
Currently, we are anticipating negativity
It works just like a need
This is similar to fulfilling a necessity
Present company excluded in the night
As usual, you are not invited
Included in the fight
You are allowed to participate in the argument
Put your little feet down I'm hiding out
Please be calm, I'm trying to avoid confrontation
Every night's a different story
Each night has its own unique situation
It's a thirty car pile-up with you
Being with you causes chaos
Everybody's getting younger
People seem to be aging backwards
It's the end of an era, it's true
A period of time is coming to an end
Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop
Repeatedly telling someone to cease
Break me into bigger pieces
Splitting me apart into larger sections
So some of me is home with you
I am partially with you, even when I'm not there
And if we wait until the weekend
Delaying until the weekend arrives
We can miss the best things to do
We might miss out on optimal experiences
Gotta dance yourself clean, yeah
You must dance until you feel free
And blow the Marxism to pieces
Destroying political ideas that are not helpful
Their little arguments to pieces
Discrediting their weak justification
Wish you'd try a little harder
I wish you would put in more effort
In the tedious march of the few
In the mundane routine of those in power
Every day's a different warning
Each day brings new signs of danger and uncertainty
There's a part of me hoping it's true
I'm secretly wishing it's the end
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Jeremiah Murphy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind