Dance or Die
Janelle Monae Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cyborg, android, d-boy, decoy
Water, wisdom, tightrope, vision (oh, these dreams are forever)
Insight, stronghold, heartless, ice cold (if you leave now or never)
Mystery, mastery (mastery), solar (solar), battery

Some will pull the gun because they want to be stars (stars)
Snatching up your life into the blink of an eye (eye)
And if you see your cloning on a street walking by (by)
Keep on running for your life 'cause only one will survive (survive)
(Oh, these dreams are forever)
War is in the streets and it's an eye for an eye (eye)
Run on for your life or you can dance, you can die (die)
(If you leave now or never)
She's praying in the sand like she's the last samurai ('rai)
It's a stick up, stick up and a pick up, pick up

Telling lies and telling lies will put your face on fire (fire)
Run and tell your friends to never dream, never win (win)
Ghettos keep on crying to the streets full of zombies (zombies)
Kids are killing kids and then the kids join the army (army)
Rising and a waking, yes, sir, here comes the sun (sun)
March into the war and with the kick of the drum (drum)
The wiser simians have got the bombs and the guns (guns)
So you might as well keep dancing if you're not gonna run

A long, long way to find the one (forever, forever)
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever
Oh, these dreams are forever
And if you wanna wake the sun (forever, forever)
Just keep on marching to the drums (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever
Oh, these dreams are forever (oh, these dreams are forever)

Now, now, now I'm not saying it's better to bailar ('lar)
You can pull the trigger or you build you an ark (ark)
My words are rather kind, you keep them held in contempt ('tempt)
Looking for a nine and then a droid you can tempt (tempt)
Zombie, zombie, zombie, where do dreams come from? (From)
A little bird keep chirping and she's singing a song (she's singing a song)
She's shaking 'em and waking 'em and giving 'em mas (mas)
As the clock tick tocks and the bodies drop (drop)

I'm gonna lay myself so far way down right in your chops (chops)
Modern day example of a wolf vs flock (flock)
Freedom necessary and it's by any means (means)
Frozen, they were stolen all the kings and the queens (queens)
Sudanese and Congolese who put the roll in the rock (rock)
From here to Sudan, Metropolis to Iraq ('Raq)
It's a minute to the dawn and yet the sun ain't back (back)
It's a war in all the stress and, yes, freaks will dance or die

A long, long way to find the one (forever, forever) (dance)
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever) (comes)
These dreams are forever (yeah)
Oh, these dreams are forever
And if you wanna wake the sun (forever, forever) (sun)
Just keep on marching to the drums (forever, forever) (drums)
These dreams are forever (drums)
Oh, these dreams are forever (oh, these dreams are forever)

Angel, blossom, gunshot, dodging
Dream, bright, beat, light
Breathe, live, help, give
Focus, trance, wake up, dance

I'm praying for the man sitting without much time (yup)
May he understand the clock will never rewind (yup)
Wisen him and sharpen him and give him a motto (motto)
Hate no more, said he must hate no more
You see the daylight comes into the kingdom, but the
Kingdom's full of ignorant men (men)
Just keep rebelling away, you gotta dream it away ('way)
Because the weatherman you seein' ain't creating the weather (weather)

This man wants to see a jubilation (yup)
And that man wants us in emancipation (yup)
And then there is the man who wants a stronger nation (yup)
But you see we really got to and I think that we ought to
Protect your mind from degradation ('tion)
Sow in the seeds of education ('tion)
They run from us, are we that dangerous?
There's a war in all the streets and, yes, the freaks must dance or die

(Ohh)
(Ohh)

A long, long way to find the one
We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes (forever, forever)
These dreams are forever (forever)
Oh, these dreams are forever (forever)
And if you wanna wake the sun (dancing)
Just keep on marching to the drums (keep on dancing)




These dreams are forever (keep on dancing)
Oh, these dreams are forever (ohh)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Dance or Die" by Janelle Monáe are a commentary on the state of the world, specifically the idea of war and the need to choose between dancing - representing joy and celebration - and dying - representing conflict and destruction. The use of words such as "cyborg," "android," and "decoy" may represent the idea that society has become mechanized and lost its humanity, leading to violence and chaos. The notion of a street full of clones suggests conformity and a lack of individuality, while the mention of running for one's life implies danger and fear.


The lyrics also reference the prevalence of lies and violence in society, as well as the rise of military culture and the miseducation of young people. The idea of keeping dancing if one is not going to run implies that even if one cannot escape the violence and turmoil of the world, it's important to hold on to one's joy and hope.


Overall, "Dance or Die" seems to be a call to action, urging listeners to fight against the problems in the world and hold on to their dreams and aspirations.


