The music video was produced by the Wachowskis (who also produced and direc… Read Full Bio ↴The music video was produced by the Wachowskis (who also produced and directed The Matrix trilogy), and features an epileptic woman (played by Johanna Constantine, co-founder of Blacklips) who experiences a seizure and falls into a dreamworld full of body painted and semi-nude nymphs and colorful masks, while butterflies are coming out of Antony’s mouth. The video was clearly inspired by the Shakespeare play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream“.

Antony explained to Mojo Magazine that the lyrics: “I’m finding my rhythm as I twist in the snow” was just made up. He added: “We’re all twisting in the snow, trying to figure out who we are and how we can be in balance and harmony with the environment.”

(Excerpt from my blog, http://soundtales.wordpress.com

Epilepsy Is Dancing
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Epilepsy is dancing
She's the Christ now departing
And I'm finding my rhythm
As I twist in the snow

All the metal burned in me
Down the brain of my river
For the fire was searching

For a waterway home

I cry, "Glitter is love"
My eyes pinned inside
With green jewels
Hanging like Christmas stars
From a golden vein

As I came to her screaming
Hold me while I'm dreaming
For my fingers are curling
And I cannot breathe

Then I cried in the kitchen
How I'd seen your ghost witching
There's a soldering blue line
Between my eyes

Cut me in quadrants
Leave me in the corner
Cut me in quadrants
Leave me in the corner
Cut me in quadrants
Leave me in the corner
Cut me in quadrants
Leave me in the corner

Oh, now it's passing
Oh, now I'm dancing
Oh, now it's passing
Oh, now I'm dancing
Oh, now it's passing
Oh, now I'm dancing

Oh, now it's passing
Oh, now I'm dancing

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Epilepsy is Dancing" by Antony and the Johnsons delve into the themes of self-expression, spirituality and epilepsy. The title of the song indicates that the singer perceives epilepsy not as a medical condition, but as a dance. The first line of the song "Epilepsy is dancing, She's the Christ now departing" can be interpreted as the singer making a metaphorical comparison between the seizures caused by epilepsy and the act of dancing, which frees the spirit from the body.

The second line "And I'm finding my rhythm, As I twist in the snow" suggests that the singer has found their own sense of freedom and release through the act of dancing. The following lines talk about the search for something within oneself ("All the metal burned in me, down the brain of my river, that fire was searching for a waterway home") and the discovery of a new kind of emotional release and beauty ("I cry 'glitter is love!', My eyes pinned inside, with green jewels, hanging like Christmas stars, from a golden vein").

The song then takes a darker turn as the singer experiences a seizure ("As I came to a screaming, hold me while I'm dreaming, for my fingers are curling, and I cannot breathe"). The final lines "Cut me in quadrants, leave me in the corner, oh now it's passing, oh now I'm dancing" suggest that the seizure has passed and the singer is once again free to dance, despite the difficult experience.

Overall, "Epilepsy is Dancing" is a deeply personal song that explores the themes of self-expression, spirituality, and the physical and emotional toll of living with epilepsy.

Line by Line Meaning

Epilepsy is dancing
Antony associates his seizures with an uncontrolled and erratic movement – like dancing.

She's the Christ now departing
Antony perceives his seizures as moments of intense spiritual transcendence that separate him from the physical world.

And I'm finding my rhythm As I twist in the snow
Despite the turmoil of his seizures, Antony's spirit feels a sense of liberation as he flows with the seizure's movements.

All the metal burned in me Down the brain of my river That fire was searching For a waterway home
Antony reflects on the neurological damage that causes his seizures, the electrical impulses of his brain rampaging like a river on fire as they seek a way to escape.

I cry "glitter is love!" My eyes pinned inside With green jewels Hanging like Christmas stars From a golden vein
In the throes of a seizure, Antony associates the shimmering glitter and colorful jewels he sees in his mind with love and the beauty of life, displayed like festive ornaments.

As I came to a screaming Hold me while I'm dreaming For my fingers are curling And I cannot breathe
Antony speaks of the violent physical and emotional reactions that can accompany a seizure, rendering him helpless and gasping for breath.

Then I cried in the kitchen How I'd seen your ghost witching As a soldering blue line Between my eyes
Through the haze of his seizures, Antony recalls a vivid hallucination of someone he loves, appearing like a blue line seared into his consciousness.

Cut me in quadrants Leave me in the corner Oh now it's passing Oh now I'm dancing
Antony expresses his desire to be left alone while his seizures run their course, but acknowledges the freedom and elation he feels when they finally end.

Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Anohni Hegarty

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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