We Don't Have To Dance
Andy Black Lyrics

Record scratch, Steve Miller band
Starting off the song abruptly and unexpectedly with the sound that DJs used to create by dragging a vinyl record backwards and forward.

Tattooed necks and tattooed hands
Accentuating the aesthetic preference among youthful people for tattoos.

Oh, how don't you drown in a rain storm?
Referencing to feeling overwhelmed by depression/anxiety and struggle to go through daily life like facing and surviving a storm.

Fresh regrets, vodka sweats
Connecting the horrible aftermath of partying with regrettable decisions and moments of self-loathing.

The sun is down and we're bound to get exhausted and so far from the shore
Depicting feeling lost and aimless in life with no progress made and struggling to find a way during dark periods.

You're never gonna get it
Implying how no one can relate to their problems and struggles.

I'm a hazard to myself
Taking responsibility for their own pain and concealing it from others.

I'll break it to you easy
Spelling out how they will reveal the truth or their problems in a delicate manner.

This is hell, this is hell
Reinforcing the intensity of their mental struggle and the weight it carries on their everyday life.

You're looking and whispering you think I'm someone else
Feeling misunderstood and judged by others, who don't really see the real them.

Literal hell
Expressing how they feel that the situation in their life is a genuine hell and not using it as a metaphor.

We don't have to talk
Acknowledging that sometimes the best remedy is just to be quiet and not dwell on things.

We don't have to dance
Not pursuing social activities to fit in or for companionship.

We don't have to smile
Acknowledging that they can't fake their happiness and why force themselves to put on a facade.

We don't have to make friends
Negative past experiences may lead people to question whether making new friends is worth trying.

It's so nice to meet you
Dipping into an ironic tone to suggest they don't really want to be extended this kindness.

Let's never meet again
Suggesting a strong distaste for the current social interaction and closeness with the other person.

Bottles smashed, I raised my hand
Revealing typical reckless or self-destructive behavior due to the influence of substances.

How can you all even stand?
Questioning how other people can handle the chaos and disorder in their society/community/life, while they can't seem to.

And why is there joy in this poison? Oh
Feeling perplexed about why people find pleasure and euphoria in behaviors and indulgences that are harmful and dangerous.

Faking smiles and confidence
Hiding their true feelings and thoughts to maintain a social facade and to cover their insecurity.

Driving miles to capture this excitement
Going to great lengths to experience something remotely exciting in a mundane or dull life.

I can't take anymore
Expressing a breaking point, tired of the pain and struggles and not wanting to bear them anymore.

Yeah, yeah
Just an expression to convey exerting anxiety or nervousness about something.

Talk, talk, talk, talk
Suggesting that life and people demand excessive conversations and talks, which can be tiring and exhausting.