Line by Line Meaning

Cyborg, android, d-boy, decoy, water, wisdom
The song begins with a list of various things that seem unconnected, but may hold greater importance later on


Tightrope, vision, insight, stronghold, heartless
Another list of things that may or may not be related, but they set the tone for the upcoming lyrics and the issues that will be addressed in the song


Ice cold, mystery, mastery, solar, battery
The final list of the song's introduction, potentially hinting at a greater message weaved into the lyrics to come


Some will pull the gun because they want to be stars
The pressure of fame and the desire for adoration can lead some to do harm


Snatching up your life into the blink of an eye
Danger can strike at any moment, leaving one's life in peril in mere seconds


And if you see your cloning on a street walking by
The potential of just another version of oneself can be unsettling and alarming


Keep you running for your life cause only one will survive
The lyrics allude to the survival of the fittest mentality that lurks in the streets


War is in the streets and it's an eye for an eye
The streets are littered with danger and one must fight to survive


Run on for your life or you can dance you can die
With danger lurking at every turn, one can either continue to run in fear or dance as if it's their last moment on Earth


She's praying in the sand like she's the last samurai
Drawing parallels with last samurais who fought until the end, showing a sense of resilience despite the danger


It's a stick up stick up and a pick up pick up
A phrase used during robberies, representing the danger and unpredictability that lurks in the streets


Telling lies and telling lies will put your face on fire
Lies can bring forth consequences that affect one's wellbeing


Run and tell your friends to never dream, never win
A bleak message that suggests not to dream due to the harsh reality of danger in the streets


Ghettos keep a crying out to streets full of zombies
The ghetto represents a world of its own, with its own set of challenges and inhabitants that trudge like zombies


Kids are killing kids and then the kids join the army
A call out into the continuous cycle of violence and how children are often victims and perpetrators of that violence


Rising and a waking, yes sir here comes the sun
A positive message of hope, acknowledging that despite the darkness, there is a dawn that follows the night


March into the war and with the kick of the drum
An acknowledgment of the militaristic nature of life, with war being a common theme in the streets


The wiser simians have got the bombs and the guns
An allusion to the fact that the powerful and oppressive often hold the reins of power in society


So you might as well keep dancing if you're not gonna run
Acknowledging the futility in running from the dangers of life, one may as well dance and enjoy their time on Earth, rather than live in fear


I'm gonna lay myself so far way down right in your chops
A phrase that represents getting down to business, fighting for one's own survival in the face of danger


Modern day example of the wolf vs flock
A metaphor for the fight between the individual and the collective, where one must fight for their own survival


Freedom necessary and it's by any means
The song alludes to the fact that freedom is worth fighting for by any means necessary


Frozen they were stolen all the kings and queens
A reference to the oppression of those in power, who often take or steal their power rather than earn it


Sudanese and congolese who put the roll in the rock
Possibly an allusion to the survival of African cultures despite oppressive forces


It's a minute to the dawn and yet the sun ain't back
Despite the hopeful message earlier, the fact is that change takes time and is often slow to come


Angel, blossom, gunshot, dodging, dream, bright, beat
A list of seemingly disconnected words, set for the upcoming lyrics


Light, breathe, live, help, give, focus, trance, wake up, dance!
Another list of words that bare relevance later in the song, suggesting a greater message and meaning to the song


I'm praying for the man sitting without much time
A reminder that time is fleeting, and one must strive to make a difference as long as they have the chance


May he understand the clock will never rewind
A call to understand the impact of our actions and to embrace change with an urgency


Wisen him and sharpen him and give him a motto
A message to educate and empower those in power, with the hopes of fostering change


Hate no more, said he must hate no more
Letting go of hate is one of the first steps to changing oneself and the world around them


You see the daylight comes into the kingdom
A message of hope that change is possible


But the kingdom's full of ignorant men
Despite the hope, there are still many who resist change and perpetrate ignorance


Just keep rebelling away, you gotta dream it away
A message to keep fighting for change and to keep one's dreams alive, despite the ongoing challenges


Because the weatherman you seein' ain't creating the weather
A call out into the fact that change comes from those who act, and not those who dictate


This man wants to see another jubilation
A reminder that despite the challenges, there are those who still seek the joy of life


And that man wants us in emancipation
There are those who seek freedom and equality for all


And then there is the man who wants a stronger nation
And finally, there are those in power, who seek a larger stake in the world


You see we really got to and I think that we ought to
A message of urgency: We must act, and we must act NOW


Protect the mind from degradation
Protecting one's mental fortitude is critical in times of adversity


Sow in the seeds of education
Education is a key factor in fostering a brighter tomorrow


They run from us, are we that dangerous?
An allusion to the fact that those in power may feel threatened by those who seek change


There's a war in all the streets and yes the freaks must dance or die!
A defiant message that those fighting for change must continue to push forward and not live in fear


A long long way to find the one
A message of perseverance, to not give up despite the long journey ahead


We'll keep on dancing 'til she comes
Despite the challenges, one must continue to dance and live life to the fullest


These dreams are forever
A reminder that the dreams one holds are a reflection of themselves


Oh these dreams are forever
A repetition of the previous line, emphasizing its importance


And if you wanna wake the sun
A message of empowerment, that one can awaken even the most stubborn of forces


Just keep on marching to the drums
A call to action, to keep fighting and pushing forward


These dreams are forever
Reaffirmation that one's dreams are eternal


Oh these dreams are forever
A repetition of the previous line, emphasizing its importance




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles Joseph, Janelle Monae, Kellis Earl Parker Jr., Nathaniel Irvin III, Saul Williams

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions